Winter Games
Special Olympics Minnesota
Date/Time(s): Saturday, February 25, from 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: Wild Mountain Ski Resort.
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 11 years old and younger for any position.
Time Commitment: Minimum 4-hour shift.
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. Volunteers are needed to help time and run heats for snowshoeing and skiing, as well as present athletes with awards.
Contact: Jasara Rosendahl, [email protected], 612.760.7138. Registration is available online.
Poly Hockey
Special Olympics Minnesota
Date/Time(s): Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5, 8 a.m.–5 pm.
Location: Stillwater Area High School.
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 11 years old and younger for any position.
Time Commitment: Minimum 4-hour shift.
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. Volunteers are needed to help run scoreboards as well as present athletes with awards.
Contact: Jasara Rosendahl, [email protected], 612.760.7138. Registration is available online.
Valentine’s Day Note-Writing Campaign
GlamourGals
Date/Time: The campaign sign-up ends on February 5. After signing up, please have all your Valentine’s Day notes submitted on our logging page by February 10.
Location: Please sign up for the campaign here.
Ages: Everyone can help.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Since 2000, GlamourGals has been creating intergenerational relationships to reduce elder loneliness. Millions of seniors live in residential care, and increased senior isolation during the pandemic made life for nursing home residents challenging. Our mission is to change that with your help! Gather your family together to write Valentine’s notes to seniors. Join GlamourGals in spreading love and warm wishes to those who need it most by writing notes to seniors in care homes. Click here to learn more.
Contact: https://www.glamourgals.org/contact-us .
Meal Delivery
Open Arms of Minnesota (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 those 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. COVID CHANGES: Due to COVID, we are doing 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 are enforcing a DROP, WAIT, and WAVE practice. We do not enter any homes; however, we enter apartment buildings. Just so you know, masks are required. We supply masks if needed and hand sanitizer between routes.
Contact: Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. Follow this link to get started: https://openarmsmn.volunteerhub.com/
Create Valentines for our Veterans
Soldiers’ Angels
Date/Time: Cards should be delivered by February 14.
Location: Mail your cards and $1 per card to:
Soldiers’ Angels Valentines for Veterans
2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107
San Antonio, Texas 78218
Ages: Everyone is welcome to participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Holidays like Valentine’s Day are fun to celebrate when you can share the day with your friends or loved ones. Unfortunately, our military heroes often find themselves alone or feeling homesick during holidays. The mission of Soldiers’ Angels is to make sure no one who serves this country feels unloved, especially on Valentine’s Day! You and your family can help by making or purchasing Valentine’s cards for our military and veteran heroes. Why do we ask for the $1 per card? The $1 helps cover the cost to distribute the thousands of cards we receive. Have questions? Check out our FAQs here.
- Feel free to purchase or make your Valentines.
- Our heroes love hearing from children. Making Valentines is an excellent activity to do with the kids one afternoon.
- Be sure to write a note of encouragement or thanks on your cards.
- Individually wrapped candy can be included if it is attached to the card.
- You can include the envelope if you want, but it is not necessary. If you include an envelope, do not seal it.
- Don’t be afraid to sign your name! You are welcome to include your return address in the event the recipient may write back to you. However, it is also okay if you do not include any personal information.
Contact: [email protected].
Organize An Essentials Drive
Bridging
Date/Time: Flexible.
Location: 201 West 87th Street, Bloomington, or 1730 Terrace Drive, Roseville.
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
Through the effective reuse of donated items, Bridging improves lives by providing quality furniture and household goods to those transitioning out of homelessness and poverty. Bridging gives hope–and for many–a leap toward financial stability for the first time. Your family can help by collecting the following essential items:
Kitchen Packs: Basic packs include a can opener, standard or slotted mixing spoon, rubber and/or slotted turner spatula, peeler, kitchen/utility scissors, dish towel or cloth, and a hot pad/oven mitt. Extra kitchen items to include are a ladle, whisk, pizza cutter, dish scrubber, measuring spoons and cups, tongs, and an optional covered plastic shoe box-type container. We need over 100 packs per week to give every home a set.
Cleaning Kits: These kits include a 12” dish brush, iron-shaped scrub brush, rubber gloves, sponges, hard surface/bathroom scrub brush, kitchen and/or bath-sized garbage bags, and a container to hold cleaning tools. Extra cleaning kit items to include are microfiber cloths, additional sponges and rags, a mini-whisk broom/dustpan, and a covered plastic “shoe box” container. We need over 100 packs per week to give each home a kit.
Contact: Joel Bisser, Community Relations Associate, [email protected], 651.403.6872
Family Care Packages
Solid Ground
Date/Time: Ongoing.
Location: Solid Ground, 3521 Century Ave N, White Bear Lake.
Ages: Everyone can participate.
Time Commitment: Varies.
The mission of Solid Ground is to prevent and end homelessness for families with children in the communities we serve through housing, resources, and opportunity. Volunteers are needed to assemble packages of everyday essential items tailored to our families’ most urgent needs. Items could be purchased in bulk at discount stores or collected via a donation drive. On average, a group of five volunteers can assemble 50–100 packages in under 20 minutes!
Here’s how it works:
- Select a project that best fits your group size, availability, and interest.
- Gather materials to supply at least three of the suggested items per package.
- Assemble packages as a group, labeling the contents on each package.
- Arrange for delivery to Solid Ground at 3521 Century Ave N, White Bear Lake, MN 55110.
Care Package Ideas:
- Personal Care Pack: Suggested items include shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste.
- Healthy Snack Pack: Suggested items include granola bars, applesauce, Goldfish crackers, juice box, and fruit snacks.
- Cleaning Supply Starter Kit: Suggested items include a small wastebasket, an all-purpose cleaner, paper towels, trash bags, and a spray bottle.
Contact: Dylan at [email protected] for more details.
Donate Children’s Clothing by Mail
Giving Factory Direct by Cradles to Crayons
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 support@givingfactorydirect.org with any questions, and register online today!
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. Please review the COVID-19 volunteer updates before you register for your shift.
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 [email protected], or 763.504.2919. For volunteer and registration questions, [email protected] or 763.951.7306.
Volunteer Meal Packing Events
Every Meal
Date/Time: Click here to see upcoming Meal Packing Opportunities. Registration is required. Parents or legal guardians bringing youth volunteer(s) should “Register as Team” so that the adult can reserve spots for the youth participants. Please arrive 10–15 minutes prior to the event start time.
Ages: Volunteers must be eight years or older, with no exceptions. Youth volunteers must be accompanied by an adult.
Location: Every Meal, 2723 Patton Rd, Roseville. Please park between doors H and O. When you arrive, please head for the back (west) side of the building and go to door N, labeled “Volunteer Entrance.”
Time Commitment: Two hours.
Every Meal works to combat hunger in our community by filling the gaps in food access that children face. Thousands of Minnesota children receive food from Every Meal for the weekend at over 400 schools. Volunteers are needed to help assemble the meal bags we provide for students and families. All of our food bags are 4-5 pounds and contain approximately 4 meals of nutritious, non-perishable food, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and soups/entrees. It’s a fun and upbeat volunteer environment! First, we’ll have a brief orientation. Then we’ll form assembly lines and pack non-perishable food items for people in our community who need them! Masks are currently not required but are encouraged if that is your preference.
Contact: Volunteer Coordinators Ethan Clark, [email protected], or Karolina Pien, [email protected]. Registration is available online.
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.
- Youth 16 years old and older can help in all areas of the meal site.
- 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.
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 scooping cookie dough, making Jell-O, and packaging cookies for our client’s 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 our website at www.openarmsmn.org.
Contact: Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. Follow this link to get started: 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):
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 pack bags or boxes for our client’s 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 our website at www.openarmsmn.org.
Contact: Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. Follow this link to get started: https://openarmsmn.volunteerhub.com/ .
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.
