Hands On Twin Cities Days 2007 is tomorrow! And the next day. It's two days of exciting volunteer service at 4 different Twin Cities locations - Como Park in St. Paul, River Park in Brooklyn Park, Bridging Inc. in Bloomington, and the Center for Families in Minneapolis.

The weather forecast is for clear, sunny skies, and the volunteer forecast is for good spirits and fun! As always, we desperately try to believe the weather forecast when it's good, but the volunteer forecast is never wrong, so we're convinced that tomorrow (and Saturday) are going to be great.

Anyway, if you're reading this and you didn't sign up, we're going to assume that you're not coming. But you could, if you checked the above link for project information and directions, and you called the Hands On Twin Cities office at 612-379-4900 to let us know so that we can be sure to bring a t-shirt for you. If you're not busy tomorrow afternoon or saturday morning, and you like being outside and/or making a difference in your community, you should join us! We'd love to have you.

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All of this Hands On Twin Cities Days 2007 business has distracted us from the blog, which is without a doubt our second-favorite part of our jobs (right behind good ol' fashioned volunteering). And if you're familiar with our blog, you'll know that every good entry must contain information about either (a) a high-quality volunteer opportunity, or (b) a national day or week observing something or other.

Therefore, we feel that it is our duty to inform you that May 13-20 is National AmeriCorps Week. If you know an AmeriCorps member, thank them! They have dedicated a year (or more) of their lives in service to our country in exchange for an impossibly small living stipend. True heroes, those AmeriCorps members! Click here to learn more!

Hands On Twin Cities Days 2007 is tomorrow! And the next day. It's two days of exciting volunteer service at 4 different Twin Cities locations - Como Park in St. Paul, River Park in Brooklyn Park, Bridging Inc. in Bloomington, and the Center for Families in Minneapolis.

The weather forecast is for clear, sunny skies, and the volunteer forecast is for good spirits and fun! As always, we desperately try to believe the weather forecast when it's good, but the volunteer forecast is never wrong, so we're convinced that tomorrow (and Saturday) are going to be great.

Anyway, if you're reading this and you didn't sign up, we're going to assume that you're not coming. But you could, if you checked the above link for project information and directions, and you called the Hands On Twin Cities office at 612-379-4900 to let us know so that we can be sure to bring a t-shirt for you. If you're not busy tomorrow afternoon or saturday morning, and you like being outside and/or making a difference in your community, you should join us! We'd love to have you.

***
All of this Hands On Twin Cities Days 2007 business has distracted us from the blog, which is without a doubt our second-favorite part of our jobs (right behind good ol' fashioned volunteering). And if you're familiar with our blog, you'll know that every good entry must contain information about either (a) a high-quality volunteer opportunity, or (b) a national day or week observing something or other. Well - this week you get two for one!

May 13-20 happens to be National AmeriCorps Week. If you know an AmeriCorps member, thank them! They have dedicated a year (or more) of their lives in service to our country in exchange for a criminally small living stipend. True heroes, those AmeriCorps members! Click here to learn more!

Who is that Man?

and what on earth is he so happy about?

Meet Mark Hiemenz - Amateur Horticulturalist and Executive Director of Hands On Twin Cities. Mark is usually pretty happy, but in this picture he's practically ecstatic because he's volunteering to plant native grasses along the shores of Lake Como during our Hands On Twin Cities Days 2006 Serve-a-Thon!

By removing invasive species and planting native grasses, Mark is helping save Lake Como from soil erosion and preventing ecosystem damage from foreign plants. Mark is also basking in the healthful rays of the springtime sun as he volunteers (can't do that in a tanning booth!), and having a great time with the dozens of other community members who came, compelled by the volunteer spirit (a.k.a. The Invisible Force), to the shores of Lake Como. Looks like participating Hands On Twin Cities Days 2006 was a great idea, Mark!

Luckily, you, too, can experience a joy very similar to that of volunteers at Hands On Twin Cities Days 2006 - it's as easy as volunteering at Hands On Twin Cities Days 2007! YES! Once again we'll be returning to St. Paul's Como Park, which wouldn't be in such good shape if it weren't for the continued efforts of volunteers. We'll also be helping to preserve River Park in Brooklyn Park; helping seniors with their spring cleaning in Minneapolis; and working with Bridging, Inc. in Bloomington to sort donations, unload trucks, and stock shelves with furniture and household goods.

It's a Volunteer Bonanza, and we'd love to see you there!

Be The Change at Hands On Twin Cities Days 2007 - May 18th and 19th! Check out our website for more info and registration.

The Invisible Force!

Many Twin Cities dezinens know little about it, but the Invisible Force is one of the things that makes the Metro such a great place to live. But what is it? A super-team of benevolent spirits? Randy Kelly's secret vigilante hero squad? Is it a force beyond all comprehension?

No! The invisible force is made up of Minnesotans who volunteer to help others. And, as we detailed a few weeks ago, 40% of Minnesotans qualify for Invsible Force membership! But the volunteers who deliver meals, mentor youth, paint houses, care for re-habilitating animals, guide visitors at museums, etc., are a group of unsung ("invisible", if you will) heros. Granted, your typical Minnesotan does not engage in volunteer work for the glory and recognition - as we are a stoic, wintery people - but the Volunteer Centers of Minnesota, TPT TV, and a dynamic group of organizations known as "The Invisible Force Collective" thought it was high time that the volunteer tradition in Minnesota got the attention it deserves.

So - this Sunday night at 8pm there will be a program about the Invisible Force on TPT TV (Channel 17). If you're a volunteer, we encourage you to watch it. If your life is/was touched by volunteers, we encourage you to watch it. If you're only vaguely aware of the concept of "volunteerism", please watch it - you'll learn a lot. It's informative and moving, and next week we'll have a link to the show on our website so you can download it and watch it whenever the volunteer spirit moves you to do so (which, in our case, will be all the time).

For those of you who need to know more right now - The Invisible Force Website

The Minneapolis skyline exists only because it pleases the Invisible Force

Normally the Minnesota Public Radio "Midmorning" show serves as a pleasant audio backdrop here at The Hands On Twin Cities Command Center, rather than a focal point in its own right. No offense intended! "Midmorning" is a fine program - it's just that, you know, we have work to do.

Anyway, today's show really caught our attention because it featured an hour-long interview with Louise Wolfgramm, the Executive Director of AMICUS - a non-profit organization dealing with the re-habilitation of ex-offenders, and a Hands On Twin Cities affiliate. AMICUS turns 40 this year (unfortunatey, their 40th anniversary gala was last Thursday, so we totally missed it), and we're awfully glad they're still around, because their mission grows more important every year.

How so, you may ask? Consider this - the Minnesota state prison population grew by 85% in the last decade, and is expected to grow an additional 35% through 2009! And as Louise mentioned on the show, an inmate's punishment often continues after incarceration, in the form of disenfranchisement (for felons), a steep uphill climb in the job market, and general difficulty re-adjusting to society after years behind bars. These additional obstacles placed between ex-offenders and a "normal life" are a big factor in high rates of recidivism, or the tendency of ex-offenders to re-offend.

AMICUS volunteers mentor ex-offenders during this difficult transition period. Their programs include chemical dependency classes, transition fairs, and resume & job search assistance. In addition, AMICUS volunteers provide some much-needed contact with the outside world to offenders still serving their sentences (an estimated 50% of offenders don't recieve any visitors while in prison!). These services are vital for thousands of Minnesotans who have "done their time" and are eager to return to their communities and get a fresh start.

Louise shared a lot of great stories on the "Midmorning" show, but it's probably some kind of copyright violation for us to repeat them here. Therefore, we encourage you to check out the recording on the MPR website if you've got the time - it's worth the listen!

Interested in volunteering for AMICUS? Click here for more information.