Learn, Serve, Be The Change

2007-10-12T11:44:00.000-05:00

Volunteerism: connecting and supporting thousands of seemingly un-related causes and activities.

Kind of like a clothesline - that tiger-print Hawaiian shirt really has nothing to do with that pair of 10-year-old acid-washed jeans next to it, but without the line supporting and connecting both of them, they'd be in seperarate little damp piles of questionable fashion in the backyard. And that would be tragic.

One of the many comfortable articles of civic engagement supported by clothesline of volunteerism is Event Planning. From school dances with their volunteer chaperones, to charity auctions with their volunteer auction assistants, to smaller-scale Community Organization parties with their volunteer food servers - so many of the events that we attend to celebrate, build community, and/or enjoy snacks, are made possible by volunteers.

Event volunteers sometimes have a long-standing relationship with the organizer, but this is not always the case. There are many events happening year-round in the Twin Cities that put out an open call to volunteers. Take the upcoming "A Perspective of Hope" - a fundraising Gala for Perspectives Family Center, on October 26. There's still a need for volunteers like you to come and greet guests, help run the charity auction, and eat the free pizza that will be provided to you because you are a wonderful volunteer. Just by being friendly and helpful, you can assist Minnesota's largest supportive housing program.

So many ways to be involved. And at least some of them come with free pizza.

2007-10-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

Hands On Twin Cities, always striving to stay at the forefront of volunteerism in the Metro Area, recently sent 4 employees (including both halves of this blog) to participate in Project Homeless Connect this past Monday, October 1st, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The first thing we have to say is WOW. That's also the second and third things we have to say. There were 850 volunteers on hand to help 1800 guests navigate the various rooms and hallways that were filled to the brim with housing information, social services, employment information, on-site dental and eye care, clothing donations, and more. This was, without a doubt, the largest volunteer event we've ever been apart of.

For those of you who don't know, Project Homeless Connect is a giant event where Social Service Providers of all types come together under one roof so that, for one day at least, people experiencing homelessness can check out the services they need without having to travel all over town. At Project Homeless Connect, people can get a State Photo ID, visit with a lawyer, get a dental checkup, and get a hot meal all in a matter of a few hours. Each guest is assigned a volunteer who helps them to navigate the event and get the services they need as quickly as possible.

This is a truly amazing event that will connect you with neighbors you never knew you had. And luckily, there are two coming up in 2008! The first is on April 28th. Orientation is required, so register early if you want to participate. All the info you'll need is available here: http://www.homelessconnectminneapolis.org

2007-09-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

A non-profit in St. Paul just removed a volunteer project in late September from our calendar because they had too many volunteers. Gad-zooks, to be that popular! There are so many volunteer projects going on all the time in the Twin Cities, that to have one be filled a month in advance is a testament to how volunteery Minnesotans really are.

Of course, our friends in St. Paul are the exception, not the rule. We have dozens of one-time volunteer service projects listed on our website that could use your help. If you want to get involved in your community, have fun, and meet new people, but you can't make a big commitment because of [thousands of reasons] , these service projects are perfect for you. All you have to do is find a day on our calendar that works for you, and sign up. Making a difference in your community is ridiculously easy, thanks to our project calendar. Here's a sample of some events in the Twin Cities that need volunteers in the next month:

This is just a sampling of the many volunteer projects going on in the Twin Cities. So many, in fact, that you have no excuse for not doing at least one of them. For more, check out our project calendar.

2007-08-30T15:13:00.000-05:00

One-half of this blog is something of a tea affectionado (or addict, depending on who you ask), and was tickled to death when he saw this volunteer opportunity.

That's right! High Tea Host/Hostess! Plan the menu, research the procedures and protocol of High Tea, and then be the host/hostess to Lake Owasso residents (your gracious guests). We presume that they are referring to the British-style High Tea made extremely popular in the Victorian era, but you could get really creative with this one. Tea ceremonies have a rich and varied history - China, Japan, India, and many other countries had long-established tea ceremony traditions long before the Western World had even heard of tea. The possibilities are endless!

This sounds like a lot of fun to us, but again, we really love tea. Almost as much as we love volunteerism.

Kudos to the Lake Owasso Residence for posting a totally unique volunteer opportunity. Contact them today!

The Boston Tea Terrier is a stickler for protocol.

2007-08-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

If the recent weather has accomplished anything (other than making think that maybe we'd moved to Portland, Oregon, and forgotten about it), it's reminded us that summer won't last forever.

Indeed - soon fall will mosey in, and we'll all "ooh" and "aah" at the leaves, and then about 6 minutes later winter will move in and we'll forget what grass even looks like.

So why not do some good, ol' fashioned, get-your-hands-dirty volunteer work before the weather destroys your enthusiasm? This coming Saturday, August 25, East Metro Women's Council (of White Bear Lake) is looking for volunteers to help them spruce up their apartments for families in transition. Put on your work clothes and make a difference for East Metro families who are trying to get back on their feet! Click here for more information.

2007-08-16T11:40:00.000-05:00

If you're often exposed to grade school students, or can remember being one, you're familiar with the frequent (and not totally unwarranted) complaint that the stuff they learn in the classroom doesn't matter in "real life".

"When are we going to use [pre-calculus/european history/a memorized list of prepositions/etc.] in real life?", they ask. We certainly remember asking this same question. Particularly about that list of prepositions. Did we not already speak fluent English? We were in high school!

Well - if you're interested in teaching Twin Cities students about skills and concepts that they will really use (and why shouldn't you be? the future success of this state, and country, begins in the classrooms of today), you may want to consider volunteering for Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. JA volunteers are enthusiastic volunteers with life experience who want to share that experience with eager young learners. You'll be provided with an age appropriate, hands-on, curriculum focuses on work/career life skills, entrepreneurial thinking and financial responsibility.

Best of all, this high-impact opportunity won't take up all of your time. Make just 8 weekly schoolday visits to a classroom for an hour per visit. You can choose between elementary students, middle-school students, or high-school students.

Bring the real world to students and help them understand the economics of life. Open their minds to their potential. And, of course, have fun!

Learn more.

2007-08-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Children's Museum reported to us that their "Birthday Party Assistants" volunteer position was full. Which is awesome. We love to hear that volunteer positions are full - that means that the word is getting out, and Twin Cities residents (the most volunteeringest people in the nation) are responding.

But not all volunteer opportunitites are full. In fact, many volunteer positions that have tremendous community impact and value are currently open, waiting for an engaged, committed citizen (like you?).

Today's example - Youth Mentor with the Community Justice Project

Most everyone knows that today, possibly more than ever, there are thousands of young people in Minnesota without a stable, supportive adult role model. Among the many factors influencing the much-publicized juvenile crime spike of the last few years, the lack of caring adults to guide our young people is the most troublesome, and the easiest to correct.

The Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches/Community Justice Project pairs young people on probation with stable, supportive adults. In case after case, the GMCC's Community Justice Project has proven that the difference between a one-time offender and a young person who goes on live a life of crime is the regular presence of an adult who cares and listens. The at-risk youth of today don't have to be the hardened criminals of tommorrow.

There are always more mentees on the waiting list than there are mentors to help them out, so if you think that you can make a commitment to a young person in your community who needs help turning their life around, contact the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches/Community Justice Project today. Training session begin September 17th, so don't wait! Make a difference today!

2007-07-27T13:25:00.000-05:00

Guild Incorporated (of West St. Paul) is an organization that helps people with mental illness lead quality lives. Programs build on people's strengths, assisting with finding housing, employment and social connections.

Among their many great programs is an amateur adult co-ed basketball team! Yes! It builds on people's strengths (enthusiasm, spirit), as well as building strength in areas that could always use some extra toning (deltoids). Being on a team is sure great for social connections, too (and connecting with that basket - swish). Hey, this sounds like a pretty awesome program for adults with mental illness.

BUT WAIT - they need a team manager. Someone who is responsible and caring. Encouraging and enthusiastic. Doesn't mind driving a big 'ol van to practices. Loves basketball and people. Is this you?

It's a commitment of one evening a week for about three months, which isn't much. You'll probably want to do more! Check it out --> Be a basketball team manager

Guild Incorprated is looking for enthusiastic volunteers!

"Happy" enthusiastic, though - not "Bob Knight" enthusiastic...

2007-07-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

About a year ago, a friend of this blog who resides in Buffalo, NY (home of the chicken wing, and the late Rick James) volunteered a few hours of his time for the producers of a very low-budget horror movie called "Zombie Chickens". He wore a mask making it seem as though his face was zombified, and lurched around along with dozens of other Buffalonians in order to simulate, with tremendous accuracy, the sort of disaster that would be caused by a plague of Zombie Chickens descending upon Upstate New York.

(As far as we know, this movie is not out yet. Or maybe we just don't know the right people.)

We mention this because Salvation Army Twin Cities has a similar gig going on in late August. From the 21st through the 25th, the Salvation Army is looking for hundreds of volunteers to help simulate a large-scale disaster so that the Minnesota National Guard can practice their people-saving skills and complete their CERFP certification. Disaster Actor Volunteers will be given a story to act out, and then they will be saved from rubble, de-contaminated, bandaged, and triaged. You may not wind up in a B-grade horror movie as an extra, but you will be contributing to the safety of your community by helping the National Guard complete the training they need.

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance! We want our National Guard to be Properly Prepared, don't we?

2007-07-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

Attention Law Students - do you want to do some good in the world before you become a lawyer and are contractually obligated to do evil? You may not have passed that bar yet, but your knowledge and skills are already useful and needed.

The Alexandra House is looking for Legal Advocates to help clients file protection orders and navigate our gargantuously confusing court system. By volunteering your time and talents, you can help women and families in situations of domestic violence get a fresh start on life.

This is a good opportunity for those interested in or working towards law practice, but being a law student is not a requirement. If you don't care about/are afraid of the law, but you still want to help, there are lots of other ways you can assist the Alexandra House in their mission to be a voice and a support network for women, families, and communities experiencing domestic violence. Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities with this organization.

2007-07-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

The demand for volunteer gardeners almost outpaces our desire to write about it.

Family & Children's Services of Brooklyn Park is looking for an individual or small group (up to 4 volunteers) to help plan and maintain the landscaping at their Northwest Hennepin branch. If you want to leave your mark as a horticultural artist while helping your community, this is a fantastic volunteer opportunity. (Check it out)

***

That same agency (Family & Children's Services) is also looking for someone with experience in Facilities Management to provide on-call consultation to their Facilities Supervisor. Volunteer opportunities like this are looking for one special person with experience, time, and the desire to help others.

Immediately, one-half of this blog thought about his Uncle Dan, who is recently retired, terribly bored, and knows a whole lot about how to fix everything. Unfortunately, Uncle Dan lives on the South Dakota border, and would be a poor candidate for an on-call volunteer in Brooklyn Park.

But maybe you've got a retired Uncle Dan who needs something to drag him away from the History Channel and get his hands dirty helping a great community organization? (more info)

***

Lastly, and speaking of getting your hands dirty, we hope you've blocked off Thursday, July 12 on your calendar, because that's the day of the summer's biggest volunteer project!

Join hundreds of volunteer from accross the Twin Cities at the Cityview Performing Arts Magnet School in Minneapolis for an extreme school makeover! Groups of all sizes are still welcome. The more volunteers we get, the bigger the difference we can make. Sign up online or call 612-379-4900.

2007-06-29T11:22:00.001-05:00

This volunteer opportunity was recently added to our database, and it pretty much blew our minds when we read about it.

Do your interests include watching the Xgames, having a good time, and making a difference in your community? Maybe you should consider volunteering at the Salvation Army skatepark in Stillwater!

Use the knowledge you aquired playing Tony Hawk's (original) Pro Skater and/or Tony Hawk's Underground for Playstation 2 (admit it!) while helping provide kids in your neighborhood with a place to hang out that is actually fun.

--> Learn more <--

2007-06-25T10:46:00.000-05:00

We've said it before (and we'll keep on saying as long as this is our job), but the fact remains - there is a constant demand for volunteers in the Twin Cities. Nonprofit organizations post new volunteer opportunitites on our website every day. This means that the day you are finally bitten by the volunteer bug (and you will be! it has an insatiable appetite), there will be a fresh volunteer opportunity waiting just for you. Maybe that day is today!

So - keeping with our latest Get Outside in the Summertime Volunteer Opportunitites kick, here are a few volunteer positions that were just updated on our database this weekend.

Community Garden Helper with East Metro Women's Council - Gardeners who want to share their passion with families who are eager to learn should check this one out. Help inexperienced and enthusiastic families learn how to grow and maintain their own garden.
Day Camp Activity Guide with Salvation Army of the Twin Cities - Nothing says summertime like Day Camp. Help day camp leaders by guiding kids through a specific project or activity. You can help out all summer, or as your schedule allows. Day camps are operating in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Brooklyn Park - no matter where you live, there's an opportunity near you!

2007-06-22T15:10:00.000-05:00

So it's officially summer, and by now you're probably over the initial wave of euphoria brought on by the ability to wear shorts and tanktops without shivering. Now what?

Thankfully, you outdoor-worshipping Minnesotans (that is to say, darn near all of you) have tons of opportunities to serve your community while basking in the warmth and glow of summer. Yes! You can help others and play outside at the same time!

Particularly if you live near St. Louis Park. Perspectives Family Center of SLP runs a great summer youth program for at-risk kids that relys on the efforts of fun-loving and caring community members. Perspectives volunteers read with kids, teach and play sports, chaperone field trips to museums, waterparks, and nature centers, and more! If you've got one or two weekday afternoons to spare, you'll have about as much fun as you can handle by volunteering with Perspectives Family Center. Click here to learn more!

This is just one great example of the many volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities waiting to be filled by an energetic, caring person like you. For more, check out our online volunteer database. Just by typing "summer" in the Keyword box, you'll find over 50 sunny community service opportunities!

Get outside and get involved!

2007-06-15T10:50:00.000-05:00

It's just not summer until we get our first hazardous ozone warning of the year. So, as of yesterday, Happy Summer! Now we hope our ozone levels will stay at "healthy" for the remainder of the season, so that we can play outside.

Summer is a great time in the realm of volunteering, because there are more opportunities to get outside and get a little dirty while making a difference in your community. For instance: Central Community Housing of Minneapolis trust is looking for Garden Gurus. We know there are tons of gardeners of all skill levels out there - why not share your talents and love of all things flora with CCHT by helping them keep their affordable housing properties green, bright, and welcoming? Leave your mark by adding a little more beauty to Minneapolis!

Opportunities like this make us wish we knew something about gardening. But what if all we've got is enthusiasm?

Luckily, trained master gardeners are ready to take gardening novices like us and put us to work on July 12th at Hands On Twin Cities' Cityview School Renovation. We'll be talking more about this in the coming weeks, but mark your calendar now! There are dozens of ways to help at the Cityview School Renovation - our biggest volunteer event of the summer!

2007-05-17T16:02:00.001-05:00

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.

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!

2007-05-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-05-08T17:14:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-05-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-01T16:20:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-04-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

There are more ways to volunteer now than ever before. With an ever-increasing number of service organizations springing up to meet the needs of an ever-increasing population, an expansion of interest in and action on our environment, and a NonProfit community nationally recognized for the depth and scope of its involvement, if you care about anything in the Twin Cities, there is a way to volunteer your time to help that thing.

But with such a variety of ways to volunteer in our communities (like some kind of all-you-can-serve lunch buffet of civic engagement), where is an active citizen to go in order to find out about all of these opportunities? Where is this lunch buffet?

Well, the closest thing out there is: us! At www.handsontwincities.org you can find volunteer listings from over 300 local non-profits on our easy-to-use volunteer search database. There is also a Project Calendar, featuring one-time volunteer service projects all over the Twin Cities that you can sign up for online! There are a few similar web-based services out there, such as volunteermatch, The United Way, and 1800 Volunteer, but Hands On Twin Cities is the only searchable database designed for Minnesotans by Minnesotans, and exclusively featuring volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Also, our blog is more entertaining than anything you'll find on those other sites.

Unfortunately, even Hands On Twin Cities cannot know all there is to know about volunteerism in the Twin Cities - there are just too many ways to get involved. Another great place to look for volunteer opportunities is the land of print media, or - as they used to say back in the days of the telegraph - newspapers!

The Pioneer Press and Star Tribune each run weekly segments (Thursday and Saturday, respectively) on ways to get involved in your community, featuring ads for specific volunteer opportunities and events. The City Pages and The Rake each feature listings of volunteer opportunities in their classified sections (Hands On Twin Cities helps assemble these listings). Neighborhood newpapers can be a good bet, too. In this week's issue of The Northeaster, there is a 1 1/2 page spread featuring numerous volunteer opportunities and organizations in Northeast Minneapolis.

Newspapers cannot, by their physical nature, include a snazzy searchable volunteer databse with over 2,000 volunteer opportunities (like ours), but sometimes this is a good thing. If you have no idea what kind of volunteer opportunity you're looking for, it might be more tedious to cruise a database than to look at a selected sample of current volunteer needs.

The bottom line is, there are lots and lots of places to look for volunteer opportunities. They range in difficutly from pretty easy (clicking a mouse), to also pretty easy (opening a newspaper), so there's really no excuse for not finding an opportunity that works for you. Log onto www.handsontwincities.org today, or pick up any one of the fine newspapers discussed in this article.

In my day, we read the 'ol village chalkboard to find out about Volunteer Opportunities. And we liked it!

2007-04-16T11:28:00.000-05:00

As we mentioned not so long ago, we're working with the Office of Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to put on a series of 4 community forums designed to give you, the individual citizen, some great ways to help make your neighborhood an even better place to live. It's called the Great City Take Action Series, and it's based on the premise that most people would engage in some kind of community service for a few hours a month if they thought it would do any good. And the thing is, it can! Every neighborhood can be a great place to live - all it takes is pride and action.

The first forum in this series is called "Reweaving the Urban Fabric", and it's happening tommorrow night (April 17) at the Capri Theatre from 6-8 pm! (Click here for directions and more info). This forum will focus on the role of environmentalism in neighborhood improvement. From composting to organized litter cleanup, building birdhouses, and planting community gardens, thinking about neighborhoods not just in terms of a collection of houses, but in terms of an ecosystem, can bring neighbors together and improve the immediate environment in which we live.

There are numerous organizations throughout the Twin Cities who specialize in "green" Urban Revitalization of one form or another, including the Tree Trust, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, and Friends of the Mississippi River. All of these organizations rely on the efforts of volunteers and concerned citizens like you. There are just so many ways to get involved!

You don't have to be Minneapolis resident to get a lot of valuable information from this free event. Come join representatives from these organizations as well as city officials tommorrow night at the Capri Theatre to learn how you can help Reweave the Urban Fabric!

(Remember - and we cannot mention this enough - there will be snacks!)

Yeah, Baltimore -

having that much trash in the first place isn't exactly something to be proud of...

2007-04-12T11:22:00.000-05:00

Among the many other achievements of his administration (and there were many), President R. Milhous Nixon signed an executive order in 1974 creating National Volunteer Week - a weeklong celebration of volunteerism in America (which will be April 15-21 of 2007).

33 years later, Volunteerism in America is stronger than ever! This may or may not be related to the establishment of National Volunteer Week (we'll go with "it probably helped"), but the record number of volunteers in America means we have a record number of people to thank. According to a study by the Corporation for National & Community Service, 65.4 million Americans (28.8% of the population) volunteered in 2005. Even more exciting (for us) are the study's state rankings - we are 3rd in the nation with 40.7% of Minnesotans engaging in community service!

Since 4 out of 10 Minnesotans volunteer in one way or another, it would be impossible for Hands On Twin Cities to bake a delicious cupcake for each one of them (unless someone wants to volunteer 3,000 pounds of cupcake mix). But we will be sure to thank the many volunteers that grace us with their presence, just as we encourage you to recognize and thank the volunteers in your life. If you have friends or family who volunteer, tell 'em what a great job they're doing! Volunteer ushers at a concert or volunteer guides at the zoo? Say thanks! If you work for an organization that relys on the efforts of volunteers, thank them even more than you already do (our suggestions: cards, cupcakes).

And if you are a volunteer yourself, fish for compliments! Also, let other volunteers know how much you appreciate working with them to make your community a better place.

For more information on National Volunteer Week, check out the Points of Light Foundation website.

Milhous smiles upon you, volunteers

2007-04-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

Does flying stress you out?

One-half of this blog becomes very irate and confused when exposed to airports and/or airport culture - CNN's The Situation Room, Skymall Magazine, pre-recorded messages telling you never to accept and transport packages from strangers (as if that's something you would do anyway?), etc. Not to mention that the half of this blog in question is much taller than the person airlines had in mind when designing their freakishly small interiors. And don't even get him started about the apparent ban on delicious peanuts - the only part of air travel that he genuinely liked.

Stressful! And yet, within the MSP Aiport there is a beacon of hope. Many beacons, really - each staffed by one or more cheerful volunteers wearing snazzy blue vests. Yes, the volunteers from the Airport Foundation are here to answer questions, calm fears, and more! The 250+ volunteers who make up this elite team come from many walks of life - from high school students to retired air traffic controllers - but they all have one thing in common: they love to help people!

The half of this blog who hates airports was very grateful to the Volunteer who helped him find his United Airlines Gate (note to readers: Concourse E - you won't find your United flights on any of the monitors because they don't want you to find it). Airport Foundation volunteers are never very far away if you're lost, looking for a specific restaurant or store, unable to communicate with airport staff (they have a phone-in translation service at their fingertips!), or your service dog requires a much-needed bathroom break.

The Airport Foundation asks that volunteers make a commitment of at least 4 hours per week. Interested? Check out their website!

***

Later on his trip, one half of this blog was stuck overnight in Cleveland, where there were no helpful volunteers to be found. However, he did find wild sparrows running all over the place!

Now, we're not saying that the Airport Foundation Volunteers are directly responsible for the lack of wildlife inside MSP, but we think that the coincidence is worth noting. C'mon, Cleveland...get on the ball.

The worst part was watching them budge to the front of the line with their first-class tickets

2007-04-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

Ah, the historic Capri Theatre - where you can spend a rainy/snowy Saturday afternoon catching a double feature, some cartoons, and an action-packed serial (such as Don Winslow of the Navy) for just 9 cents! Sometimes we really miss the early 1940's...

But wait! The historic Capri Theatre still has a lot to offer to residents of the Twin Cities. Just last year, Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak delivered his annual State of the City address from its' stage - the same stage on which Twin Cities musical superhero Prince played his first concert (at least according to this site, which, for the sake of trivia, we really hope is accurate)! And coming on April 17th, the Capri will be the location of our first Great City Take Action Forum!

These forums, developed in partnership with the Office of Mayor RT Rybak, are designed to bring Minneapolis residents together to learn about community issues, share their experiences, and hear from local government and nonprofit organizations about what can be done to make our city an even better place to live! The first forum, "Reweaving the Urban Fabric", will focus on urban environmentalism and how we, as citizens, can make our city a cleaner, greener place, starting in our own neighborhoods.

We'll be posting more about this forum as we get closer to the event, but you should probably start getting excited now. For more info on the Great City Take Action Forum series, including a helpful map to the Capri Theatre, click here!

(And, yes - there will be snacks.)

2007-03-29T12:16:00.000-05:00

'Voluntourism' on the rise - CNN.com <-- Check it out.

Wouldn't you feel a little more refreshed if you only spent 2 days of your vacation hanging out on the beach, and the rest doing some good 'ol fashioned volunteer work? Your brain may need a few days of blissful inactivity, and that's fine, but your soul is rejuvinated by the benevolent activity of doing good deeds. Trust us.

There are all kinds of organizations and programs that take caring go-getters like yourselves and put them to work on Volunteer Trips (or 'Service Vacations', or whatever - there's a lot of new vocab being tossed around this concept). An obvious and semi-local (i.e. in the United States) destination would be the Gulf Coast. Even a year and a half later, this region is still struggling to recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and they could use volunteers.

Check out our webpage on how to contact Hands On New Orleans and Hands On Gulf Coast. They will feed you, clothe you, and put you to work. Rejuvinate that soul!

* * *

Lastly - this is what happens when you come to work on your birthday.

You get a visit from Birthday Dog Hat.

Happy 25th, Jessica!

Beneath the goofy hat and coppery mane is a dynamo of community engagement!

2007-03-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

One of Hands On Twin Cities' newest affiliate organizations is the National Marrow Donor Program. Marrow and blood donation programs are always interesting for us because, while they're well-known needs (who hasn't seen a Give Blood ad? And we're not talking about those Give Blood: Play Hockey t-shirts, because we're pretty sure the ice doesn't need it), they're not really thought of as being "volunteer opportunities".

And yet, marrow and blood (and whatever else you've got to spare) donation is, in some ways, the ultimate volunteerism experience. Rather than donating your time, your skills, and your hard work to help people in your community (directly or indirectly), you are donating a part of your body to be given directly to another person's body to help them recover from illness or injury. Heavy...

Please understand: we are not belittling the countless volunteers who brighten the lives of hospital patients with friendly visits or rake their neighbors' yards or deliver Meals on Wheels or what-have-you. There are many levels and styles of volunteerism, and they are all important. Bone Marrow Donation is just one of the most intense (which is why you can't do it every day), and it yeilds some of the most amazing results (i.e. someone gets to recover from lymphoma).

We are ranting about this today because one half of this blog's older brother (Skip) recently donated bone marrow. While in college, he was tested and entered into the national database because the volunteer spirit compelled him to. And then he moved to South Carolina, forgetting to leave a forwarding address for the Marrow People. A few months ago, the National Marrow Donor Program invoked the power of the internet and tracked him down, because it turned out he was a perfect match for a teenager with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

When we were informed that Skip was going to have marrow removed from the back of his pelvis, we were proud (of course), and a little frightened for him. From his pelvis? - we said to ourself - isn't that a bit invasive? And the truth is, after marrow extraction, some patients can hardly move for a week. So we were concerned - Skip is an active man, and if he's not currently "on the go", he's busy planning his next go. While jogging in place.

Turns out, Skip was able to walk out of the hospital 4 hours after the procedure, and felt good enough to watch his favorite football team, the South Carolina Gamecocks, get totally annihilated (as usual) at Williams-Brice stadium (metal bench seats!) 3 days later. While his recovery went a bit more smoothly than some, you would be hard-pressed to find a bone marrow donor who thought the trouble wasn't worth it. The knowledge that your discomfort is the result of helping to save someone's life can be a powerful natural painkiller. Almost as powerful as the drugs they send home with you.

Anyway - blood, bone marrow: we're pretty sure you've got some. (Hint.)

For more information on marrow and blood donation in the Twin Cities, visit these websites:

2007-03-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

Have you ever said to yourself, "I wish there was a really fun and potentially relaxing volunteer opportunity that I could do in my own home. Like babysitting a cat for a couple of weeks. And hanging out with that cat would somehow be volunteer work. But that's silly, right?"

Wrong! Our Hands On Twin Cities volunteer opportunity of the month for March happens to be "Feline Foster Care Provider".

Feline Rescue, Inc. of St. Paul needs cat lovers to care for cats with special needs while they wait for adoption. These may include sick or disabled cats, kittens, nursing mothers, pregant cats, elderly cats, or cats that just need a more quiet place than the shelter.

This is a great opportunity for cat people (obviously) and caring persons who want a pet but aren't quite ready to commit years of their life to a single animal. Be a volunteer, help your community (particularly songbirds) by keeping cats off the street, and enrich your life with a fuzzy feline. Contact Feline Rescue, Inc. today!

Boy, cats sure are wacky. And fun! Be a feline foster care provider!

2007-03-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

Today we realized that it has been 10 days since we've updated our blog! You know what that means? We've had far too much real work to do.

Such as...

Attending the Hands On Network Leadership Conference '07 in scenic and culturally significant New Orleans, Louisiana. Several members of our staff (including one-half of our elite blogging team) got togther with over 660 Hands On Network representatives from across the globe to learn volunteering and community involvement techniques from each other and participate in some huge service projects to help out New Orleans neighborhoods (many of which still have a long way to go before they're "recovered").

In fact, if you have any interest in helping out with the continuing recovery of the New Orleans, we're working with Hands On New Orleans to get more information on how you can head down to the gulf and get your hands dirty. There's still a lot to do! Keep checking our homepage, we'll have that information up soon.

Also...

We're working with the City of Minneapolis to present the Great City Take Action Forums. This is a series of 4 forums designed to educate and involve Minneapolis residents, empowering them to help make our city an even better place. More information about these fun, informative, and free events can be found by clicking here.

Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak and his fantastic staff have been outstanding partners for the planning of these forums, and we were thrilled to be in the audience for the Mayor's State of the City Address at the McNamara Alumni Center (which is a giant spaceship cleverly disguised as a building on the U of M campus) today when he officially announced the Great City Take Action Forums. Thanks, Mayor Rybak!

(Make no mistake - we love you too, City of St. Paul!)

And lastly...

This wouldn't be a proper blog entry if we didn't mention a direct instance of volunteerism in action.

These week's example is taken from the entertaining, family-friendly, and slightly dangerous neo-sport of Roller Derby. While attending a Roller Derby match on Friday evening, one-half of this blog noticed that injured and ailing Roller Girls are dutifully attended to by Volunteer EMT's!

Kudos to you, Roller Derby Medical Personnel! We at Hands On Twin Cities applaud any instance of skilled professionals donating their time to help the community; no matter how fast-paced, dimly lit, and alternative that community may be.

2007-03-09T15:52:00.000-06:00

Volunteer Speed Match at the Minnesota Zoo! This latest edition to the growing scene of volunteerism is so zany and fun, we just had to be a part of it.

On Tuesday, March 20th, 2007, you'll get the chance to meet with 15 different volunteer-based organizations (including Fairview Hospital, Kids 'n Kinship, Lifeworks, Hands On Twin Cities, and more) for 3 minutes each. It's up to them to impress you with the quality of their program and the ways that you can make a difference in the community by volunteering with them. If you meet with an organization you really like, you can schedule a "second date" with them and start volunteering!

(This is also a great way to meet some of the hotties in the volunteer administration field.)

To fit the lifestyles of busy volunteers, there will be 3 sessions: 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 pm. Plus (and we cannot stress this enough), it's at the Minnesota Zoo - home of some totally sweet animals, like the Mouse Deer. So, if you're interested in (a) finding meaningful volunteer opportunities, (b) meeting fun people, or (c) the Mouse Deer, there is just no excuse for missing Volunteer Speed Match! Click on the link to learn more and register!

2007-03-05T13:40:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought about how to end homelessness? Either what you, personally, can do, or what we, as a great Minnesotan society, can accomplish?

We sure have. Especially if you live in the Cities, homelessness is hard to ignore (though many of us try). At freeway exits and busy intersections, on downtown streets, even in the alleys behind our houses, the separate world of people experiencing homelessness touches ours all the time. Though, really, it's not a separate world at all. We are just as connected to people experiencing homlessness in our community are we are to our next-door neighbors. The difference is, our next-door neighbors probably don't need our help quite as badly.

As with most complex issues in our complex society, an organized effort is needed so that concerned individuals can work together to make a difference. That's why tomorrow, March 6th (a Tuesday) at 7 pm we'll be hosting a Hands On Twin Cities Volunteer Cafe at the Loring Park Dunn Bros. in Minneapolis. We'll have representatives from the following 4 local organizations that deal with homelessness, Loaves & Fishes, Our Saviour's Housing, Lutheran Social Services, and The Link, to tell you about what they do and how you can help.

This event is free, and open to the public (of course). The first half-hour or so will feature speakers from the above organizations, followed by an open discussion. Come meet the Hands On Twin Cities staff and community-minded people like yourself, drink some delicious coffee (which, sadly, you will have to pay for), and learn how you can be a part of the solution to homelessness.

2007-02-28T11:31:00.000-06:00

As much as we love and encourage spontaneous acts of volunteerishness, organized volunteer service projects are our bread and butter. Volunteer teams will accomplish more when they have a clearly defined set of goals, the proper supplies, snacks, and most importantly, a confident leader.

But volunteer leaders don't grow on trees! They are dedicated and energetic community members who love Being The Change and have decided to take the next step in volunteerism - recieving leadership training, working with nonprofits and community organizations to identify needs that can be met through volunteerism, and organizing projects to meet those needs. In fact, many of our partnered organizations have some potential service projects already planned out - they just need someone to help them get the ball rolling! This could be you!

This Saturday, March 3rd, Hands On Twin Cities is hosting a free Project Leader Training Session. This 2-hour class from 10 am - 12 noon is the first step to being an effective volunteer leader. Learn from Hands On Twin Cities staff about to effectively develop, plan, and manage volunteer projects.

Don't just be a part of The Change. Lead The Change!

2007-02-27T16:18:00.000-06:00

Before we go nuts about snowstorm volunteerism stories (assuming the people in internetland send us some), we'd like to offer highlights from our Valentine's Day Volunteerism Challenge, in which we challenged you to engage in volunteerism (conventional or otherwise) on February 14th and then tell us about it in exchange for free Hello Kitty rub-on tattoos.

Recognition for most heartwarming and most bittersweet goes to Christy and her son John, who were on their way to have a Valentine's Day lunch with seniors at a local nursing home (extra points because they found said nursing home using our website) when they got a flat tire (in February!) and then waited 2 hours for the AAA Cavalry to arrive. By that time, sadly, lunch was over. But remember - it's the thought that counts!

Recognition for most misunderstood goes to Jake, who, following our suggestion for cash-strapped Valentine's Volunteerism, gave each of his co-workers the biggest smile he could muster. Unfortunately, said co-workers were confused by Jake's Valentine spirit (perhaps mistaking it for a sign of aggression?), and stopped smiling back. Maybe some people just can't handle the love, but that doesn't mean we should stop giving!

Finally, recognition for most far away from the Twin Cities goes to Sarah, who wrote to us from Pennsylvania (where they also celebrate Valentine's Day!). Sarah distributed gifts of cereal and candy to all of her friends, thereby fostering a greater sense of community among these special people. Way to spread the love!

* * *

We love it when you write to us. If you have a volunteerism story, share it! Email jack@handsontwincities.org. We'll send you treats/freebies, because you're good person and you deserve it.

2007-02-27T09:16:00.000-06:00

There is a delicious foot of snow on the ground here in the Twin Cities, and the nice people on the radio tell us that more is on the way! So why are we excited? The simple (and unproven) fact that winter storms, while cold in a strictly physical sense, have a way of lighting the fire of volunteerism and community involvement that is sometimes absent from our neighborhoods.

This could be because:

(a) All of the snow reminds us of the greater Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa holiday season, which is also a time to extend random acts of kindess.
(b) Snowstorms are often an occasion for missing work and school, which can lead to increased feelings of child-like wonder and excitement.
(c) Minnesotans love to shovel - it brings out the pioneer spirit in each of us that lies dormant for most of the year.

Driving around the city this weekend, we saw dozens of motorists in the act of randomly helping others who were stuck or stranded. In several of these cases, so many kind strangers stopped to help that some of them had nothing to do but offer encouragement (which is still very important).

One-half of this blog recieved some much appreciated assistance from a friendly, shovel-wielding neighbor in freeing her car from its car-shaped snow tomb, while the other half, after dutifully shoveling the sidewalk, engaged in unbridled snowball warfare with his roomates and passers-by (not volunteerism, of course, but he makes the argument for enhanced community spirit).

Did you give or recieve some winter assistance during this weekend's storm? Write to us (jack@handsontwincities.org), and we'll send you a pretty certificate (decorated with snowflakes) to commemorate your participation in our state's unofficial pastime - community involvement! We might send some candy, too, if your story is particularly moving/hilarious.

Or maybe you didn't get a chance to get in some good on-the-spot volunteerism during this weekend's storm. It's not too late! As February is Meals on Wheels Month, we should remind you that delivering Meals on Wheels in the midst of a blustery snow storm is nothing short of a cinematic adventure. Why, only a crazy person would deliver meals with this much snow on the ground!

You can be that crazy person - crazy about helping your neighbors.

2007-02-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

Without arguing for or against the merit of quality control standards in our society (and how they are everywhere), let us say that Hands On Twin Cities is an official nonprofit and that we submit to the official judgement of the recognized authorities so the volunteer (and potential donor) may be assured that we are legit, that we actually do what we say we do (i.e. promote and facilitate volunteerism and volunteer activities), and that we don't have a secret account in the Cayman Islands where we are hiding embezzled funds.

So, we announce with great pride that we at Hands On Twin Cities have earned the Charities Review Council "Meets All Standards" Seal.

The Charities Review Council of Minnesota is a 60-year-old watchdog organization that exists to educate the citizenry and hold charities and nonprofits accountable for the money they recieve from sponsors and donors. There are tons of scam artists out there, and many of them masquerade as charitable organizations to pull your heartstrings and get access to your wallet. The Charities Review Council recognizes Minnesotans' desire to help people in need, and provides a user-friendly website to help donors make informed desicions.

The CRC website also has tons of other cool features, including a listing of organizations that accept donated goods. You can search by the kind of goods you have to donate (there must be someone who could use that old car), by which organizations will come and pick up your donations (because that old car is totally dead), or by what the organizations will do with your donation (but the parts could fetch some cash).

In fact, just by using this old dead car example (we're picturing a '74 Buick), the CRC website helped us locate 24 Minnesota Charities that sell donated cars to raise funds, 14 of which will come and pick it up! This website is awesome.

Kinda makes us wish we had a '74 Buick to donate for charitable sale. Do you?

2007-02-16T15:41:00.000-06:00

Move over, Thanksgiving - as you wonderful people out there in internetland have demonstrated, Valentine's Day is one of the biggest volunteer days of the year!

We're still recieving tales of Valentine-inspired volunteer acts in our inboxes, which means that we will probably run out of Hello Kitty rub-on tattoos (but please don't let that stop you from emailing us). Next week - highlights from your great stories!

Speaking of holidays: this coming Monday, February 19th, is Presidents Day, in honor of the two greatest leaders this country has ever known, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington (neither of whom was actually born on February 19th). In honor of this day, we will be staying home from work (yes! blogging is work!), reading biographies of the founding fathers.

It was in one such book where we learned that George Washington was one of America's Greatest Volunteers. George didn't want to be president. No, sir. After the Revolutionary War was over, George had all kinds of retirement on his mind. But we needed him, because he was the only national figure our divided country could agree on for that all-important First Presidency. Naturally, he really didn't want to stay on for a second term, but the people said "George, please - one more." So he stuck it out, and led a young nation through its birth pangs and into the glorious era of two-party politics (which continues to this day).

President Washington may have been paid for his work - thus disqualifying him from official volunteer status - but he wasn't in it for the money. He did what he did because the people needed him to be the leader that he was, and he loved the people, so he obliged. Remember - we are a great nation of volunteers.

Happy Presidents Day!

2007-02-14T09:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Giving a hug/kiss/card/candy/cookie/glass of wine/cup of cocoa/compliment/friendly smile/etc. counts as official volunteer work today only!

Write to us [jack@handsontwincities.org] with evidence/accounts of your Valentine's day volunteer work, and we'll send you a certificate festooned with pretty hearts and a Hello Kitty Valentine + Temporary Tattoo.

We're not kidding. And we only have 10 Hello Kitty Temporary Tattoos left, so act now!

2007-02-12T11:20:00.000-06:00

Volunteer Expo 2007 - The Aftermath

This past Saturday, February 11th, we put on the biggest event we do all year (and the largest of its kind in America) - our second annual Hands On Twin Cities Volunteer Expo at MOA.

Soon - possibly even later today [it actually took us until the next day - ed.] - there will be a webpage posted on handsontwincities.org detailing the happenings of the event, and featuring lots of eye-catching pictures.

Until then, we thought we'd use the blog to list a few observations and lessons learned from this year's Expo, in no particular order:

As an experienced volunteer center, we have long stood by the "rule" which states that about 80% of registered volunteers will actually show up for a service project. On Saturday, the person who devised this statistic was once again proved to be a genius. Exactly 80% of our registered event volunteers arrived to make the Expo happen!
Hip-hop dance teams (courtesty of Neighborhood House) are a total crowd-pleaser.
The North Suburban Chorus showed us that we remember far too many of the lyrics to Disney songs, as we were able to sing along with "Bippity-Boppity-Boo" in its' entirety.
Single Volunteers of the Twin Cities are the friendliest, most efficient team of volunteers an event organizer could ever hope for.
When there is an act on stage, and a big-screen projection of said act is right next to the stage, we can't help but watch the screen, regardless of the fact that we're 20 feet away. Why do we do that?
Meticulously planning for an event for 3 months and having 2 heart attacks per week seems worth it when the big day arrives and everything runs smoothly.

2007-02-06T10:37:00.000-06:00

Are there fewer volunteer opportunities in the winter than in the non-winter?

We are leaning towards "yes", because (as far as we can tell) the number of indoor-ish volunteer opportunities listed through Hands On Twin Cities in the summer matches the number in the winter. They are just more popular in the winter. Also, the large-scale outdoor service projects that are so popular (and fun!) in the summer are impractical to organize between October and April in our great state of Minnesota.

So what is an interested potential volunteer to do in the winter? Our suggestion - come to our Volunteer Expo! That's right - the second Annual Hands On Twin Cities Volunteer Expo at Mall of America is this Saturday, February 10th at Mall of America from 10am - 4pm.

At our Expo (which is the largest of its kind in America) you can meet with representatives from 111 different Twin Cities-area nonprofits that use volunteers in their everyday operations. There will be food shelves and shelters, counseling organizations, wildlife rehab organizations, senior homes, neighborhood associations, park restoration organizations - if they use volunteers, they'll be at the Expo!

So come in out of the cold and warm up your volunteering muscles by checking out the many ways that you can help your community! It's all at (we can't stress this enough) Mall of America - Saturday, February 10th from 10am - 4pm.

There will also be prize drawing and live enterainment. Come see! No excuses!

2007-02-06T10:27:00.000-06:00

Item: According to the Pew Research Center, 8% of internet users are also bloggers.

(Read the article! The girl in her PJ's with the cat looks exactly like us - except Jessica hates cats)

We're still waiting on the figures that indicate what percentage of bloggers talk about volunteerism in Minneapolis-St. Paul. A part of us hopes that it's low - otherwise we wouldn't be as unique as we sometimes think we are.

On the other hand, if you do lots of volunteer work and you're a bloggist/bloggista, talk about it! Nothing encourages others to volunteer more than the success stories of other volunteers (and sooner or later we will find a statistic to prove that)!

2007-02-02T11:56:00.000-06:00

It can't be a coincidence that the coldest month of the year is also (mercifully) the shortest. Yay February!

National Grapefruit Month is a dynamic one, indeed. It begins with the meteorological prophecies of a large rat in Pennsylvania (Groundhog Day - today!), picks up steam on the 14th (Valentine's day), promptly looses steam on the 15th (Singles Awareness Day - seriously), and ends with America's favorite celebrity recognition ceremony (The Academy Awards). And best of all, it's the only month where we don't scratch our heads on the 30th, wondering if we have one more day to write our rent checks.

February is also Meals on Wheels Month. Makes sense, right? Given your typical Minnesota February, this is the hardest time of year for people with limited mobility. It is also important to consider that many citizens with limited mobility also live at or below the poverty line. This situation is especially dangerous for seniors, many of whom have to leverage high monthly medical bills with a fixed income.

Meals on Wheels may be one of the most-recognized non-profit organizations, and for good reason! People all over the country rely on Meals on Wheels to deliver a hot meal and a friendly face every day. America is an automotive country, and it's easy to get disconnected if you don't have access to a car. Meals on Wheels volunteers fill a vital role in our society by helping our elderly and disabled citizens stay connected and cared for.

Now, Meals on Wheels does even more! After discovering that recipients of Meals On Wheels were sharing their meals with their pets, Meals on Wheels chose to launch a national Pet food drive called “Season of Suppers, a Pet food drive for Pets in need.”

It's easy to help! There are Meals on Wheels locations all over the Metro Area. Even if you can only deliver meals a few times a month, you can start a team of Meals on Wheels drivers and share the same route. If you've got a car and a smile, you can make a difference.

Check out the Metro Area Meals on Wheels website to learn more about becoming a volunteer.

2007-01-25T10:06:00.000-06:00

It's already been more than a week since MLK Day 2007! We can't believe it has taken us this long to talk about our favorite holiday. Favorite Holiday?, you ask. But why? Well, it's America's first (and so far only) National Day of Service!

That's right - in 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King's legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action.

Of course, no one can make you serve, because this is America, and so the indoor water parks near the MOA were totally crowded with people doing their best not to volunteer. Not that we are judging! We love indoor water parks, too - just not as much as we love organizing service projects.

So on Monday, January 15th, we got together with seniors from the Lyngblomsten community in St. Paul as well as youth groups from the congregations of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church in St. Paul and Incarnation Lutheran Church in Mounds View for an MLK Day Learning & Sharing Brunch. The idea was to combine service (in this case, literally serving a brunch) with a cross-generational dialogue about the work of Dr. King and how it has affected our nation.

Sounds kind of dry when we put it that way, but it was so much fun! The brunch was delicious (non-profit web masters love sausage), and the stories they shared were interesting and uplifting. So interesting, in fact, that we are compiling the notes taken by the youth and making a booklet commemorating the day with highlights from the seniors' stories and reactions from the youth groups. As soon as it's done, we'll have an electronic copy available on our website, so be on the lookout!

Remember this - we are living at a unique moment in history. Alive today we have the generation that was 40 years old when the Civil Rights movement was in full swing along with the generation born 40 years later. We have the opportunity to learn from our elders about the great changes in our society that Dr. King helped bring about - to hear their stories about the challenges and triumphs of the Civil Rights era.

For some of us (like these non-profit web persons) the Civil Rights era seems as distant as the Civil War, but this amazing period of American history is still alive as long as we have community members who saw it happen. Despite what you may have thought while you were sleeping through class in 11th grade, history is interesting and fun. By sitting down to chat with an old friend sometime, you'll probably learn a lot of things you never knew that you didn't know, and they'll probably learn a lot from you, too.

Sometimes, Being The Change is as easy as having a conversation over some eggs and sausage.

2007-01-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I looked outside, giddy about all the fresh snow, and there was my neighbor Dave, almost finished with shoveling the sidewalk in front of my house.

So I was too late to grab a shovel and do my own civic duty, but not too late to make Dave some tea from the pot I'd just set on to boil. And now we are friends.

Random Acts of Volunteerism! If you see the chance to perform one of these acts, take it! You might get some tea, and a new friend. Even if you don't, people will notice that someone did something awfully nice - and you can be proud to be that someone.

2007-01-08T16:27:00.000-06:00

While browsing various search engines to see if our upcoming Hands On Twin Cities Volunteer Expo is the largest in the country (and it is!), I found this interesting little article on Monster.com.

In case you don't want to read the whole thing, here are the highlights:

Believe it or not, not everyone wants to go straight to the corporate world or graduate school after college.
Volunteer work is an excellent way to serve your community and gain valuable work skills.
Working as a paid employee for a nonprofit agency can simultaneously satisfy your desire to be altruistic and your need for adequate income.

That last bullet point was for comic relief. "Adequate income"...I wonder which non-profits they're talking about? Apparently the ones I've never heard of...

Kidding! Anyway, volunteering is a good way to supplement your work experience and pick up valuable refernces. Many non-profits and government agencies have administrative volunteer positions that are perfect for people who want to help out a worthwhile cause while gaining useful experience. It's a win-win situation!

Example: The Tree Trust. Among other programs related conservation and vocational training, the Tree Trust operates a Community Support Program. In this program, single mothers who have been out of the workforce for a number of years are placed in volunteer positions with local non-profits (frequently in an office environment) to help them gain work experience and potential references for their future resumes. The Tree Trust works to ensure that participant's public assistance for childcare and transportation are continued as long as she is active in the program. After a few months of steady volunteer work, Tree Trust participants have drastically improved their chances of securing employment that will enable them to be self-sufficient and provide for their children.

Interesting how volunteering can really improve your life while you're helping others.

2007-01-03T10:35:00.000-06:00

January - the most important meal of the day.

Yes, just as a nutritious breakfast fortifies mind and body for the tasks of the day, a January spent wisely fortifies your outlook on the coming year. Right?

Consider - January is National Hot Tea Month and National Oatmeal Month. Smells like breakfast to us.

January is also National Blood Donor Month (to fortify those blood supplies for another year's worth of injuries) and National Braille Literacy Month.

Even lesser known than these other official designations, January is National Mentoring Month. Mentoring, which tends to invoke warm-weather images of mentor/mentee pickup basketball games and graduation ceremonies, is a serious committment. It's really no wonder that the month of New Year's Resolutions (and Oatmeal) is National Mentoring Month - it's an opportunity to look at the coming year and resolve to make a difference in someone else's life by becoming a major part of it.

Here in the Twin Cities there are tons of ways to be a mentor. Numerous mentoring organizations exist to serve the needs of specific issues or places. You've probably heard of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities, one of the oldest and most well-known mentoring organizations. They have a number of mentoring programs including school-based, community-based, and a mentoring program for the children of incarcerated parents.

But have you heard of Kinship of Greater Minneapolis, a faith-based mentoring program serving Hennepin and Anoka counties? Kinship matches individuals, couples, and families with youth ages 5-15 in need of extra guidance. Kids 'n Kinship serves the Dakota county area. Both are members of Kinship, Inc., a national network based right around the corner in Burnsville, Minnesota.

Did you know that the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches operates a mentoring program for Hennepin County youth on probation?

And it's not just about youth! Third Way Network provides mentors for families as they try to achieve independence and financial self-sufficiency. AMICUS of Minneapolis uses a mentoring program to help ex-offenders make the difficult transition back to living in the community.

There are more, but if we took the time to list them all you'd probably stop reading. The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota is a great way to find out about the different mentoring programs near you.

So - you, there. With all of the life experience. Always dishing out advice. There are thousands of kids out there who could really use that advice and experience. Mentoring is one of the most challenging ways to volunteer your time, but it can have the most profound and lasting results. Are you up for it?

2006-12-29T16:11:00.000-06:00

Every year, around the end of December, a very specific voice within our conscience speaks up and says "It's a new year! What are you gonna do about it?" And of course, we're paraphrasing. But perhaps you've heard this voice? It's the cry of the New Year's Resolution.

Some of us here at Hands On Twin Cities (like me) have resolved to never again let the Minnesota Vikings get our hopes up. Though, honestly, I will probably keep watching the Vikings because I am a glutton for punishment (and they're pretty great once you start viewing interceptions as a fine art).

But there is a resolution that we take very seriously, and that is our resolve to train new project leaders.

Why? To put it one way, it's a simple case of supply and demand. The demand from able-bodied, energetic volunteers for well-organized and meaningful service projects is out there. We hear about this demand all the time from corporate volunteer groups, church youth groups, service organizations and individual volunteers. Unfortunately, the supply is often lacking. We work with over 300 nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities who need volunteers, but they (much like us) are understaffed and have too much on their plates already. The need for volunteer-driven projects is great, but the time and talent necessary to organize, plan, and lead projects is hard to come by.

To put it another way, we want to see volunteers taking the next step. So many organizations (ours included) have a great core of volunteers who could help plan meaningful, useful projects with only a little encouragement. Donation drives, park clean-ups, rennovations, public art projects, group meal service - projects like these don't just happen. Someone has to identify the need, figure out what volunteers can do to help the situation, and turn that idea into action.

Does this sound like you? Have you seen the need and wondered what you could do about it? Have you participated in a volunteer project and wondered who got the ball rolling, and how? There's so much that volunteerism can accomplish, but effective volunteerism can't happen without smart, confident leaders. So our resolution is to help people Be The Change by training them to be Volunteer Project Leaders.

And here's a few of the ways that we're going to do it:

The Hands On Service Through Leadership Program - a training program where future volunteer leaders learn to lead in service projects and educational sessions. Participants will be taught by professionals how to develop their own projects, and then lead them as a part of the course.
Free MLK Day Project Leader Training - a two-hour project leader training session on January 15th. Learn effective volunteer management techniques, and tips on how to go about planning your own volutneer projects. Space is limited! Sign up today!

2006-12-14T12:35:00.000-06:00

on Holiday Volunteering.

Once again we find ourselves immersed in the holiday season. You can’t hide from it (although apparently you can declare war on it - a phenomenon that baffles us and is best saved for more ‘political’ blogs).

In the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day it is almost commonplace to see average citizens going out of their way to help others: heeding the call of the Salvation Army bell-ringers, shoveling a neighbor’s driveway (ok – we haven’t seen that this year, but our fingers are crossed), or just saying a few kind, friendly words to the stranger in line with you at the grocery store.

It’s true: the holiday season (regardless of which Holy Day you observe) brings out the best in us. We at Hands On Twin Cities know this because of the absolute flood of phone calls and emails we receive every day from people who want to know how they can help others during this extra-caring time of year. And we are totally thrilled. With so many volunteers willing to lend their time and energy, our communities’ ills must be all but gone! Right?

Not quite. The Holiday Spirit produces Holiday Volunteerism - the desire to give back to the community by volunteering on a holiday. Thanks to Holiday Volunteerism, nearly every organized volunteer activity (soup kitchen meals, toy drives, clothing drives, etc.) is full on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. And this is great, make no mistake. In fact, we find that volunteer opportunities on the holidays are typically filled weeks in advance.

The problem is the huge number of potential volunteers who get discouraged when they hear that there really is nothing left to do on Thanksgiving Day. They have opened their hearts to the spirit of volunteerism, and now they feel unwanted. Many end up not volunteering at all during the holiday season, or even during the rest of the year. And this makes us sad. It is great to volunteer on the holidays, but it is just as great to volunteer any time! The people and organizations that need help on Thanksgiving and Christmas need help the rest of the year, too. And the Holiday Volunteer Rush tells us that there are enough caring, willing volunteers out there to meet those needs – they’re just not thinking about it for most of the year.

Our suggestion: if you have been unable to find the kind of holiday volunteer opportunity you’d really like to participate in, don’t fret! Instead, spend an hour or two and look for volunteer opportunities in January or February (or any of those other months). Making the resolution during the holidays to volunteer afterwards is still Holiday Volunteering, as far as we’re concerned.
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- Still looking for a holiday opportunity? There are some left! Check out our Holiday Volunteering Page.

- To search for volunteer opportunities all year long, check out our Volunteer Opportunity Database.

- To meet personally with representatives from over 100 local non-profits who need volunteers, come to Volunteer Expo on Saturday, February 10th at Mall of America.

2006-12-05T10:43:00.000-06:00

We at Hands On Twin Cities decided it was time to venture into the blogging world to let you know what we're up to, and to give you an outlet to share stories and comments about volunteering. It is our hope that by visiting the blog, you will not only learn something from us, but from each other as well. We invite you to share stories, comments and suggestions on the topic at hand, as well as topics you would like to see discussed in the future.

For those who are new to Hand On Twin Cities, let me briefly tell you about us. We are the link between volunteers and volunteer opportunities. There are over 350 non-profit organizations that are affiliated with us and thousands of their volunteer opportunities can be found on our website. It is a great and easy way to find exactly what you are looking for in a volunteer position. While volunteerism is the foundation of our organization, we also feel that learning about the issues facing the Twin Cities is of equal importance. It is then easier to see the true impact you are having as a volunteer and to better understand what can be done in the future. With that said, the purpose or intention of our particular blog is to further inform you about issues facing the community and to take it a step further by letting you know what you can do about those issues.

The first issue we would like your thoughts and comments about is homelessness. You need to do nothing more than drive the streets of Minneapolis or St. Paul to know that homelessness is a serious problem in our community. As of October 23, 2003, there were approximately 20,347 people who were considered homeless in Minnesota; over 10,000 of these are children or young adults. Each night shelters around the Metro provide haven for approximately 7,000 individuals while unfortunately nearly 1,000 individuals are turned away due to lack of space. Homelessness unequally affects communities of color. In Hennepin County alone, 68% of homeless adults are people of color.

Lack of affordable housing and economic development greatly contribute to the homelessness crisis in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Family Housing Fund, 68,900 renter households have incomes lower than $10,000 in the metro area, however there are only 31,200 housing units that would be affordable at this income level. Effective public policy can promote wide-ranging prevention strategies along with making certain there is affordable housing and a continuum of services available to the homeless population. Click here to read our issue briefing.

Hands On Twin Cities works with many organizations that specialize in the area of homelessness and hunger, including (but certainly not limited to) Simpson Housing Services, The Link, and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. While these organizations are continually making advances in alleviating this issue there is still much that is needed to be done. Please view our Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities page to see what you can do to help out.

Be the Change. Volunteer.