MOPS hosts Holiday Boutique
Mother of Preschoolers annual Holiday Boutique will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pinecone Road, Sartell. Free admittance. A one-stop shopping event with more than 30 different vendors, plus a silent auction.
Winter Market open Nov. 22
Sartell’s Winter Market is open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (winter hours) Saturday, Nov. 22 at Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. Get to know your farmer. Vendors want you to enjoy their products and are happy to share their knowledge and answer any questions you have. Come for the food, stay for the fun.
United Way Volunteer Opportunities
‘We Are Thankful’ event set Nov. 22
Kids Fighting Hunger recently announced the second annual “We Are Thankful” community-wide food-packaging event will be held starting at 9 a.m. Saturday Nov. 22 at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. This event is designed to give 600+ adults, children and families in our community a chance to help provide some much-needed food to aid-workers and people who are being quarantined due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Kids Fighting Hunger in Sauk Rapids along with Impact Lives in St. Louis Park, Minn., and Food for Kidz in Stewart, Minn. have committed to sending 1 million meals to the region as soon as possible. Kids Fighting Hunger has committed to package 1 shipping container (285,000 meals) of food. The cost of ingredients for 1 container of food is approximately $30,000.Donations for ingredients can be made at www.kidsfightinghunger.org or send a check to P.O. Box 7550, St. Cloud, MN 56302. Visit www.unitedwayhelps.org to register. Contact Mary Krippner, United Way of Central Minnesota, at 320-223-7991.
Volunteers needed to read for the blind
Minnesota Services for the Blind needs volunteers to read newspapers to blind people in St. Cloud. Two volunteers read the St. Cloud Times and other community newspapers daily at the KVSC radio station at St. Cloud State University. Volunteers should be able to commit to two evenings a month for two hours each. Volunteers must take an oral reading test. Contact Rita Woeste at 320-293-2273 or ritawoeste@gmail.com.
Lobby greeter
Volunteer at Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf. They need help as a food-shelf lobby greeter. Volunteers will regulate client traffic in the lobby and assist clients with information they need. Contact Kathryn Stolpman, Catholic Charities Emergency Services, at 320-229-4560.
Become a volunteer patient, family adviser
If you or a loved one recently were hospitalized or seen by a CentraCare Health provider, you may have felt we could have done things differently. Consider joining our network of volunteer patient and family advisers. We value your opinion and want you to share your ideas on ways we can improve. Patient and family adviser volunteers give valuable feedback and ideas to help us improve the quality and safety of care we provide. No special qualifications required, just a willingness to share ideas and enthusiasm for improving the health-care experience. We are seeking two to four people to serve on Patient Satisfaction Committees. Contact Hannan, CentraCare Health, at 320-255-5638.
People helping people
Tri-CAP’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $50,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified volunteers sponsored by Tri-CAP receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. The Tri-CAP VITA sites are located right here in Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties. All locations also offer free electronic filing. Contact Tri-CAP at 320-257-4505 or e-mail taxes@tricap.org to volunteer.
Holiday donation needs for Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is in need of donations for the holiday season. Needs include: sponsors for the Share-the-Spirit program, personal-care items, new toys, children’s coats, boots, food donations, new socks/underwear (all sizes), gift cards for teens, extra large coats for men and women. Contact Kathryn, Catholic Charities Emergency Services, at 320-229-4560.
Sartell Hospice office seeking administrative volunteers
Do you enjoy working in an office setting? Do you get a kick out of providing order and organization for projects like filing, mailings and administrative packets? If so, we need your talent and energy. St. Croix Hospice in Sartell is looking for volunteers to complete weekly office projects. This is a great opportunity to gain experience in a small office setting and in the healthcare field. St. Croix Hospice has a mission to provide the highest level of hospice care for patients and families experiencing life-limiting illnesses. They serve patients throughout the metro; meeting patients and families where they are and providing the level of care that allows there to be some satisfaction and closure with the end-of-life experience. To learn more, visit their website at www.stcroixhospice.com. Contact Jodi at jjulseth@stcroxhospice.com or 320-250-6899.
Museum tour guides needed
St. Benedict’s Monastery is seeking volunteers to work as a host/hostess at the Haehn Museum. This person is a key person in extending hospitality to the Whitby Gift Shop and Gallery and to the Haehn Museum exhibit. Hours are flexible, Tuesday-Sunday. Contact S. Jean Schwartz, jschwartz@csbsju.edu or call 320-363-7105.
Cancer center attendant
CentraCare is looking for volunteers to assist with transporting, escorting, directing, and assisting patients and guests during a busy construction period. Training will be provided. Contact CentraCare Volunteer Services at 320-229-5199 ext. 75808.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way volunteer engagement coordinator, at 320-223-7991 or mkrippner@unitedwayhelps.org.
Humane Society wraps for a paws
Joe Town Table serves meals for everyoneCommunity organizations band together to host Joe Town Table from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 at the American Legion in St. Joseph. This free meal serves as an opportunity for socialization among neighbors and friends. Volunteers serve up a warm meal for area residents to enjoy.
DNR reminder: ice is not safe right nowIce is forming on some lakes, rivers and ponds around Minnesota, but DNR conservation officers warn it’s too early to venture out.
“The thin layers of ice forming on some Minnesota waters right now are not safe,” said Maj. Greg Salo, operations manager, DNR Enforcement Division. “A few days of cold temperatures doesn’t create ice strong enough to hold a person.”
According to Salo, three people died last winter after falling through the ice. The DNR recommends anyone heading out on the ice should: carry a set of ice picks, check with a local bait shop or resort – ask about ice conditions – and measure the ice.
DNR clear ice thickness recommendations are: 4 inches for walking; 5 inches for a snowmobile or ATV; 8-12 inches for a car; and 12-15 inches for a medium-sized truck.
For more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html.
Join Stearns County Parks Ski Patrol Team
With the arrival of snow comes the Stearns County Parks Department’s need for people to do ski patrol. Cross-country ski patrol volunteers provide information to skiers, record observations and provide needed assistance. All volunteers receive a short orientation. Four Stearns County parks have groomed cross-country ski trails and a need for ski patrol volunteers to monitor and report conditions of the trail: Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park, Mississippi County park, Warner Lake and Quarry Park. Ski Patrol volunteers ski the trails for free, and all volunteers who patrol for two two-hour sessions get a free Quarry Park annual sticker. Ski patrol season begins Dec. 15 and goes through Feb. 28. Sign-up has already begun. Information, orientation, and sign-up are available on the Parks Department web page: StearnsCountyMN.gov/Recreation/SkiPatrol. Contact the Stearns County Parks Department for more information at 320-255-6172 or email parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us.
Send holiday cards to stationed military
With the help of the Red Cross, Americans can send holiday cards with messages of season’s greetings and holiday wishes to military members and veterans who cannot be with their families this season.
Local Red Cross chapters play a major role in the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. Card making and signing events are organized at the community level and the local Red Cross offices will distribute the completed cards to military instillations, medical facilities and veteran organizations in the United States. The American National Red Cross will deliver cards to military members serving abroad.
“It just takes a moment to sign a card and share your appreciation for the sacrifices made by members of the military and veteran community,” said Linda Blackmore, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Central Minnesota. “Start a new tradition with your family this holiday season – create holiday cards and share your thanks for our heroes.”
To participate in the Holiday Mail for Heroes program, mail or drop off cards at your local chapter:
American Red Cross serving Central Minnesota
Holiday Mail for Heroes Program
1301 W. St. Germain St.
St. Cloud, MN 56301
To ensure card delivery in time for the holidays, the local Red Cross must receive cards no later than Friday, Dec. 5. Individuals are asked to refrain from sending letters, monetary donations or any other inserts with the cards and from using glitter. More information and card requirements are at redcross.org/holidaymail.
The Red Cross also invites the public to share photos and videos of card-signing efforts or holiday greetings for troops by using the hashtag #HolidayMail on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine. The Red Cross will feature the material on its social media channels throughout the holiday season, particularly through Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #HolidayMail.
The Red Cross relies on the support of the American people to carry out its mission of service to the 2 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 24 million veterans and their families. This holiday season, the public can also support all Red Cross services by making a financial donation at redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS. Individuals can also give the gift of life by making an appointment to give blood at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @mnRedCross.