Date/Time(s): Completed pantry packs can be dropped off at the Bremer Bank locations listed below during open business hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) from Wednesday, March 4–Friday, April 12.

Location(s): Completed packs can be dropped off at the following locations. Completed packs can be dropped off at the following Bremer bank locations.

If you are not able to drop off your pantry packs at a Bremer Bank location, you can schedule a drop-off at the Greater Twin Cities United Way office by selecting “Schedule a drop-off at United Way” when you register.

Ages: Everyone can help.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Flavors of Our Community is a food initiative focused on increasing access to culturally specific food items at local food shelves. Our community is home to many cultures with a variety of meaningful foods and flavors. It is important that our neighbors experiencing food insecurity have access to foods and spices that are familiar and significant to their culture. Your family can help by purchasing and assembling Flavors of Our Community Packs. Learn more here.

Contact: Registration is available online.

Date/Time: Sunday, April 14.

Location: Anywhere where there are Little Free Libraries. Use our world map to find a location near you.

Ages: All ages. This is a great activity for family and friends to do together.

Time Commitment: Flexible. Share one book, or share many!

Everyone can do something good, large or small, to improve the lives of others. Celebrate Good Deeds Day by sharing a book and a kind note in a Little Free Library near you! You’ll join a global day of doing good that unites people from over 100 countries in doing good deeds. It’s easy to participate:

Contact: volunteer@littlefreelibrary.org. Click here to register.

Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.

Location: School-based or community-based mentoring in Dakota County, MN.

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 needs mentors as we currently have 36 youths on a waitlist waiting for a mentor. Of the 36 youth waiting, 25 have been waiting a year or more. 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: Silas Means, Jr., volunteer@kidsnkinship.org.

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 our 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: Kala Hotakainen, kala@meals-on-wheels.com, 612.623.3363.

Date/Time: Saturday, April 20, 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. Learn more here.

Contact: volunteer@fmr.org. Advance registration for this event is not required for individuals or groups of 10 or fewer. To participate, show up at 9:30 a.m. at East 36th Street & West River Parkway if you are volunteering as an individual or with a group of under 10 people; show up at East 44th Street & West River Parkway if you're with a group of 10-20. 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.

Date/Time: Saturday, April 20, 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.

Date/Time: Year-round.

Location: Virtual.

Ages: Everyone can participate.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Giving Factory Direct matches you with a child experiencing clothing insecurity and provides 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 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 DGT2024.

Contact: Email support@givingfactorydirect.org with any questions, and register online today!

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: Spring yard clean-up typically takes one to two hours depending on yard size. Mowing typically takes up to one hour depending on yard size.

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.

Mowing volunteers help an older homeowner throughout the growing season by mowing and light weeding, weekly or as needed. All DARTS Outdoor Chore volunteers, mowing and yard clean-up, play a crucial role in helping older homeowners maintain a sense of pride in their property. These are great opportunities for families to share in the experience of giving back to the community and actually see the difference they can make!

Contact: Flexible scheduling is available. Work with the homeowner to find a date that works best for you. Sign up for these fun opportunities at https://dartsconnects.org/volunteer/ or call Lindy Engelken at 651.234.2254.

Date/Time: Spring cleanups can be scheduled on either weekdays or weekends. Yard clean-up begins in late April and continues through the summer.

Location: Locations are 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 scsvolunteer@seniorcommunity.org or 952.767.7894.

Date/Time: Saturday, May 4, 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. There are four different shifts during the day, 7–10:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m.–noon, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., and 2:30–5:30 p.m.

Location: Grace Church Roseville's parking lot, located at 1310 County Road B2 W, Roseville.

Ages: All volunteers for this event must be at least 12 years old. A parent/guardian will be responsible for the youth throughout the event.

Time Commitment: Shifts are between three to four hours.

Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) believes that every child in America should have equal opportunity and access to a quality education. KINF is excited for our third annual Thanks A Million event. We are looking forward to providing over 1,000 local teachers with $1,000 each of school supplies to thank them for their dedication to serving students. Volunteers will be assigned to help in a variety of roles including distributing products, returning shopping carts, restocking supplies, checking in teachers, recycling cardboard boxes, and other duties as needed. First-shift volunteers will also help with set-up and the last-shift volunteers will help with event tear down.

Contact: Jacob Olson, jolson@kinf.org, volunteering@kinf.org. Registration is available online.

Date/Time: Wednesday, May 8, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Location: Garlough Park (school parking lot), West Saint Paul. Participants will receive a detailed map to the exact location.

Ages: This is a family-friendly event. Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.

Time Commitment: Two hours.

Join Great River Greening for an evening in the school forest at Garlough Park. Volunteers will snip buckthorn regrowth in the recently cleared area and then add native seed to the forest understory. Garlough Park has had significant habitat restoration work occur in the last few years with the goal of creating native forests and pollinator plantings for the use of the park patrons, students at the adjacent elementary school, and the wildlife of the city. No previous knowledge or experience is necessary, we will provide the tools and training required. Volunteers can expect an easy, flat walk from parking/ facilities to work areas. There will also be light snacks and extra water available, however, please bring your own reusable water bottle and any additional snacks you may need.

Contact: Jessica Drummond at jdrummond@greatrivergreening.org. Registration is required and is available online.

Date/Time: Friday, May, 10, and Saturday, May 11.

Set up, Friday, May 10, timeframe TBD

Clean up Saturday, May 11, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Location: Viking Lakes, 2600 Vikings Circle, Eagan.

Ages: There are several family-friendly opportunities available. Volunteers must be at least 10 years old. 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 Mother’s Day weekend, community members from around the 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, break down 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!

Contact: Madyson Haskins, mhaskins@komen.org, 972.701.2012. Registration is available online.

Date/Time: Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Greeter shifts are 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 1:30–5:30 p.m. 

Location: There are dozens of venues (businesses and buildings) across Minneapolis.

Ages: Families are welcome to volunteer together. Greeters must be ten years old or older and need to volunteer with their legal parent or guardian.

Time Commitment: Four hours on either Saturday or Sunday (or both if you’re feeling ambitious!)

Rethos is a nonprofit organization working throughout Minnesota and the greater United States to promote the use of old buildings and sites. We activate space, invest in communities, and reimagine what places can be. As a volunteer, you will assist in executing Doors Open Minneapolis in 2024. Doors Open Minneapolis is a weekend event that allows the public to explore the buildings that tell our city’s story. From theaters to business hubs, sacred spaces to private clubs, sports complexes to engineering wonders, historical gems to not-even-open-yet buildings, Doors Open Minneapolis will give visitors a free behind-the-scenes look at dozens of exciting venues. Your role as a volunteer greeter will make this event function smoothly and easily. And we guarantee you’ll have lots of fun! 

 

Volunteers will receive a pass that allows them priority access at venues, allowing them to skip venue lines for the duration of the event. Volunteers will receive a free Doors Open Minneapolis t-shirt. There will also be a post-event volunteer appreciation party with food and beverages. 

Rethos is the coordinating entity for Doors Open Minneapolis. We work with the City of Minneapolis, the American Institute of Architects, and many more local partners to produce this event.

Contact: Leighton Sundberg, Rethos Public Engagement Coordinator, leighton@rethos.org. You get to choose the venue you volunteer at, and you can sign up with a family member or friend! Registration is available online.

Date/Time: Saturday, June 1, 9 a.m.–noon.

Location: 1313 Hidden Falls Drive, St. Paul. Participants will receive a detailed map to the exact location.

Ages: This is a family-friendly event. Families with children of all ages are welcome to participate.

Time Commitment: Three hours.

Join Great River Greening at Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul to plant wild strawberries and waterleaf for native ground cover. These species are resilient to mowing and they bloom with early spring flowers critical for bees just waking up. No previous knowledge or experience is necessary, we will provide the tools and training required.

There will also be light snacks and extra water available, however, please bring a reusable water bottle and any additional snacks or lunch items you may need. Lunch will be served for volunteers at noon.

Contact: Jessica Drummond at jdrummond@greatrivergreening.org. Registration is required and is available online.

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.

Contact: inkind@soldiersangels.org.