Looking for a Few Good Volunteers

Posted by on Apr 16, 2009 in Fast Horse | 4 comments

We have had a few posts about unhappy Minnesotans in the past few months. I think that lending a helping hand to a neighbor less fortunate than you is a great way to find happiness. Community service is just a good thing to be a part of. Plus the weather is starting to get more and more beautiful every day, so it could also be a great way to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Here are some cool Minneapolis-based websites to help get you started:

1.  The Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
“Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery is a warm, loving, and safe place where kids get to be kids while their parents take care of a family emergency. The Nursery gives parents a supportive, safe, and non-shaming environment in which to ask for help.

2. Volunteer Match
Volunteer Match is a website where you can enter the city and state you live in.  Enter “Minneapolis” and 1,620 volunteer opportunities pop up.

3. The Volunteer Family
“The Volunteer Family is prepared to encourage and facilitate volunteering with parents while simultaneously assisting local agencies plan and prepare for family volunteers.  We aim to strengthen familial bonds while helping local agencies achieve their goal of serving our communities most pressing needs.”

4. Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
“Volunteers play an important role in maintaining the natural areas in our park system.  You can learn more about native plant communities and how to preserve these areas for the future by volunteering.”

5. YMCA Twin cities
“The YMCA is a nonprofit social services organization dedicated to building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.
And we can’t do it without volunteers.”

Related posts:

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  2. How A Nonprofit Makes Smart Use of Twitter
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  • Rita

    I completely agree! A really great way to appreciate your blessings is to get out there and volunteer. Now that I have more time on my hands, I have been looking for more opportunities to help others in need. Until today, I’ve never checked out the Volunteer Match site, but there are tons of interesting things to do on there.

    You can always help a friend or relative, but when you’re looking for something else, volunteering always makes you feel better about yourself. It’s good medicine! No excuses for boredom here!

    Last week, I volunteered to help the Salvation Army and the MN Vikings get 3,700 Easter bags to children in the Red River Valley. It was so much fun, that I was sad that the day had to end.

  • http://cctwincities.org Mitch

    I love to volunteer with One Brick. They have a Minneapolis-St. Paul chapter, as well as a few others across the country. They coordinate one-time volunteer opportunities for 20- and 30-something young professionals. It’s super easy to sign up and participate. http://www.onebrick.org

  • Jodi

    Totally agree, too! I volunteered with the Crisis Nursery once a month with my old co-workers. It was a great experience and allowed us time to bond out of the office. My alma mater, St. Olaf, holds a National Day of Service every year, and it just so happens to be this Saturday. I’m volunteering for park clean up duty. Should be a great day!

  • Bruce Benidt

    This is so Obama. He’s calling us to our best, putting a lot of emphasis on volunteering. Maybe that’s part of what we’ll get back to as the economy erodes and we — maybe — move toward simpler, more fulfilling lives. Good thoughts, Alex; thanks for calling us to our best.