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If you have been inspired by what you accomplished at the Highlands Family Service Fair
and want to do more, consider using the resources in this booklet to take advantage of
additional family volunteer opportunities in the future.
Resource
Booklet
Thank you for coming together to remind us all that the world
is a better place when we help one another!
2015
THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE HIGHLANDS
FAMILY SERVICE FAIR PROJECTS
Aeon
www.aeonmn.org
The laundry detergent portions you prepared will be donated to low-income families living in Aeon homes.
Aeon is a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of high-quality affordable apartments and townhomes. Since 1986, Aeon has
been committed to helping people create a home in a safe, secure environment and connect to the community around them.
In 2013, Aeon served more than 4,000 adults and children and offered 2,160 affordable apartments and townhomes in secure, safe
environments. 88 percent of households served by Aeon earned very low or extremely low incomes at an average of $15,849. 22
percent of homes served formerly homeless individuals. 1,100 residents used Aeon’s Resident Connections to work toward greater
stability in their lives and to help create home.
Golden Valley Animal Humane Society
www.animalhumanesociety.org
The blankets you made and the newspapers, plastic bags and towels you collected will be donated to the Golden Valley Animal
Humane Society to help them meet the needs of the homeless animals for which they care.
Your support and involvement make the Animal Humane Society the largest animal welfare organization in the Upper Midwest and
a national leader in sheltering and responding to the needs of animals.AHS has served Minnesota for more than 135 years with a
mission to engage the hearts, hands and minds of the community to help animals. Thank you for partnering with AHS and helping:
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Increase rehabilitative services and deliver more advanced levels of veterinary and behavioral care.
Expand outreach efforts by extending the availability of affordable spay/neuter programs to eliminate unwanted litters,
especially where poverty affects quality of life for people and pets.
Provide more educational opportunities so that children can learn life lessons of responsibility and empathy.
Continue to innovate in-shelter services for greater ease of adoption and assistance with surrender.
Reach out across Minnesota and beyond to respond when animal crises strike and provide expertise when partners call
for help.
When a dog or cat from AHS becomes a family member, a commitment, a bond of trust, and a world of new experiences comes into
the home. Children learn responsibility and empathy, seniors find comfort, and family memories are transformed by the presence of
well-loved pets.
Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP)
www.veapvolunteers.org
The Birthday Bags you assembled will be donated to low-income children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to celebrate
their birthday with a cake and gifts.
In 2002, a pair of twelve year old twins came to VEAP wanting to donate their babysitting money to ensure that all children could
celebrate their birthday. Their inspiration created the VEAP Birthday Bag program which has now distributed more than 13,000 bags.
VEAP’s food pantry clients that have children ages one through twelve are eligible to receive a birthday bag in the month of their
child’s birthday. In 2013, an average of 175 – 200 Birthday Bags were distributed per month.
Project for Pride in Living (PPL)
www.ppl-inc.org
The personal travel kits you assembled will be distributed to recently homeless youth served by Project for Pride in Living (PPL).
Homeless households with children increased by 8% in the last year. Your travel kits will be given to a child who is about to transition
into stable and long-term housing. The recipients of this travel kit will be excited and proud to have some brand new items to bring
with them to a new home.
PPL helps local parents and children build an independent and self-sufficient life. PPL provides services in education – employment –
and affordable permanent housing. PPL helps families by providing:
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Schooling – Culturally responsive and high quality schooling for children and youth (cradle to career). PPL is making great strides
in raising graduation rates and reducing the achievement gap in Minnesota (one of the largest in the nation).
Employment Readiness – Credentialed and work-specific employment training for adults and teens (diploma to degree). Critically
important work-employment opportunities, career pathways training, coaching, digital literacy and job placement services.
Affordable Housing – PPL provides housing with a goal of ending persistent poverty and homelessness. PPL provides high quality,
affordable and permanent housing for families.
Many of the adults PPL serves have multiple barriers to obtaining jobs in the ‘economic mainstream’. These adults need work-readiness training and actual work experience at jobs that will provide a sustainable living wage. PPL also helps children and teens with
customized programs – many teens living in poverty have adult-level financial and child-care responsibilities, among other stressors
that may pull them away from school.
Housing is a major component of what drives stability in our community - and PPL makes tremendous impact providing very high
quality affordable housing to transform lives and neighborhoods. When PPL comes in to a neighborhood it is met with community
celebration, as they bring a holistic integrated services approach, which truly is the most effective and impactful approach to achieve
long-term self-sufficiency.
Project for Pride in Living Mission: PPL works with lower-income individuals and families to achieve greater self-sufficiency through
housing, employment training, support services, and education.
Iraqi-American Reconciliation Project
www.reconciliationproject.org
The letters you wrote will be delivered to Iraqi children experiencing hardship as a result of war.
The mission of the Iraqi-American Reconciliation Project is to promote reconciliation between the people of the United States and
Iraq in response to the devastation of war that has affected Iraqi families, society, and culture.
Operation Gratitude
www.operationgratitude.com
The paracord survival bracelets you made will be donated to members of our military.
The bracelets can be used to save a life in an emergency situation. Virtually all branches of the U.S. military use paracord (which gets
its name from parachute cord and can hold up to 550 lbs. weight). The bracelet gives the person wearing it eight feet to use in an
emergency - securing camouflage nets to trees or vehicles; building a makeshift shelter; extending a security strap or rope to reach
and haul heavy objects; creating a harness to extract an injured person from a bad location; making a sling or splint.
Operation Gratitude annually sends 150,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, plus
Operation Gratitude annually sends 150,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, plus
personal letters of appreciation, to New Recruits, Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors, Care Givers and to individually
named U.S. Service Members deployed overseas. Their mission is to lift the spirits and meet the evolving needs of our Active Duty
and Veteran communities, and provide volunteer opportunities for all Americans to express their appreciation to members of our
Military.
Metro Meals on Wheels
www.mmow.org
The lunch bags you decorated will be used to serve meals to lonely, homebound senior citizens in our
community.
Metro Meals on Wheels is the association of 35 Meals on Wheels programs in the Twin Cities metro area. With their program
partners, they lead the effort to make sure people in our community receive the nutritious meals and the human connection they
need to help them live independently. In addition to regularly providing healthy foods, caring volunteers provide social connection
that helps meal recipients remain living independently in their own homes. With the help of Meals on Wheels programs, seniors
and people with disabilities get the nourishment and human connection needed to support daily activities, while reducing the need
for medical support. For some recipients, these daily meals are the difference between living in their own homes and moving to a
nursing home.
In celebration of Earth Day …
Celebrate the beautiful world we live in and the delicious food we eat by cultivating a bee friendly garden! At this station we decorated our own seed packets and filled them with pollinator friendly seeds to take home and plant in your garden.
YOU CREATED LAUNDRY DETERGENT
PACKETS FOR AEON.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help low-income families:
Gather needed supplies as a family or hold a drive to collect household items, cleaning supplies, or blankets, hats & gloves. For
current wish lists, see: Donate Goods to Aeon.
Collect and donate gift cards for merchants providing basic needs. Gift cards allow Aeon residents to meet their basic needs while
having the dignity and freedom of doing their own shopping. Gift Card Ideas.
Donate to a local food shelf. Many families living in poverty rely on food shelves to help meet their basic needs.
One important way families can move out of poverty is through education. Do you have good books to donate? If you loved a book,
chances are another child will, too. Local 14-year old Maria Keller started an organization (when she was 8 years old!) to collect and
distribute books to children in need: Read Indeed.
Resources on poverty:
Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn. Ages 5-8. It’s Chinese New Year in Chinatown, and young Sam has four dollars of New
Year money burning a hole in his pocket. Though the traditional message that it is better to give than to receive will be apparent to
adults immediately, it is handled in a genuine, thoughtful manner that will be realistic to children.
For older children, watch The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will and Jaden Smith. A moving story of one man and his son in their
journey out of homelessness.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness offers information, discussion points and further activities: Homelessness Fact Sheet for
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade or Homelessness Fact Sheet for Grades 3-5.
Reflection questions:
When you go to the grocery store, do you have to pay attention to the cost of items purchased?
What does it feel like to have to walk away from something you really want? What if that something was food?
What is one thing you could do to help a family struggling with poverty?
YOU MADE BLANKETS FOR THE
GOLDEN VALLEY ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to care for animals:
Make pet toys. There are all types of pet toys you can make:
Create catnip sock toys
Toys for guinea pigs
Homemade dog biscuits
or ask your local humane society what they might be interested in receiving. Alternatively, donate the toys to pets in your
neighborhood.
Make birdseed cookies. With just some birdseed and a few household baking supplies, this is a fun way to observe (and provide a
treat for) the birds in your neighborhood.
Foster animals. Often there are dogs, cats, or other pets that need a temporary home due to sickness or lack of space in an animal
shelter. Your family can offer them a loving home. Contact your local animal shelter for details.
Clean up for wild animals .Birds, mammals and reptiles are often injured or killed by our litter. Do your part by picking up trash you
see, or even hosting a community-wide clean up effort.
Resources on animals:
The Shelter Dog by Christine Davis. Ages 4-8. The sweet story of Hero, an angel dog, who asks to go back to earth to become a shelter
dog so he can be chosen to be loved by someone special.
Vet Volunteers by Laurie Halse Anderson. Ages 9-12. A series of books about a veterinary clinic and its young volunteers who confront
animal rights issues.
The Humane Society of the United States. Explore the site of the nation’s largest animal protection organization for videos, resources
and action steps on how you can support animals and stop cruelty before it occurs.
Farm Sanctuary. This organization works to protect farm animals from cruelty, and to inspire change in the way society views and
treats farm animals. Learn more about the issues and discover ways you can get involved.
Reflection questions:
How do animals express emotions?
How are animals similar and different from humans in their need for food, shelter and affection?
Why is it important to care for animals?
YOU MADE BIRTHDAY BAGS
FOR VEAP.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help low-income children:
Make fleece blankets. Check with local hospitals, homeless shelters, care facilities, or police and fire stations to gauge interest. Or
deliver them to your local chapter of Project Linus or Binky Patrol. These two groups will distribute them to organizations with the
greatest need.
Volunteer to cook and serve a meal at a homeless shelter for families. Gather a group together for this project, especially if you are
serving a large crowd. Search volunteermatch.org or contact a local shelter to see what opportunities are available. Ask about getting
a tour of the shelter beforehand.
Fill back to school kits. Find an organization that distributes school supplies, check volunteermatch.org or contact your local Catholic
Charities, Lutheran Social Services or Jewish Family Services. A social worker at your local school can also help you find an organization or obtain a list of desired items.
Family-to-Family is dedicated to connecting, one-to-one, families with enough to share to impoverished American families with profoundly less. Check out their projects specifically for kids to help kids. These projects are intended to embed the spirit of generosity
and compassion into the fabric of our children’s lives.
Resources on children in poverty:
Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen. Ages 5 and up. A small boy, not allowed to have a dog because times are tight, finds a starving
kitten in a trashcan on the same day his father loses his job.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. Ages 8 and up. When Esperanza’s mother decides they must immigrate to California, Esperanza is forced to leave behind her riches and confront a life of labor, poverty and conflict with American migrants. Set in the 1930’s.
The Children’s Defense Fund. For over 40 years, CDF has championed policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect
them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation.
The Hunger Project seeks to end hunger and poverty by empowering people to lead lives of self-reliance, meet their own basic needs
and build better futures for their children. Their website not only has information and ways to make a difference – but ideas and
resources specifically for youth action
Reflection questions:
What is your favorite birthday tradition? How would it feel to celebrate your birthday with no cake and no gifts?
What else can you do to brighten the day of a child experiencing poverty?
YOU MADE BATHROOM KITS FOR
PROJECT FOR PRIDE IN LIVING.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help the homeless:
Make more kits. Church World Service collects School Kits, Hygiene Kits, Baby Care Kits and Emergency Clean-up Buckets for worldwide distribution to those in need.
Make sandwiches. Many shelters like to keep sandwiches on hand to give out to their guests for lunch. Contact your local shelter or
search online to find a place near you that would appreciate your donation. Make sure to ask for specifics about what type of sandwiches they prefer.
Adopt a food shelf. Make a habit of giving by continually collecting non-perishables for your local food pantry. Keep a bag or box in
your kitchen, and each time your go to the store – grab and extra item or two. When you’re all filled up, deliver the goods. Keep in
touch with the food shelf to learn which items are most needed.
Make room for the hungry. This project, which makes us mindful of hunger, requires only a few minutes each day. It lasts a month
and can begin any day you choose. The change you collect can be donated to a local food shelf, shelter or hunger relief program.
Resources on homelessness:
The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern. Ages 4 and up. It is wintertime in the city and Ben and his sister Lizzie know that there is a
lady who lives outside in a box over a warm air vent. The children worry about the kind-looking lady, and begin sneaking food and
clothes out of their apartment for her. Gently told and powerfully illustrated in rich hues, the book deals candidly with the issue of
homelessness.
A Kid’s Guide to Hunger and Homelessness by Cathryn Berger Kaye. Ages 10 and up. Stories, information, resources and more on
what young people are doing to address issues of hunger and homelessness and what you can do to take action.
The National Coalition for the Homeless. A national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced
homelessness, activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others committed to a single mission: To prevent and end homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their
civil rights protected.
Homelessness Resources Center. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Homelessness Resource Center (HRC) is an interactive learning community dedicated to disseminating knowledge and best practices to prevent and
end homelessness. It includes providers, consumers, policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at federal, state, and local levels.
Reflection questions:
What is your idea of a homeless person? Would it surprise you to know that 1 in 45 children experience homelessness in America
each year? That’s over 1.6 million children.
When you see a homeless person on the street do you think it’s a good idea to give money? Why or why not? What other ways can
you help?
YOU WROTE PEACE LETTERS FOR
THE IRAQI-AMERICAN RECONCILIATION PROJECT.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help children around the world:
Collect new or gently used books for families hungry for reading material. Check out the One Book at a Time program through the
organization Family-to-Family or Books For Africa.
Craft Hope is a blog and book which is dedicated to crafting for a cause. If you want to get creative, check out some of their projects!
Send “happy mail” to a child struggling with an illness through Send Kids the World.
Resources on children in need around the world:
Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter. Ages 4-8. A story that helps young children understand
that education is a privilege.
Close Encounters of a Third World Kind by Jennifer Stewart. Ages 8 and up. Filled with friendship and adventure, this is the story of
two sisters on a medical mission in Nepal with their parents.
United Nations Girls Education Initiative. UNGEI works with national governments to improve the quality and availability of girls’
education.
Room to Read works in collaboration with communities and local governments across Asia and Africa to develop literacy skills and a
habit of reading among primary school children, and supports girls so they can complete secondary school with the life skills they’ll
need to succeed in school and beyond.
Reflection questions:
Why is it important for children to help each other even if they are from different cultures or countries? How is this this different
from helping a child you know well?
Have you ever felt scared of someone who looked or acted different from you? What could you do
to make the situation feel less scary?
YOU MADE PARACORD SURVIVAL
BRACELETS FOR OPERATION GRATITUDE.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help members of our military:
Gather items like energy bars, socks, dental kits, small plush toys (to share with local kids), and more for care packages: Military Care
Packages.
Donate some (or all?) of your Halloween candy each year. Operation Gratitude will send it directly to people serving in the military:
Halloween Candy for the Troops.
Attend a local Veteran’s Day parade to honor our Veterans.
Resources on helping military families:
The Wall by Eve Bunting. Ages 4-8. A boy travels to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with his father to seek out his grandfather’s
name.
The Impossible Patriotism Project by Linda Skeers. Ages 4-8. Caleb’s class is making projects that represent patriotism to display at
Parents Night. But Caleb can’t think of a way to show what patriotism means to him. Besides, his dad can’t come because he is away,
serving as a soldier.
Discover many ways to support military families from books to phone calls home to family fun days: The USO Wishbook.
Reflection questions:
Have you ever been apart from a parent for more than a week or two? What did that feel like? How would you feel about being
separated from a parent for months at a time while they served in the military? What might be some of the hardest things about
that?
What are ways we can let military service people and their families know we care about them and appreciate their sacrifices?
What are some ways to honor military veterans and the families of fallen soldiers?
YOU DECORATED LUNCH BAGS FOR
METRO MEALS ON WHEELS.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help senior citizens:
Do some friendly visiting. Visiting with elders can help you become comfortable with our aging population and bring cheer to those
who are isolated and lonely. Contact your local nursing home to see what visiting opportunities are available.
Deliver hot meals to homebound seniors in your community. Most places have a Meal-on-Wheels program or similar service. Check
out their national website to find your local program or look on volunteermatch.org.
Help seniors in your neighborhood with household chores and maintenance. Offer to mow, shovel or do garden upkeep. If you have
transportation, they may benefit from assistance running errands or grocery shopping.
Resources on senior citizens and aging:
Miss Tizzy by Libba Moore Gray. Ages 3 and up. A joyful elderly woman has a following among an ethnically diverse group of neighborhood children. When she becomes ill, the children get creative about how to express their love.
Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian. Young Adult. The story of the friendship between Willie, a young victim of child abuse,
and Mr. Tom, an elderly man who takes him in when Willie must evacuate to the English countryside during World War II.
If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians by Neenah Ellis. Young Adult. Ellis records the stories of over a dozen people who
have lived a century or more.
Watch the stories from seniors who have been Meals on Wheels recipients. Explore the Meals on Wheels Association of America for
more information about senior hunger from the oldest and largest national organization composed of and representing local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs. If you are a parent, check out this fun and informative guide to delivering meals with your
children.
Reflection questions:
What are some things that make you feel safe and loved? Do you think a senior citizen would appreciate the same things? Why or
why not?
What kinds of things have you learned from a senior citizen in your life?
Why is it important to care for our seniors?
YOU MADE SEED PACKETS
TO HELP OUR PLANET’S POLLINATORS.
THANK YOU!
If you would like to do more to help our planet:
Plant blooming flowers that attract bees in your yard. Find ideas here: Plants for Minnesota Bees
Participate in neighborhood, city or community clean-up programs.
Commit to conserving water by making a Water Pledge.
Sponsor a Honey Bee Hive in your own garden!
Resources on helping the environment:
Learn about keeping bees and butterflies healthy at The Beez Kneez or The Xerces Society.
Discover cool, simple ways kids can help the earth! Have an energy scavenger hunt; learn about composting; take the catalog canceling challenge, “take back the tap” and learn about drinking water, and much more: Kids Can Save the Earth
Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet by Harriet Rohmer. Grades 4-9. This inspiring book presents the true stories of 12 people from across North America who have done great things for the environment. Heroes
include a teenage girl who figured out how to remove an industrial pollutant from the Ohio River, a Mexican superstar wrestler who
works to protect turtles and whales, and a teenage boy from Rhode Island who helped his community and his state develop effective
e-waste recycling programs.
Stay up to date on the latest research surrounding pollinator health.
Visit the Bell Museum of Natural History to learn more about our natural world!
Reflection questions:
Think about a time you enjoyed yourself in nature - in a forest, on a mountain, in the ocean, or in your own backyard. What unique
things can you experience outside? What are the best things about being in nature?
What parts of the earth (nature) are in danger? How can we help protect and heal the Earth?
Think about all of the food we eat. Now think about which of those foods rely on pollination for growth. What role do pollinators play
in our food supply?
TIPS ON FINDING LOCAL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteen Nation
www.volunteennation.org
Volunteen Nation believes that youth and teenagers are ready to take action and dive into solving problems in the community. Use
their searchable database to find opportunities in your area in which youth can take part. (Age requirements differ for each
opportunity).
VolunteerMatch
www.volunteermatch.org
VolunteerMatch is geared to adult volunteering, but it’s a great starting point for uncovering potential youth opportunities. It can
point you to nonprofits in your community actively seeking volunteer assistance. Here’s how to make VolunteerMatch work for you.
Check out your local volunteer center
www.handsonnetwork.org
HandsOn Network has hundreds of volunteer centers around the country and abroad. Find the one closest to you. Give them a call,
tell them your age (or the ages of the children in your family), and they’ll direct you to the best local service projects.
Edina Give and Go
www.edinagiveandgo.org
8.1% of Edina students struggle with basics needs and even more live on the edge. These students cannot access all of the enriching
life and learning opportunities that our community offers—like participation in the Arts, enriching Academics programs, and Athletics. Edina Give and Go’s mission is to close the opportunity gap and offer ALL Edina students the opportunity to GO far in our community and in life. Visit their website to learn how you can help.
Doing Good Together
www.doinggoodtogether.org
Doing Good Together provides tools to both families and organizations to help them raise compassionate, engaged children. Their innovative activities, resources, and support help make empathy and “giving back” a natural part of life’s early lessons. Be sure to check
out Big-Hearted Families, a program of Doing Good Together, to find dozens of service project “recipes” that make it easy for youth
and families to make a difference – while practicing the values of kindness, compassion and community responsibility.