Twin Cities April 2023 Family Volunteer Opportunities

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 skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. 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 each month.

Mentor a Child

 
Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.
 
Location: Your home or the community.
 
Ages: Mentors are families, couples, or individuals over 21 years old.
 
Time Commitment: One to four hours per week, on average. Scheduling is very flexible; weekends, evenings, or after-school times are available.
 
Mentoring Makes a Difference! Kids ‘N Kinship is in need of mentors as we currently have 41 youth on a waitlist waiting for a mentor. Would you consider stepping in to help us fill this need? We are based in Dakota County, and we serve families in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville, and Rosemount. Kids ‘n Kinship matches volunteer mentors as families, couples, and individuals with youth ages 5–16 years old in need of additional positive role models. We have three opportunities to mentor: community mentoring, school-based mentoring, and serving as a pen pal for a child currently on our waitlist. Matches are made based on compatible personalities, ages, and interests, as well as the preferences of both the volunteer family and the youth with their parent/guardian. Our mentoring families say that mentoring together ensures they have weekly family time and that it’s easy to include another child in the family activity, whether it’s a board game, sledding, a trip to a park, or going to the zoo or a museum. Kids ‘n Kinship offers passes to area attractions to make activities more affordable. Additionally, we provide continuous support and training for our mentors, starting with a 45-minute information session and a two-hour training session. We ask mentors and mentees to commit to one year together in order to build their relationship; however, many of our matches become lifelong friends, and our average match is about two to three years. Please consider being a mentor to a child. It is one of the most life-changing and rewarding ways to volunteer your time. Learn more at www.kidsnkinship.org.
 
Contact: Kerry Stok, [email protected].
 

Learn and Deliver Meals with Your Family!

 
Date/Time: Volunteer one hour during lunchtime, Monday through Friday.
 
Location: With over thirty neighborhood sites throughout the Twin Cities, you can easily be connected with a delivery site near your home! Visit their website at www.meals-on-wheels.com to learn more and to sign up to volunteer with the program nearest you!
 
Ages: Families are welcome and encouraged to volunteer.
 
Time Commitment: About an hour at lunchtime.
 
Delivering Meals on Wheels with your children or grandchildren is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time as a family and pass on the values of kindness, compassion, and civic responsibility by helping seniors and individuals with disabilities in your community. Whether you have infants or teenagers, you can make a contribution together to improve your community. Delivering meals involves driving to the program site, picking up meals, and delivering them to eight to ten clients in your community.
 
Contact: Erin Hargens, 612.623.3363, [email protected].
 

Donate Children’s Clothing by Mail

 
Date/Time: Year-round.
 
Location: Virtual.
 
Ages: Everyone can participate.
 
Time Commitment: Varies.
 
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. NEW! We are now accepting coats sizes 0–3 months to youth 18/20 (adult medium).
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 [email protected] with any questions, and register online today!
 

Earth Day Planting at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights

 
Date/Time: Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.–noon.
 
Location: Two Rivers High School, 1897 Delaware Ave, Mendota Heights.
 
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.
 
Time Commitment: Three hours.
 
Great River Greening holds volunteer events for individuals, families, and groups to get outside and restore Minnesota’s natural areas by removing invasive plants or planting native species. Restoration projects take place throughout the Twin Cities metro area and beyond. Join us for a morning of educational activities focused on sustainability and nature, as well as planting and seeding. We’ll be adding plugs of native grasses and wildflowers to areas that have also had native seeds installed. Volunteer tasks will include planting small plants and watering on easy terrain with convenient and accessible parking. No previous knowledge or experience is necessary, we will provide the tools and training required. We will have light snacks and extra water available, however, please bring your own reusable water bottle and any additional snacks or lunch items you may need.
 
Contact: Jessica Drummond at [email protected]. Registration is required and is available online.
 

Annual River Gorge Earth Day Cleanup

 
Date/Time: Saturday, April 22, 9:30 a.m.–noon.
 
Location: West River Parkway and 36th Street/44th Street in Minneapolis.
 
Ages: Everyone can participate.
 
Time Commitment: Up to two and one-half hours.
 
This family-friendly Earth Day tradition provides an excellent opportunity to get outside and work together to help improve this treasured area. Taking place just off of West River Parkway, this cleanup is an Earth Day tradition in the Minneapolis River Gorge. Geologically, the Mississippi River Gorge spans from St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis to the confluence with the Minnesota River in St. Paul. People come from throughout the local river corridor, neighborhoods, and metro area to celebrate Earth Day and contribute to the health and vitality of the Mississippi River. This is a family-friendly event providing an excellent opportunity to get outside and work together to help improve this treasured area. We’ve returned to this site year after year and have noticed a dramatic improvement in the area. This event is supported by the local neighborhood group, the Longfellow Community Council.
 
Contact[email protected]. Advance registration for this event is not required for individuals or for groups of 10 or fewer. To participate, simply show up at 9:30 a.m. at either location (E 36th St and W River Parkway or E 44th St and W River Parkway) to sign in with FMR staff. We’ll provide all the supplies, but feel free to wear your own gloves if you have them. Sturdy shoes and dressing in layers for the weather are strongly suggested.
 

2023 Minneapolis Earth Day Cleanup

 
Date/Time: Saturday, April 22, 9:30 a.m.– noon.
 
Location: This year’s cleanup will take place throughout the City of Minneapolis. Check the Earth Day Cleanup page for park locations.
 
Ages: Everyone can help.
 
Time Commitment: Varies.
 
Join MPRB for our annual Earth Day cleanup. It’s free to participate and everyone is encouraged to participate. This year’s cleanup takes place throughout the City of Minneapolis and is a collaboration between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the City of Minneapolis Solid Waste and Recycling.
 
Contact: Check the MPRB Earth Day Cleanup page for updates.
 

Spring Yard Cleanup! 

 
Date/Time: Volunteers are needed in April and May.
 
Location: Dakota County and South Washington County area.
 
Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.
 
Time Commitment: One to two hours depending on yard size.
 
Your help is needed more than ever this spring! Due to our early winter snowfall, many DARTS fall clean-ups did not happen. Spring clean-up volunteers are needed to provide basic yard work for older homeowners who are no longer able to do the work themselves. Examples can include: raking, cleaning out garden beds, or light bush trimming. You are encouraged to bring your own rake, leaf blower, and trimmers. Individual volunteers and volunteer teams will be assigned/matched to as many yards they are interested in serving, from mid-late April through mid-May. A tool kit of instructions for the clean-up will be provided to all volunteers once a date is selected. Remember to make a “plan B” date to accommodate any potential inclement weather. Volunteers play a crucial role in helping older homeowners in Dakota County maintain a sense of pride in their property. This is a great opportunity for families to share in the experience of giving back to the community.
 
Contact: Flexible scheduling is available. Work with the homeowner to find a date that works best for you. Sign up for this fun opportunity at https://dartsconnects.org/volunteer/ or call Lindy Engelken at 651.234.2254.
 

2023 Minnesota Race for the Cure

 
Date/Time: Sunday, May 14.
 
Location: Harriet Island, 200 Dr. Justus Ohage Blvd, St. Paul.
 
Ages: There are several family-friendly opportunities available. Check each individual opportunity for specific age requirements. All youth under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
 
Time Commitment: This will vary depending on the activity.
 
For over 30 years, Susan G. Komen has led the way in funding groundbreaking research, community health initiatives, and advocacy programs in local communities across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries. The Race for the Cure is Komen’s signature fundraising event. This May, community members from around the greater Twin Cities will gather together to celebrate the strength and resilience of all people affected by breast cancer while also raising vital funds to help Susan G. Komen invest more in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer, eliminate inequitable barriers to high-quality care, and provide patients’ direct support in their treatment journey. Volunteers play a vital role in the success of our events, and there are several ways that your family can help at the Race for the Cure this year. Browse the list of volunteer opportunities to learn more! All volunteers will be provided with a Komen T-Shirt. If you would like to make sure there is a youth-size t-shirt available, please register before April 10.
 
Contact: Madyson Haskins, [email protected], 972.701.2012. Registration is available online.
 

Help Seniors in Your Community with Spring Yard Cleanup

 
Date/Time: Late April through early May. Spring cleanups can be scheduled on either weekdays or weekends.
 
Location: Exact location TBD in Minneapolis or suburban Hennepin County, depending upon where the senior lives.
 
Ages: Families with children ages seven and older are welcome to volunteer. Come once or come throughout the season!
 
Time Commitment: Two to three hours.
 
Volunteers are needed to help with Spring Cleanup for low-income seniors in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County. This is a fun volunteer opportunity to get outdoors while helping seniors stay in their homes by helping with outdoor home care that they are unable to do themselves. Hours are flexible; you choose the date and time that works for you!
 
Contact: For more information, please contact Karen at [email protected] or 952.767.7894.
 

Go Camo Care Package Collection

 
Date/Time: The Go Camo Care Package Collection drive will run from April 1–June 30.
 
Location: Ship your collected items to:
Soldiers’ Angels Go Camo
2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107
San Antonio, Texas 78218
 
Ages: Everyone can participate.
 
Time Commitment: Varies.
 
The mission of Soldiers’ Angels is to provide aid, comfort, and resources to the military, veterans, and their families. Soldiers’ Angels Special Campaigns are designed with one goal in mind: bringing people together to collect the items our service members and veterans need. Soldiers’ Angels sends thousands of care packages to deployed individuals every year. Your family can help by collecting items for their annual Go Camo Care Package Collection drive. Items that need to be collected for care packages include hygiene and personal care items, snack care items, and downtime items. Click here and scroll down for the complete list of items needed.
 
 

2023 Summer Games (Edina)

 
Date/Time(s): Saturday, June 17–Sunday, June 18. There are morning and afternoon shifts.
 
Location: South View Middle School, 4725 South View Ln, Edina.
 
Ages: Families with children 11–14 years old are welcome to volunteer and must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone. Youth 15 years old and older can volunteer by themselves. Children 10 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 10 years old and younger for any position.
 
Time Commitment: Shifts are approximately five hours.
 
The mission of 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, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. We hope to see you there!
 
Contact: Jasara Rosendahl, [email protected], 612.760.7138. Registration is available online.
 

2023 Summer Games (Stillwater)

 
Date/Time(s): Saturday, June 24–Sunday, June 25. There are morning and afternoon shifts.
 
Location: Stillwater Area High School, 5701 Stillwater Blvd, Oak Park Heights.
 
Ages: Families with children 11–14 years old are welcome to volunteer and must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone. Youth 15 years old and older can volunteer by themselves. Children 10 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 10 years old and younger for any position.
 
Time Commitment: Shifts are approximately five hours.
 
The mission of 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, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. We hope to see you there!
 
Contact: Jasara Rosendahl, [email protected], 612.760.7138. Registration is available online.

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.
 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *