A Habit of Giving

Doing Good Together  

Date/Time: Anytime

Location: Right from your homel

Join the DGT community and get daily inspiration, kid-friendly resources, ideas for family volunteer projects and more to help you weave a focus on compassion, kindness and service into your family's routine. Here's how:

• Join us on Facebook 
• Follow our fabulous Kitchen Table Blog where you'll learn how one mom strives to make kindness and service to others a meaningful habit for her family of five
• Visit our website for project ideas, resources and reflection ideas  

Ages: All ages

Time Commitment: As much or as little as you'd like  

Contact: Jenny at jenny@doinggooddtogether.org with any questions or for more information about what DGT offers both individuals and organizations

www.doinggoodtogether.org 

3rd Annual Feeding the Dream - Community Food Drive  

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)

Date/Time: Now through January 16

Location: Drop off non-perishable food items at your local Minneapolis Park Recreation Center. The need for food donations does not end with the holidays. Donations for the third annual Minneapolis Feeding the Dream community food drive will be accepted through January 16. Over the past two years, the MPRB, with generous support from the community, has donated more than 5,000 pounds of non-perishable food items to local food banks. Groveland Food Shelf of Minneapolis will benefit from the 2012 Food Drive. This year's food drive concludes at the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on January 16 at 6:30pm at Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 4055 Nicollet Avenue South. The public is invited to attend the hour-long program that honors and celebrates the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through performances from local speakers and entertainers as well as the presentation of the 2012 Living the Dream Award. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to the event 

Ages: All ages 

Time Commitment: Time to collect and deliver your food donations

Contact: For more information about the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Food Drive or Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, please contact 612.230.6484

www.minneapolisparks.org 

Peace Dinner  

Liemandt Foundation

Date/Time: Tuesday, January 24, 5:30-8pm

Location: Ascension School Cafeteria, 1726 Dupont Ave N, Minneapolis

Each month The Liemandt Foundation hosts a Peace Dinner and activities for families and youth in North Minneapolis. The goal of the event is to create a time and place conducive to mutual relationship building, where all voices can be heard, community and family treasures can be recognized and celebrated, and genuine needs can be served. This is a participatory and social volunteer opportunity. Volunteers are invited to be part of the community, participate in the activities, and socialize with the families in attendance while sharing a meal. Volunteers will engage in a variety of roles that can include greeting guests, helping guests with nametags, serving dinner, helping guests select a book and assisting guests with the evening's activity.

Ages: All ages are welcome but may be more appropriate for children ages 5 and older. Young children need adult supervision

Time Commitment: 2.5 hours

Contact: Katie Chock, 763.228.5409 or katie.chock@liemandtfoundation.org

www.liemandtfoundation.org 

Bingo Hosts  

Our Saviour's Housing

Date/Time: Flexible, typically evenings 8-9:30pm

Location: 2219 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis. There is ample off-street parking  

Have fun hosting Bingo for the residents in our Emergency Shelter. This is a good volunteer opportunity for 2-6 people of all ages-families are welcome! We provide the Bingo set; you provide 5-10 small prizes such as treats, gift cards, socks, or hygiene items. Bingo is a fun way for our residents to relax and socialize in the evening. We recognize that for all volunteers, but especially young ones, volunteering makes more sense when you can see our facilities and have a tangible idea of how your service is making a difference. We are always happy to provide shelter tours (though only before 6:00pm due to shelter hours) or facilitate an age-appropriate conversation about homelessness. Our Saviour's Housing is a very safe and secure facility, due to the sense of community and respect our staff, residents, and volunteers create. Visitors are always pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and friendly our residents are. The emergency shelter is a "high expectations" program where we prohibit substance use, profane or disrespectful language, and other disruptive behavior. Our building has a controlled entry and indoor and outdoor security cameras. We are handicap-accessible and also have a private restroom for volunteers to use.    

Ages: All ages are welcome but please consider if this volunteer opportunity is appropriate for your children's abilities and attention span

Time Commitment: One and a half hours 

Contact: Colleen O'Connor Toberman, Volunteer Coordinator, 612.872.4193 x25 or volunteer@oshousing.org

www.oscs-mn.org

Small Hands, Big Hearts: Sparking the Spirit of Giving  

Minnesota Children's Museum and Doing Good Together

Date/Time: Saturday, January 14, 10am-7:30pm; Sunday, January 15, 10am-3pm; Monday, January 16, 10am-3pm

Location: Minnesota Children's Museum, 10 West Seventh Street, St. Paul

Join us for the 3rd annual Small Hands, Big Hearts event: a special celebration devoted to everything good about giving back. You and your little helpers can work together on several fun and family-friendly giving-focused activities in between playing in all of your favorite areas of the Museum:

• Pint-sized Philanthropy: Save up pennies, nickels and dimes and bring them in to decide which of three featured causes you want to donate them to. Then make your own Giving Box to take home and save up even more money to give away
• Caring Cards: Create cheerful cards for children who are hospitalized
• Wrap-up a Smile: Decorate a lunch bag to brighten up elders' Meals on Wheels
• More to try at home: For more family-friendly service projects ideas that you can do at home or in the community, check out www.doinggoodtogether.org 

Ages: All ages are welcome 

Time Commitment: Come any day during the three-day period and stay for as long as you'd like. Be aware that the museum charges an admission fee. Check their website for details

Contact: Jenny Friedman at jenny@doinggoodtogether.org or 612.822.6502 with questions www.mcm.org

First Sweet Dreams Kits

Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA)

Date/Time: Flexible

Location: 3433 Broadway St. NE, Suite 300, Minneapolis  

Teaching about infant safe sleep is a priority for MVNA nurses as they visit families with young children. This kit is an essential tool that families can use to ensure their child is safe when asleep. When combined with a Pack and Play portable crib, the kit will help reduce the potential loss of life that often occurs when children are not in a safe sleep environment. Each kit should contain:

• New Portable Crib Sheets (size 24 x 38 in.)
• Sleep Sacks; infant or newborn size (size small or medium; up to 30 in.)  
• Pacifier
• New Board Book

Ages: All ages can participate 

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: Michelle Lichtig, 612.617.4658 to arrange a time to drop off the items 

www.mvna.org 

Food Shelf Helpers

Neighborhood House 

Date/Time: Shifts are available Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm or 1-4pm

Location: 179 Robie Street East, Saint Paul

Friendly volunteers in our food shelf are needed to provide direct service to our participants. Interact while you shop with families based on their household size and sort and stock food from various generous donations. Our food shelf is open every day, so there is lots of availability!     

Ages: All ages, but an adult must accompany children under 14  

Time Commitment: Three-hour shifts

Contact: Riley Karbon, Volunteer Coordinator, 651.789.3626, rkarbon@neighb.org

www.neighb.org 

LOVE IN[DEED]

Wooddale Church  

Date/Time: Saturday, January 28, 8:30 am-Noon

Location: Wooddale Church Gym, Door 5, 6630 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie

Join Love In[Deed] in making a difference in the Twin Cities. Just show up, choose from a variety of pre-planned volunteer opportunities, and then go serve the community. Buses will be provided to transport volunteers to sites they select.    

Ages: All ages are welcome  

Time Commitment: 3.5 hours

Contact: For more information visit www.wooddale.org/loveindeed. To contact the church regarding Love In[Deed] please email them at  loveindeedwc@gmail.com

www.wooddale.org  

4th Annual MLK Day of Service  

Finding Unity in the Community

Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 14, 8am-2pm

Location:  Minneapolis Community & Technical College (MCTC) Cafeteria. There is free parking in the MCTC parking ramp  

Join in with 400 other volunteers in collaboration with 18 service organizations to do good work in our community on Saturday morning January 14 - all in the spirit of MLK. This event includes an inspirational breakfast with keynote speaker Dr. Verna Price and a day of service in the community. Community members are welcomed to join with MCTC faculty, staff and students on this day to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and his dream for equality. The Day of Service always focuses on bringing together members of the community to help others through service projects at community organizations. This year, we are exploring what it means to find unity as a group working toward a similar goal.  

Ages: The following participating organizations have opportunities for families with children ages 10-12 and older:

• House of Charity, 12+, Prepare food and serve meals
• Mary's Place Transitional Apartments, 10+, Read, play and/or make crafts w/ kids age 4-9
• People Serving People, 12+, Building beautification (general upkeep/cleaning) and sorting donations and library materials organization
• Simpson Housing, 10+, Sandwich providers prepare hearty meat and cheese sandwiches for shelter guests to take the following day for lunch. Sandwich making will occur on-campus immediately following the conclusion of the breakfast program
• St. Stephen's Human Services, 10+, General cleaning, sorting and organizing donations and block clean-up
• Tubman, 10+, Craft Activity with kids ages 3-12, organize donations and general cleaning   

Time Commitment: Six hours

Contact: For more information; 4th Annual MLK Day of Service Information Page

To register: 4th Annual MLK Day of Service Registration Page 

Letters & Valentine's Cards  

A Million Thanks

Date/Time: Letters can be sent at any time but Valentine's Day cards should be mailed no later than January 15

Location: Letters and cards can be mailed to A Million Thanks, 17853 Santiago Blvd. #107-355, Villa Park, CA 92861  

A Million Thanks is a year-round campaign to show appreciation for U.S. Military Men and Women, past and present, for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country
Show your appreciation for our military by writing letters or sending Valentine's Day cards: 

•  Do not put letters in individual envelopes. Send multiple letters together in the same envelope or box
• Do not send edible items
• Do not use loose glitter, confetti, or anything that is not attached to the letter or card
• Only include positive messages. Any negative messages will be discarded
• Be creative! Draw pictures, talk about you, and let them know their work does not go unnoticed
• Include your address or email address if you wish. Most military personnel will write back to you   

Ages: Everyone can participate

Time Commitment: Flexible

Contact: www.amillionthanks.org