Assistance With Basic Needs

Minnehaha United Methodist Church, 3701 E. 50th St., offers a MinneHarvest of free groceries—surplus perishables such as produce and breads—the fourth Sat. of each month, 9 - 10:30 a.m.

The Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 4604 Chicago Ave. S., collaborates with more than 60 organizations focusing on women’s health, cancer prevention and creating a healthy environment for all. One of the organizations is Woman to Woman, an African American breast cancer support project that provides one-to-one support and advocacy for African American women with breast cancer. To find out more, contact the Women’s Cancer Resource Center at 612- 822-4846.

The Powderhorn/Phillips Cultural Wellness Center, 1527 E. Lake St., provides activities that address personal, community and cultural wellness. Classes are offered in personal health improvement, cultural wellness and community healing. FFI call 612-721-5745.

The Senior LinkAge Line is a free telephone information and assistance service which can help connect with services including transportation, housing, adult day centers, home health care, housework, volunteering, hospice care, caregiver support, food/meal delivery, legal assistance, financial assistance, snow/lawn care, employment, minor home repairs, health insurance counseling and more. Call 1-800-333-2433.

Holy Cross Lutheran church, 1720 E. Minnehaha Parkway, hosts lunch Mondays through Fridays at noon for people 60 and up. Holy Cross Senior Dining is sponsored by Volunteers of America of Minnesota. Suggested contribution is $2.50. For menu, reservation information or questions call Evelyn Ramey weekdays at 612-729-6668 between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. They’d love to set a place for you.

What happened to your dreams? If you are a single mother and still having trouble making ends meet, Women Achieving New Directions can help you explore career options that will increase your income, show you how to negotiate your salary and seek a promotion. Our monthly support group begins on Jan. 17, 2002, in Bloomington from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A light meal and limited childcare are included. Reservations are required. For more information and to register, call Louann at 612-752-8436.

If you love to read but can’t get to the library because of illness or disability, the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library can help. Volunteers will deliver books, tapes and other library materials to your door. For more information about this free service to Minneapolis residents with limited mobility, cal 612-630-6173.

Volunteer Opportunities

The English as a Second Language Program at Holy Rosary\Santo Rosario Church, 2424 18th Ave. S., is in need of volunteers. Volunteers do not need to speak Spanish. A two hour commitment once a week for a ten week period is requested.
Classes are Mon. - Thu. mornings from 9:30 - 11:30 and Mon. - Thu. evenings from 6:30 - 8:30. Volunteers would work in small groups with students. An on-site orientation program is offered as well as training through the Minnesota Literacy Program.
To observe a class or talk with a volunteer to get a feel for the experience, call Sister Colleen Moran, 612-724-3651.

Pillsbury House, 3501 Chicago Ave. S., has several opportunities for volunteers.
Childcare providers are needed for special events. Payment is in credits, exchangeable for shampoo, detergent, diapers and more, for each hour of service.
English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors are needed for basic English classes. ESL certificate preferred, experience required. Stipend and credits offered. For further information call 612-824-0708, x110.

Volunteers sought for Internet Training: Become a tutor for the Minneapolis Public Library and help others become computer literate by helping patrons access and explore the World Wide Web. Internet tutors are especially needed at Sumner Library, 611 Emerson Ave. N.; Northeast Library, 2200 Central Ave. NE; and at North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry Ave. N. For more information about the library’s Internet Tutor Program, call Janet in the Volunteer Office at 612-630-6173.

The Division of Indian Work (DIW) is looking for responsible and caring adults to tutor American Indian children ages 5 to 17. The volunteer commitment is 1.5 hours a week for 10 to 12 weeks during after school hours. Tutors help children with any homework they may have. For more information contact Andrea Keezer through DIW’s Youth Leadership Development Program at 612-722-8722, x340.

Many Minneapolis high school students have not yet passed the Minnesota Basic Standards Tests in math or reading. Volunteering as an in-school tutor is one way to really help these students. Students who are parents have priority when we assign tutors. Tutors should have basic math and reading skills, and enjoy the company of teens. This is a weekly commitment, takes about two hours a week, and lasts through late January and early February, when the tests will be held. Training will be provided. Call for more information or to sign up for training at Minneapolis Public School Volunteer Services, 612- 668-3950.

Imagine being able to help an individual who is struggling to "make ends meet" receive a refund of over $1,000 simply by helping them complete their tax returns. That is what AccountAbility Minnesota volunteers do everyday during the tax season. "It is heart warming to see the look in someone’s eyes when you tell them they are receiving a refund" said Darlene McGee, a long-time volunteer. "People tell me the money will help them buy a car, pay utilities, and other debts." Volunteers are needed to prepare tax returns, review returns and assist with copying and operation of our sites. Training is provided. For more information please call 651-287-0187, email jbrand@mtn.org or visit www.accountabilitymn.org.

The Hiawatha Lions Club has been serving the South Minneapolis community for 45 years. This service club was chartered in January of 1956. What does the Lion’s Club do? They support the Macular Degeneration Research Center at the Univerity of Minnesota. They provide leader and hearing dogs for the blind and those who have lost their hearing. They provide drug awareness for youth, support the Diabetes Foundation, and provide cornea transplants. They fund the Lions Minnesota eye bank, collect used eye glasses for third world countries, and support many community projects. The Hiawatha Lions Club has membership open to men and women. We meet every third Thursday of the month at the Danish American Center at 42nd and Cedar Ave. You may call Lion Dick at 952-447-3914, or Lion Bob at 612-866-8622.

Are you interested in attending a five part edult education series focused on zebra, giraffe, antelope, lion, tigers, leopards, bison, cranes, lemurs, monkeys, tamarin, orangutan, gorillas, bears and wolfs? Como Zoo, just north of downtown St. Paul, is seeking volunteers interested in learning and sharing information with visitors about their animals. The five part training series for new animal interpreter volunteers begins Jan 23, 2002. New volunteer applications need to be submitted before acceptance into the training series. Contact the Como Park volunteer office at 651-487-8525 for more information.

Anyone with their own shovel or snow blower can earn $10-11 per hour and help seniors and disabled adults at the same time. Call Tracey at Rivercreek Handiworks to sign up, 612-721-8687, x329. Other openings are in housekeeping, light maintenance and lawn care.

Minnesota Friends of the Orphans, a nonprofit fundraiser for orphan homes in Mexico and Latin America, needs volunteers to translate letters from sponsors for Spanish-speaking children. The letters provide emotional support for the children and are great practice for advanced Spanish students. Translate at home and mail or e-mail the work. Tamara Downs, tdowns@friendsmn.org, 651-482-1703.

Minneapolis Mediation Program (MMP) is looking for individuals who are available during daytime hours to serve as a volunteer mediator. The MMP is a nonprofit organization which helps individuals resolve conflicts which arise among family members, neighbors, businesses and consumers, landlords and tenants, etc. Volunteer mediators are required to complete a 30-hour mediation skills training course which will be offered the week of Jan. 7. If you are interested in becoming an MMP volunteer mediator, please call MMP at 612-822-9883.

PACER Center offers puppeteer training for its "Count Me In" disability awareness project that informs young children. The daylong training is Tues., Jan. 15, at PACER Center, Interstate 494 and Highway 100 in Bloomington. The volunteer puppeteers perform the shows in Twin Cities elementary schools and preschools using handcrafted hand and rod puppets that represent diverse disabilities and cultures. Persons interested in becoming a volunteer puppeteer may call Jennifer Basta or Miriam Weinstein at PACER Center, 952-838-9000. PACER’s Web site, with information about the puppet programs, is at www. Pacer.org.

Support

If you think your temper, overprotective tendency and need to control your partner’s choices are standing in the way of a healthier relationship, think about calling the Men’s Line, a free service that provides confidential, short-term counseling for men and boys. The Men’s Line was started over three years ago by the Men’s Messages Action Team of the Initiative for Violence-Free Families and Communities (St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health) as a way of speaking out against domestic violence. The Men’s Messages Action Team is counting on early-stage abusers and those who witnessed domestic violence as children to use the Men’s Line to get the support they need to break the cycle of violence. Call 612-379-MENS (6367).

PEACE African Resource Center
Parents and Elders of Africa in Common Efforts (PEACE), a resource center created for African immigrants and open to Africans of all ethnicities, offers emergency, employment, health care and culturally appropriate counseling services. Americans and multilingual Africans teach English classes Monday through Saturday. A multi-ethnic African women’s group provides cultural exchange, basic computer and communication skills training, cooking, sewing and day care provider training. PEACE supports an international relief orphanage in western Ethiopia.
PEACE is located at 3015 Franklin Ave. For further information call Dabala Rikitu at the resource center, 612-339-7418, or check out their Web site at www.africapeace.org.

Registrations are now being accepted for the 7th annual Adolescent Females Finding Identity, Respect and Merit event to be held Sun. Jan. 13 at Central Lutheran Church. This year’s program, which is created exclusively for 5th-9th grade girls and the adults in their lives, is entitled “The Problem with Perfect.” Participants in the half-day program can select among a variety of small group, interactive workshops. The program also includes an energizing opening address by cross-cultural health expert Bravada Garrett Akinsanya, Ph.D., a special teen panel and book fair created especially for girls. Admission is just $5 per person, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, contact the National Council of Jewish Women at 763-545-1120.


Classes

Pillsbury House, 3501 Chicago Ave. S., offers basic one-on-one computer instruction by appointment only. Call 612-824-0708, x110 for more information.

The Community Barter Network, (CBN) is an exchange of services program offered by Pillsbury United Communities since Jan. of 1996. The Time Dollar Store (TDS) is a place where credits earned by volunteering at Pillsbury House or by providing service in CBN can be exchanged for products like detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, diapers and more. Orientation to join CBN is held every second Tuesday, 7- 8:30 P.M., every third Wednesday, 9- 10:30 a.m. FFI about CBN, the TDS and to register for orientation, call Carole at 612-824-0708.

Mind Literary and Art Journal of, by and for persons who have experienced mental illness or emotional disturbances, is seeking poetry, short stories and line drawings. Payment is one copy. Contact James Livingston, c/o Walker Methodist Church, Box 7588, Mpls., MN 55407, or call 612-376-7779.

ThreeSmoothStones Studio at 3336 E. 25th St. (across the street from the Birchwood in the Seward Neighborhood) announces yoga for teens from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. Kids ages 11 to 17 can learn strength and focus while having fun practicing yoga. Call 612-722-7540 for more information on cost and registration.

Women Achieving New Directions is offering free skills assessments for single moms, services including ongoing workshops, free childcare on site, mentoring by professional women and monthly support groups. For more information or to register call Marline at 612-752-8500 or Elaine at 651-604-3516.

Arc Hennepin-Carver will offer four ArcShops in January that address the needs and interests of individuals with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families. They are: Parent Connections: The Journey of Parenthood, Tues. Jan. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Minneapolis Children’s Healthcare Family Resource Center, 2525 Chicago Ave. S.; Parent Connections: Long Term Vistas, Tues. Jan. 8, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Arc Hennepin- Carver, 4301 Hwy.7, Ste. 158; The ABCs of Guardianship/Conservatorship, Part 1: Assessing the Need, Tues., Jan. 15, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Creekside Community Center, 9801 Penn Ave. S.; and The ABCs of Guardianship/Conservatorship, Part II: Navigating the Process, Tues., Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Creekside Community Center, 9801 Penn Ave. S. For more information, call Arc Hennepin-Carver at 952-920-0855 or TTY 952-920-0977.

Free ESL classes, for Latino immigrant workers referred by Resource Center of the Americas members, unions, churches or community organizations, are offered by the Centro de Derechos Laborales in a 10-week series beginning Mon., Jan. 14. Beginner, intermediate and drop-in classes for all levels are available. El curso de invierno de Inglés (ESL) para trabajadores latinos del Centro de Derechos Laborales, comenzará el 14 de enero con duración de 10 semanas. Todas las clases son gratuitas para trabajadores latinos referidos por miembros del Centro de las Americas, de uniones o sindicatos, iglesias u organizaciones comunitarias. Para informacion e inscripcion: llamar Teresa Ortiz o Jorge Flores al 612-276-0788, x22 o 28.

Ever want to point to a skyscraper or a house and say “Hey, I helped build that?” If you are a woman considering a career in the building and construction trades, take advantage of a great chance to learn about all your options and opportunities. For the sixth successful year, Women in the Trades is offering this unique seminar providing an overview of choices and career paths in these fields. We will cover apprenticeships, on the job and other training, community and educational resources, the job market and the benefits of and barriers to working in fields where women are underrepresented. Pre-registration is required and closes the Thursday prior to class. The free sessions will be held at the MN Women’s Building, 550 Rice St., St. Paul (2 blocks north of University Ave.) Please call Women in the Trades at 651-228-9955 to register or for a complete schedule. Sorry, no childcare is available.

Catholic Charities offers several programs for the Twin Cities community. Classes include Couple Communication Training (beginning Jan. 15 in St. Paul and Feb. 25 in Minneapolis), Anger Regulation Training (beginning Jan 14), Youth Anger Management Program (beginning Jan.16), and the Men’s Therapy Group (ongoing on Thursday evenings.) To register, call 651-215-2209 for the Couple Communication Training, 651-215-2201 for the Anger Regulation Training, 651-776-0320 x248 for the Youth Anger Management Program and 651-215-2215 for the Men’s Therapy Group.

Justice

The Twin Cities Coalition to Defend Mumia Abu-Jamal meets at 7 p.m. every Wednesday at the Arise! Bookstore, 2441 Lyndale Ave. S. Call 651-649-4579 for more information.

By logging on to www.thehungersite.com, you can feed a hungry person. First you’ll see a map of the world. Below the map is a “donate” button. Every time a visitor clicks on it, a donation is made to a charitable organization by one of the site’s corporate sponsors. There is no cost to the online participant.

On Jan. 29 at noon, low income people from all over Minnesota will be marching on the MN State Capitol demanding that Minnesota politicians stop the 5-year limit on welfare, 5,000 families, including up to 15.000 children, will face hunger and homelessness as they hit the time limit. With the recession getting worse, we will insist on a moratorium that will stop low income people from being cut off welfare. Free bus rides available from many neighborhoods. For more information, call 612-822-8020.
Events

A 4-H group (the 4 “H”s are head, heart, hands and health) for city kids is held at Calvary Lutheran Church, 3901 Chicago Ave. S., one or two Saturdays a month. So far, the group has been made up of upper elementary and middle school age children but 4-H is for all ages from kindergarten to 12th grade. At the meetings they prepare a meal and do some kind of activity. In the summer they show projects at the fair such as arts, crafts, cooking, inventions, woodworking, demonstrations or sewing. Anyone interested in getting involved is invited to call Linda Bowers at 612-823-3767 for more information.

English/Spanish bilingual story time for children and their parents is held the first and third Saturdays of the month at the Resource Center of the Americas, 3019 Minnehaha Ave. All children are always welcome but the first Sat. is geared for ages 5 to 9 and the third Sat., for ages 2 to 6.

The Resource Center of the Americas, 3019 Minnehaha Ave., holds monthly book discussions in English and Spanish. A discussion of “The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization” by Wayne Ellwood is planned for January. For more information e-mail sachapeterson@yahoo.com or call 612-276-0801. Weekly bilingual educational videos and discussions are also held Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Bread and Roses: The Balance of Power Is About to Change” will be shown on Jan. 17. It is based on the real life struggle of a group of non-union Los Angeles janitors who decide to stand up and demand their rights. Discussion in Spanish.
The Resource Center of the Americas has also organized a “coffeehour” series with a presentation and discussion every Saturday, 10 - 11:30 a.m. The cost is $4 for non-members. There is activist letter writing before and after and free refills on fair-trade coffee. On Jan. 19, there will be a panel on “Immigration Issues.” Se presenta “Asuntos de Inmigracion” en español.
FFI e-mail sjanisch@americas.org or check out www.americas.org or call
612-276-0788, x23.

“Life and Debt” is a powerful documentary of globalized Jamaica, a country devastated by transnational corporations and “free trade” policies. Winner of Best Documentary at L.A. Film Festival, it merges political acuteness with artful technique. It is based on “A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid. Fri.& Sat., Jan. 11 & 12, 7:30 and 9:20 p.m. at Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St., SE., Mpls. 612-331-3134. 612-276-0788, x31.

Thursday movie nights are free events that continue a weekly Resource Center of the Americas series of bilingual educational videos and discussions. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 3019 Minnehaha Ave. Beforehand, the café is open for dinner, and letter-writing tables are set up to contact government and corporate officials.
Two well-known films are scheduled for January. On Thu., Jan 24, “Amores Perros.” In Spanish with English subtitles. Discussion in Spanish. On Thu., Jan. 31, “Before Night Falls.” Film and discussion in English.

On Fri., Jan. 11, 7:30 p.m., the Maya Society of Minnesota invites the public to a free talk by graduate student and field researcher Brent Woodfill about present archeological investigations at Cancuen which have uncovered one of the largest palaces in the Maya world and one of the few jade workshops in Mesoamerica. The event will be held at Hamline University (corner of Snelling and Hewitt Avenues in St. Paul) in the Giddens Learning Center, Room 100E. FFI call 651-523-2416. Or check out www.angelfire.com/mn/MayaMN2 or leven@gw.hamline.edu.

Prestigious West Phillips invites you and your family to a winter celebration! Join your friends and neighbors for dinner, music, prizes, face painting and more on Jan 10, 5-7 p.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, 2504 Columbus Ave.

The Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association is proposing a Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) Phase I plan amendment. The proposed plan amendment will transfer some remaining NRP housing development funds to the housing organizer position. Specifically, it will transfer $25,000 from NRP Phase I Plan Section 2.3.1 (houysing development subsidies) and $15,000 from NRP Phase I Plan Section 2.2.1 (housing repair grants) to NRP Phase I Plan 1.1.1 (housing organizer). The proposed plan amendment must be approved by a majority vote at a community meeting to be held Feb. 9, 2002, at 2 p.m. at the Powderhorn Park Community Center, 3400 15th Ave. S. Anyone that works, lives or owns property in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood is eligible to vote. Bring identification indicating your eligibility to vote.

Roosevelt Community Library has proven to be inadequate to meet the needs of today’s library users. Built in 1927, the library at 4026 28th Ave. S. is stretched to its limits. In reponse to the community’s needs, library board trustees, staff, residents and a neighborhood advisory team have joined together to develop two options to bring the library into the new millennium. Continuing the community participation process, the library board is hosting two public meeting in January to present the options and listen to the community. The meetings will take place at Roosevelt Library on Fri., Jan. 11 and Sat., Jan. 12, from 10-11:30 a.m. each day.

The Twin Cities Women’s Choir and S.A.S.E.: The Write Place will present their joint concert “The Presence Within Us” on Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. at Sundin Hall on the Hamline University Campus in St. Paul. To purchase tickets, please call 612-333-TCWC. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and children age 12 and under are free. For further information, please call 612-333-TCWC or visit www.twincitieswomenschoir.org

Concerned about rail riders parking in your neighborhood? Join us for a community forum to offer your ideas and review recommendations for the 38th and 46th Street station areas. Experts who have dealt with passenger park-and-ride issues relating to light rail transit in other cities will share some creative solutions that could work here. The forum will take place at 6 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 23 at the Ericcson elementary school gymnasium, 4515 31st Ave. S. For more information, contact Chris at SENA, 612-721-1601.

Join us for a day of family winter fun! On Feb. 9, Southside Community Education (Part of the Minneapolis Public Schools) invites you to come and enjoy many indoor and outdoor activities for all ages and abilities at the Winter Family Fun Fest. Lunch and hot chocolate will be available from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Wilder School lunchroom. You can also learn how to plan several outdoor activities during these winter months. Events will take place in and around the Wilder School and Powderhorn Park at 3354 Chicago Ave. S. (use the main entrance at 34th and Chicago) from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. This event is free.

Learn about gardening with native plants, featuring Evelyn Moyle, co-author of “Northland Wildflowers: a Guide for the Minnesota Region,” sponsored by Wild Ones Natural Landscapers. 7 p.m. at Nokomis Community Center, 2401 E. Nokomis Pkwy, Mpls. Free. 952-927-6531.

Back to Top