Five area nonprofits highlight volunteer opportunities into the New Year and beyond.
Carol Hiltz, left, with her Hammer exercise volunteer Claire Wolters before a bike ride.
Photo by:
Emily J. Davis
The best gifts of the holiday season are often the gifts of time, talent and charitable contributions. As 2012 draws to a close, consider carrying your volunteer efforts into the New Year. Several area organizations have ongoing volunteer positions to help you give back to the community through one-time or regular opportunities throughout the calendar year. Take a peek, make a call and volunteer.
952.277.2430
YEAR-ROUND
- Exercise partner: Hammer matches volunteers with clients with developmental disabilities. Matched mentors take clients for walks, go to the gym to work out with them or go for a swim—or simply bring your dog along for some pet therapy.
- Hammer buddy: Be the buddy of a person who lives in Hammer’s homesat a social event or community activity. Travel partners are invited to assist individuals on trips all the world with all expenses paid.
- Music instructor: Need is always present for a mentor, tutor or music educator for intellectually and developmentally disabled citizens. Flexible schedules allow for every week or once per month commitments.
- Writer: Interview staff or volunteers and write stories for Hammer’s newsletter and website.
Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners (IOCP)
763.489.7500
YEAR-ROUND
- Children’s play area volunteer: Channel your love for kids by supervising and engaging with children of IOCP clients while their parent/guardian is in another part of the building. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday; 2- to 4-hour shifts.
- Driver: Provide occasionally scheduled rides for clients in your own vehicle to medical appointments and adult basic education classes. Also some pick up food from local retailers and deliver to reSale store.
- Food shelf: The IOCP Food Shelf is staffed and run entirely by volunteers. Flexibility makes this volunteer opportunity ideal for snowbirds. Food shelf volunteers accept, weigh and sort donations, assist clients as needed with shopping, answer questions, bag groceries and help with carryout.
- Job-search computer lab volunteer: Support and assist clients with online job searches, resumé updating and online job applications. You can also volunteer to teach afternoon classes in common programs like Microsoft Word and Excel.
- Homework club volunteer: Provide homework help and academic support to youth living in apartment complex communities. This is a weekly opportunity for mature teens and adults to work one-on-one or in small groups with young people from September through May.
- One-time volunteer opportunities for seasonal programs, such as the Back to School Program or Adopt-a-Family Holiday Gift Program, are always in need of annual assistance.
- Preschool literacy program Storytime Matters: Volunteers work with preschoolers one-on-one and in small groups to develop foundational literacy skills. Volunteer up to three times per week from October to May.
- ReSale 101 retail store: Sort donations, help with pricing/staging or work the cash register. All training is provided. Volunteers typically work in four-hour shifts on flexible schedules.
952.988.5350
YEAR-ROUND
- Computer room volunteer assistant: The computer room at ResourceWest has two shifts for volunteer staffers with basic knowledge of email and other common programs to be able to help with resume-building. The shifts for this once-a-week opportunity are 9 a.m.–noon and 1–3 p.m.
- Front desk reception: Volunteer your smiling face for a few hours to greet people, answer phones, and help clients with sending faxes and making copies. Desk volunteers also refer clients with more complex needs to ResourceWest’s on-site licensed social worker.
- Fundraising, marketing, website design and data entry: Have a particular skill that might be helpful for a one-time or on-going commitment? Contact ResourceWest to explore ways to offer your expertise.
FALL/WINTER
- Back-to-school: Each year, collections of school supplies are organized and distributed to school children in need in the Minnetonka and Hopkins school districts.
- Winter coats: When fall turns to winter, many of these same children need winter outerwear. Consider helping with collection, sorting and distribution of gently used coats, snowpants or boots and brand-new hats, scarves and gloves.
WINTER
- Holiday toys: The ResourceWest holiday toy drive needs hands-on volunteers to sort toys by age group.
763.559.9000
SPRING
- Global Use Service Day in April: You have numerous upcoming opportunities to clean up debris, plant, pull invasive species, clean canoes, complete painting projects, mulch trails and dig out stumps. This event lasts between one and three days, and is a great way to get outdoors and help prepare area parks for summer use.
- Spring species monitoring: Spend some time in a marsh, pond or swamp and listen for frog songs. Record and report this important natural resource data for the park district.
SUMMER
- Summer day-camp counselors: If you like children and love camp, volunteer a few hours to teach canoeing, archery, fishing or other nature education, as well as recreation classes. There are daily and weekly positions available. More information is available at the Three Rivers’ volunteer open houses every six weeks beginning in March.
- Summer species monitoring: Spend some time in a marsh, pond or swamp and listen for frog songs. Record and report this important natural resource data for the park district.
WINTER
- Ski patrol: A weekly commitment of one or more days per week allows you to enjoy the outdoors in winter while helping others ski safely. (Time commitment varies.)
Western Communications Action Network (WeCAN)
952.472.0742
YEAR-ROUND
- Birthday bags: WeCAN provides a birthday shelf for parents to shop for their children’s birthdays or for children to choose gifts to give at birthday parties. Volunteer by donating gifts or assembling birthday bags complete with party favors, cake mix and frosting. You can also donate personal hygiene products or cleaning supplies.
- Drivers: Weekly Meals on Wheels delivery and schedulers needed, or offer to be a substitute driver for meal delivery. WeCab is a more flexible opportunity to provide transportation for people in need of a ride.
- Fundraising, public relations and event planning: Offer your skills for specific one-time or ongoing needs in these areas.
- Reception: Front desk reception positions available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Seasonal opportunities include collecting and distributing ready-to-learn school supplies, hats, mittens, quilts and blankets. You can also adopt a family for WeCAN’s holiday program.
Each of these organizations relies heavily on and greatly appreciates volunteer efforts. Most of them could not function without the help of service-minded community members, so if you see something intriguing on this list or want to learn more about how you can help, these groups welcome your inquiry. The gift of your time may be the very best gift you give all year.
