5 Ways To Volunteer In Minneapolis

By Gretchen Kernbach on February 8, 2016

This article is brought to you by WaHu, a dynamic community steps away from the University of Minnesota campus in beautiful Minneapolis. To learn more about WaHu, please call us at 952-777-2083 and visit us here.

Lying on both sides of the Mississippi River, Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota. With over 400,000 residents, it claims the title of the 46th largest city in the United States. The wide population range allows people to participate in a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Here are a few ways to get involved in the local Minneapolis community.

1. Young Professionals Meal Serving

Deliberately targeting the younger crowd, Connect is a group of youthful professionals who aim to further Aeon’s mission to strengthen local communities. What is Aeon? It is a housing assistance service. This nonprofit developer/manager has built or rehabbed numerous multifamily properties.

Aimed to help the homeless youth and chemically dependent adults, Aeon provides several occasions to help out the community, Young Professionals Meal Serving being one of them. Besides meal serving, Aeon puts on events such as the Welcome Home Basket Donation Drive and the Food Drive for our Help Shelf.

Aeon apartments.
Image via aeonmn.org

Focusing on meal serving, volunteers prepare and serve meals at Aeon properties. Every third Tuesday of the month, from 5:00-7:30 p.m., you have the chance the provide warm meals to those who have previously experienced homelessness. The only requirement is that you have to be 18 years of age, and the commitment requires you to donate two and a half hours of your time, three times a year.

For more information, contact Allison at afagerness@aeonmn.org or 612-746-4859.

2. Kids ‘n Kinship

Families, couples, and individuals are encouraged to become a positive role model in a kid’s life. Mentoring those from ages 5-16, usually from a single-parent home, your job is to take the child to weekly events which are fun and educational.

Matches are made based on attuned ages, personalities, and interests. Preferences are also taken into consideration. Owing to your Kinship relationship, the child develops a sense of self-worth through positive attention and weekly activities.

Activities recommended include board games, trips to the zoo, or going sledding — everyday stuff. To avoid expenses adding up, discounts are offered.

For more information, contact Rita Younger at 651-686-0990 or rykinship@aol.com.

3. PACER Center

Founded in 1977, PACER is a program intended to help families who face the challenges of caring for children with disabilities. Even though the company was started to help those affected by disabilities, the overall goal of the program is to enhance the lives of families and children. Specifically, in Minnesota, PACER provides puppet programs.

According to pacer.org, “The COUNT ME IN puppet program is designed to help children and adults learn about disabilities and chronic illnesses in an effort to bridge the gap between typical students and those with disabilities.”

Three of the puppets used in the PACER program.
Image via pacer.org

The program is accepting volunteer puppeteers who can present shows two or three times a month. You get to work with over 10 different puppets. The only requirements are a training session, learning a script, and the ability to work with a team. In addition, access to a car and ability to leave during the school day is a must.

For more information, call 952-838-9000 or email puppets@pacer.org.

4. Reading Partners Twin Cities

Dedicated to closing the achievement gap in grade school students, one-on-one instruction is given by volunteers to increase reading levels. All volunteers are trained to follow a structured curriculum. Through collaboration with Title l schools, students get reading help for 45 minutes, twice a week.

The goal of Reading Partners is to provide students with the support they need to excel in reading. According to readingpartners.org, “Our program model works and is backed by evidence-based research which proves that our students make significant gains in reading.”

On average, Reading Partners’ students more than double their rate of learning while in the program.

In order to be a mentor, you must be 14 years or older and have passed a background check. The commitment is only an hour a week. Lastly, no formal teaching experience is required.

For more information, contact Shelby Sissing at 651-362-0430 or shelby.sissing@readingpartners.org.

5. Minnesota Orchestra

Multiple volunteer opportunities are offered through the Minnesota Orchestra, including benefits in return. Jobs include being a concert usher, who assists guests, or a coffee concert bus captain, who greet guests and accompanies them to and from the concert hall on the bus. Other opportunities involve being an administrative or community events volunteer. It is important to note that these differing jobs are available seasonally and depending on time of day.

First time volunteers are expected to complete a training session before their first shift. In addition, you must be 16 years or older and have a valid email address. Completing four shifts per season is also a requirement.

Benefits are also incorporated. Volunteers have the chance to attend thank-you receptions and other special gatherings. You can also receive discounted or complimentary tickets after working multiple shifts.

For more information visit minnesotaorchestra.org or email volunteer.mnorch.org.

Looking for a great place to live off-campus within a stone’s throw of campus? Please visit WaHu to see our dynamic community in action. To visit our website, please click here or call us at 952-777-2083 to get more information and schedule a tour.

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