Volunteering with your kids can be a great way to spend quality time together while instilling important values such as empathy and giving back to your local community. It can also help your children develop important teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Additionally, volunteering can provide opportunities for your family to learn about different cultures and lifestyles, and can help to broaden your children’s perspectives.
We are proud to work with Doing Good Together – Twin Cities to bring you these volunteer opportunities every month.
Meal Delivery
Open Arms of Minnesota (Background check and Mandatory Vaccination Requirement)
Date/Time(s): Weekdays, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Monday–Wednesday deliveries serve the greater West Metro area and are labeled MPLS. These routes pick up meals at our Minneapolis location.
- Thursday and Friday deliveries serve the greater East Metro area and are labeled STP. These routes pick up meals at our St. Paul location.
Location(s):
- MPLS: 2500 Bloomington Ave S, Minneapolis.
- STP: 380 E Lafayette Frontage Rd, St. Paul.
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to volunteer. The driver must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license.
Time Commitment: One to two hours per shift. After you’ve attended a new volunteer orientation or completed our online orientation and completed a background check (driver only), you may sign up to volunteer. There is no minimum time commitment. You can volunteer once, on a regular basis, or as often as you are available.
Volunteer to deliver meals to our clients and help Open Arms bring nourishment to people who need it most. Open Arms delivers homemade food to approximately 1,200 clients every week across the Twin Cities, using healthy ingredients, free of charge. Pick the delivery route that suits you and your family best. Because of Covid, we do drive-up contactless delivery. You drive up, and we load your car. You do not need to exit your vehicle at all. When delivering to the client, we enforce a drop, wait, and wave policy. We do not enter any homes; however, we do enter apartment buildings. Masks are required. We supply masks if needed and hand sanitizer between routes.
Contact: Questions? Contact us at volunteer@openarmsmn.org. Follow this link to get started: https://openarmsmn.volunteerhub.com
Provide Needed Supply Kits
Avivo
Date/Time: Ongoing need. Please plan to drop off your kits during business hours, Monday–Friday. For more information or to schedule a donation drop-off, contact giving@avivomn.org.
Location: 1900 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis.
Ages: Everyone can help.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Your family can make a difference in the lives of those Avivo serves by donating urgently needed items or purchasing and assembling the following types of supply kits.
- Welcome baskets.
- Hygiene kits.
- New Home kits.
- Street outreach kits.
- Baby and children baskets.
Contact: Brittany.Biggers@avivomn.org
Food Packing
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)
Date/Time: Multiple dates and times, see website for details.
Location: FMSC has Minnesota packing locations in Chanhassen, Coon Rapids, Eagan, and MobilePack events across the state.
Ages: Families with children as young as five years old may participate.
Time Commitment: Two–hour shifts.
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is a Christian nonprofit that provides nutritionally complete meals that are specifically formulated for malnourished children. FMSC offers volunteers a one-of-a-kind experience. Volunteers hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables, and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags, which are then sealed, boxed, placed on pallets, and shipped to partners around the world working hard to reach the neediest children. Through volunteering at FMSC, volunteers get the chance to impact hundreds of kids in just two hours per packing shift. You’ll experience what it’s like to make a tangible difference, today.
Contact: Registration is available online. For questions about volunteering or registering to volunteer, please refer to the FAQ page. If you have questions that are not addressed on the website or FAQ page, please contact the following: general inquiries at info@fmsc.org, or 763.504.2919. For volunteer and registration questions, registration@fmsc.org or 763.951.7306.
Conway Food Distribution
The Sanneh Foundation
Date/Time: Tuesdays, 2–5 p.m.
Location: Conway Recreational Center, 2090 Conway Street, St. Paul.
Ages: Families with children eight years old and older are welcome to participate. Children younger than 13 years old need a parent/guardian on-site with them during their volunteer shift. Teens 14 years old and older need a signed liability waiver from a parent or guardian, but they are more than welcome to bring their parent/guardian with them to volunteer!
Time Commitment: Three-hour shifts.
The Conway Community Center is a thriving public space that offers diverse and free youth programming and a safe place for local youth to spend out-of-school time. Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays to serve families fresh food! Come join us as we help set up, sort, and distribute food in partnership with our amazing nutritional services team and the local East Side St. Paul community! This is an outdoor activity, so please remember to dress for the weather.
Contact: Paja Xiong, pajax@thesannehfoundation.org, or volunteer@thesannehfoundation.org. Registration is available online.
Meal Prep and Packaging (Kitchen and Bakery)
Open Arms of Minnesota
Date/Time: There are a variety of shifts Monday–Saturday from 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Location(s):
- 2500 Bloomington Ave. S, Minneapolis.
- 380 E. Lafayette Frontage Rd., St. Paul.
Ages: Families with children ages eight years old and older are welcome to volunteer. Click here for more information on age requirements and adult-to-youth ratio.
Time Commitment: Two hours per shift.
Youth are welcome to help us in the kitchen with scooping cookie dough, making Jell-O, and packaging cookies for our clients’ weekly meal deliveries. Submit online applications for each adult and youth interested in volunteering. After attending orientation, you may sign up for kitchen shifts as often as you’d like. Learn more about us at www.openarmsmn.org.
Contact: Questions? Contact us at volunteer@openarmsmn.org. To get started, visit https://openarmsmn.volunteerhub.com/.
Packout for Delivery/Packout for Shipping
Open Arms of Minnesota
Date/Time: There are a variety of shifts available.
Location(s):
- 2500 Bloomington Ave. S, Minneapolis.
- 380 E. Lafayette Frontage Rd., St. Paul.
Ages: Families with children ages eight years old and older are welcome to volunteer. Click here for more information on age requirements and adult-to-youth ratio.
Time Commitment: Two hours per shift.
Youth are welcome to help us in the kitchen with scooping cookie dough, making Jell-O, and packaging cookies for our clients’ weekly meal deliveries. Submit online applications for each adult and youth interested in volunteering. After attending orientation, you may sign up for kitchen shifts as often as you’d like. Learn more about us at www.openarmsmn.org.
Contact: Questions? Contact us at volunteer@openarmsmn.org. To get started, visit https://openarmsmn.volunteerhub.com/.
Thrift Store Volunteers
Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores
Date/Time: Volunteer shifts are available every day: 10 a.m.–noon, 1–4 p.m., and 4–6 p.m.
Location: Arc’s Value Village has locations in Bloomington, New Hope, and Richfield.
Ages: Families with children eight years old and older are welcome to volunteer.
Time Commitment: Volunteer shifts are two or three hours. You can volunteer one time or on an ongoing basis.
Make a difference in your community by volunteering at Arc’s Value Village thrift stores. Unpack, sort, and price great donations, or stock and beautify the sales floor. Volunteering at Arc’s Value Village benefits The Arc Minnesota and its mission of supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. You will also learn how your efforts support our mission and our community! Volunteer opportunities are available at our store locations in Bloomington, New Hope, and Richfield! Wearing face masks or shields is optional for Arc’s Value Village volunteers.
Contact: Michelle, 952.920.0855, volunteernow@arcminnesota.org. Registration is available online. No walk-ins are allowed; all volunteers must sign up ahead of time. Questions? Send an email to the volunteer department at VolunteerNow@arcminnesota.org or call 952.915.3670.
Meal Service Volunteers
Loaves & Fishes
Date/Time: Check individual sites for dates and times.
Location: Loaves & Fishes meal sites are located throughout the metro area.
Ages: At Loaves & Fishes, we appreciate and support youth involvement in community service and the opportunity to expose youth to a condition of life different from their own. Our youth participation guidelines help provide a safe and efficient work environment while maintaining the dignity of our guests. The following age breakdowns are suggested best practices. However, because each meal site is different, Site Coordinators may make exceptions at their discretion and with parental input and permission.
- Volunteers 15 years old and younger may handle cold food and cold beverages.
- Youth ages 13 to 15 years old must have one adult for every five youths for supervision purposes.
- Youth ages 12 years old and under need to have direct one-on-one supervision. It is suggested that children under 8 years old do not attend unless prior arrangements are made with the dining site’s coordinator.
Time Commitment: Typically, two to three hours.
For over 40 years, Loaves & Fishes has gone where hunger is greatest. Today, we are the largest free restaurant in Minnesota. We served 1,360,720 meals in 2019 and 4,454,745 in 2020! We have opportunities for individuals and small groups to help us package and serve meals at our various meal sites. Meal sites serve to-go meals and offer a reduced number of volunteers in our kitchens at any given time, allowing volunteers to practice safe social distancing and allowing guests to receive a hot and healthy meal. No experience is necessary; our site coordinators will walk you through everything.
Meal Site Cooking volunteers assist with cooking a pre-planned meal under the guidance of the site coordinator and help package meals for distribution.
Meal Site Serving volunteers continue to package and distribute meals, clean up during distribution and at the end of the evening, and do dishes throughout the serving period.
We also have opportunities for individuals and small groups to help at our Commissary Kitchen, preparing food for distribution at our various meal sites. As with our meal sites, no experience is necessary. Commissary Prep volunteers will prepare and package food/meals and will likely be working with raw meat.
Loaves & Fishes is a nonprofit organization serving free, healthy meals to Minnesotans where the need is greatest. We serve urban, suburban, and rural communities through a variety of meal programs supported by creative food sourcing and food rescue efforts. Our meal program began in 1982 with one meal site each in Minneapolis and St. Paul. We now serve over 100 outlets in over twelve counties. Loaves & Fishes Minnesota is not a religious organization; we serve without regard to religious perspective and do not engage in activities that promote any particular religious cause.
Contact: Director of Volunteers and Outreach, 612.377.9810, volunteer@loavesandfishesmn.org. Please check this link to search for a meal site based on location or day of the week. Whether to prep and/or to serve, simply find a date (or dates) that work for you and sign up. You will receive a confirmation email soon after signing up.
Website: https://www.loavesandfishesmn.org
Donate Children’s Clothing by Mail
Giving Factory Direct by Cradles to Crayons
Date/Time: Year-round.
Location: Virtual.
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Giving Factory Direct matches you with a child experiencing clothing insecurity. You will be provided with a pre-paid UPS shipping label so you can ship clothing directly to a child who needs it.
How It Works: Create an account to let us know what size and gender of clothing you’d like to give, and you will be matched with a child at one of our verified nonprofit partners. Giving Factory Direct serves children ages 0–12 years old living in homeless or low-income situations and accepts new or gently-used clothing in sizes newborn to adult medium.
When donating, please use Group Code DGT2023. All KidPacks must be seasonally appropriate and include:
- Sizes 0–24 months: 2-4 tops/onesies, 2-4 bottoms, 1 pair of pajamas, 1 sweater/sweatshirt.
- Sizes 2T–18/20: 2-4 tops, 2 bottoms, 1 sweater/sweatshirt.
Contact: Email support@givingfactorydirect.org with any questions, and register online today!
2023 Regional Special Olympics Events
Special Olympics Minnesota
Date/Time(s):
- Saturday, July 10, Regional Metro Golf, Blaine.
- Saturday, July 22, Regional Metro Bocce, Eden Prairie.
- Saturday, July 29, Regional Metro Softball, St. Louis Park.
- Monday, July 31, Regional Metro Golf, Hastings.
Location(s):
- Victory Links Golf Course, 2010 105th Ave NE, Minneapolis.
- Eden Prairie High School, 17185 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie.
- Aquila Park, 3110 Xylon Ave S., St. Louis Park.
- Hidden Greens Golf Course, 12977 200th St E, Hastings.
Ages: Families with children 12–14 years old are welcome to volunteer and must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone. Youths 15 years old and older can volunteer by themselves. Children 11 years old and younger are not given volunteer assignments, but they are welcomed and encouraged to be cheerleaders as long as they are accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone. Please do not register children 12 years old and younger for any position.
Time Commitment: Shifts are approximately five hours.
The mission of the Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics gives these athletes continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. We hope to see you there!
Contact: Click the links below to register for the event of your choice.
Website: https://specialolympicsminnesota.org
This list was compiled by Doing Good Together™ (www.doinggoodtogether.org).
When calling or emailing to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.
Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement, or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together™. Doing Good Together™ bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations.
Visit Doing Good Together for more ideas, opportunities and activities.
