We recently caught up with two former AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) team members - Steve and Kazoua - to find out what they have been up to after their service years at Neighbors, Inc. Staff photo from Steve's last day at Neighbors. Steve Watanaskul was the first of three [...]
Each year, Augustana Lutheran Church participates in the Neighbors, Inc. Holiday Gift Program by connecting congregational members (as adopters) with families and seniors in need through the Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Senior programs. I recently sat down with Cathy Hendrikson, staff member at Augustana, to find out how they have made this program such a successful ministry [...]
Santa's elves (aka Neighbors volunteers and staff) have been busy preparing for the upcoming holiday season. Neighbors anticipates it will provide more than 700 families with Christmas presents this year thanks to the generosity of our donors, church partners, community members and volunteers. The Holiday Gift Program office officially opens on Monday, October 28th. If [...]
As a member of the Neighbors Welcome Center volunteer team, Maria is devoted to assisting clients, helping with donations and keeping the front desk area – including the bakery shelf and waiting room – “clean and tidy” for all our visitors. She takes pride in providing a good “first impression.” Maria came to Neighbors as [...]
Cherokee Tavern! Congratulations to the Saint Joe's Burger at Cherokee Tavern for being voted this year's best burger in the 2018 Great Neighbors' Food Fight restaurant competition and fundraiser. A special thank you to all of the participating restaurants who generously donated their delicious burgers for the competition.
It's the final burger report of the 2018 Food Fight! Travis' last stop took him to Perkins in West St. Paul for their Classic Cheeseburger, and here's what he had to say: "I didn’t know what to expect from Perkins. I always think of them for good breakfast, but have never tried a burger from [...]
As we approach the end of the 2018 Great Neighbors' Food Fight, we've got the second to last blog from Travis to share with you! He stopped by Cherokee Tavern to try the Saint Joe's Burger, and here's his review: "This is one of my new favorites! The quality of the beef was exceptional, along [...]
Next up for Travis? Concord Lanes and the Jalapeno Popper Burger. Here's the dish: "I'm partial to anything jalapeno popper-related, so I'd been looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint! It was cooked perfectly and was nice and juicy. I'd definitely get this burger again!" Want more information on this year’s Food Fight? Click [...]
Travis has hit the halfway point in his 2018 Food Fight journey! Jersey's Bar & Grill was his latest stop, and you can read about his thoughts on the Jersey Burger below: "The Jeresy Burger is your all-American burger with a splash of BBQ sauce. I’ll admit, I’m not generally a fan of BBQ sauce [...]
Our volunteer spotlights continue, highlighting the many ways volunteers are serving the community and helping our neighbors in need! For more information on how you can get involved, visit www.neighborsmn.org/volunteer. -- Gayle C. is a valued member of one of Neighbors’ most important client-facing teams: the front desk staff. As part of this role, Gayle fields [...]
Do you know a volunteer that lives out Neighbors’ core values of respect, fairness, compassion and empowerment during each shift? Nominate them for one of Neighbors’ Volunteer Recognition Awards! Awarded annually, they recognize individuals and groups who go above and beyond during each shift. Anyone who has given their time to Neighbors in 2017 is [...]
Neighbors, Inc. would not be able to do the work it does without our volunteers. They are the friendly faces that greet our visitors and the helping hands that keep our food shelf and Clothes Closet running smoothly. Throughout the coming weeks and months, we’ll be spotlighting the many ways volunteers are serving the community [...]
Neighbors, Inc. is pleased to announce that we have been recertified by Points of Light as a Service Enterprise! A Service Enterprise is an organization that fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills throughout their organization to successfully deliver on its social mission. Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found [...]
Each year, Neighbors recognizes outstanding volunteers who exemplify the organization's core values -- respect, empowerment, compassion and fairness. Anyone who has given their time to Neighbors as a volunteer is eligible, and awards are distributed in the following categories: Respect Fairness Empowerment Compassion Core Values Champion Outstanding Youth Volunteer Program of the Year If you'd like [...]
Looking for a way to help your neighbors in need? Neighbors, Inc. is looking for volunteers to help pick-up food donations from some of our grocery partners. Shifts are about an hour long and include loading food at the store, driving it to Neighbors and unloading it upon arrival. Open shifts include: Mondays and/or Wednesdays [...]
Community events and drives to benefit Neighbors, Inc. Thank you to all the local organizations, businesses and community partners who are celebrating the season by helping our neighbors in need. Every Child Should Receive a New Book this Holiday Season Campaign through November 15 at the South St. Paul Public Library The South St. Paul Public [...]
The new Hy-Vee store in Eagan is now open and management has agreed to donate their extra bread to Neighbors! This will help ensure that the bakery shelf is well-stocked for the 14,000 families that use it each year. We will be picking up donations from the store each weekday between 8 and 9 a.m. If [...]
Many residents in our community don't have reliable transportation. To help them get to medical appointments, Neighbors provides the Dial-A-Ride program. Volunteer drivers use their own vehicles to provide rides to and from the appointment, and in turn receive: Flexibility -- drivers provide rides when their schedules allow Fair mileage reimbursement Opportunities to connect with [...]
Last year, 1,847 people volunteered 48,510 hours at Neighbors, Inc. – that’s the equivalent of 25 full-time staff people (nearly double what the organization currently employs). Without these individuals, Neighbors wouldn’t be able to provide the services it does to those in need in the community. In many ways, volunteers serve as the hands of [...]
"I LOVE volunteering for the Summer Meals Program! It lets me do two of my favorite things at the same time -- visiting and laughing with friends while helping to feed the hungry." It's hard to believe that this year's Summer Meals Program is nearing the half-way point! Our volunteers have been having a blast [...]