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Service-Learning Handout

Second Harvest Heartland www.2harvest.org Agency Description: Second Harvest Heartland, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the Upper Midwest's largest hunger-relief organization, with a mission of ending hunger through community partnerships. 89 million pounds of grocery products were distributed in 2014 to hungry seniors, families and children through nearly 1,000 non-profit member agencies and programs, including food shelves, soup kitchens, shelters, senior centers, faith-based organizations, and children's after-school programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We have locations in Maplewood and Golden Valley. Position Description: We have morning, afternoon, evening and weekend volunteer opportunities. Sign up using our online calendar on our website (www.2harvest.org/volunteer). Food Sorting and Re-Packing: Volunteers are needed to sort and re-pack food from food drives and donations, re-package bulk food such as pasta or cereal into consumer size packages, sort and salvage food items, or label cans. These items go to our partner agencies, including food shelves and soup kitchens that serve people at risk for hunger. This position requires that you are able to stand for several hours. Opportunities are available at our Maplewood and Golden Valley locations during the day and on evenings and weekends. How to Apply: 1. Go to www.2harvest.org/volunteer 2. Click on the button "View Our Calendar and Schedule a Shift" 3. Enter in the search parameters: a. Location: Maplewood (East Metro), Golden Valley (West Metro) or Metro Wide. b. Time of Day: mornings, afternoons or evenings/weekends. c. Volunteering as a group: Yes or No. Click on a shift to learn more. At the bottom of the description it says "individual registration" Click there for the express registration. Once you have successful registered for a shift you will receive a confirmation email. **Note: all the shifts you sign up for online you do not need a training/orientation ahead of time, simply show up at the designated time. There will be a staff member there to greet you, explain the project and help get you started.

Serve the River

Agency Description: Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) engages citizens to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region. However, we also encourage service learners to volunteer and get involved at several of the different organizations in our area that Serve the River.

Ngwendson, Julius Environmental Chemistry

CHEM 1010- 11, 12

www.normandale.edu/cee 952-358-8119 servicelearning@normandale.edu

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Job Description: Habitat Restoration Event Volunteer: Volunteer to plant native species or remove invasive species. Events are held at a variety of locations in the Twin Cities area. Most events, at FMR and at our Serve the River partners, are 2-3 hours on a weekend or weekday evening. All events are weather dependent; events may be cancelled if the weather or conditions will not allow for the scheduled activity. How to Apply: Find an event on the Friends of the Mississippi River’s Events Calendar at http://www.fmr.org/participate/events. Follow the registration instructions from each event write-up. Note: If you register for an event but do not show up you cannot volunteer for future events. It is unlikely you will find enough FMR events that work with your schedule to fulfill your 20 hours of service. After you've picked the FMR events that do work for you, explore similar opportunities with FMR's Serve the River partners. Check out their calendars, linked here -- http://www.fmr.org/participate/ongoing/servetheriver_partners -- then follow instructions to register with each. Note about Hours: To verify your hours you must bring a Friends of the Mississippi River timesheet to each event you serve at and have it signed by a site supervisor. If you do not get a timesheet signed you will not get credit for the hours you served. You can download this timesheet on their website at http://www.fmr.org/participate/ongoing/servetheriver_fmrevents. To get credit for your hours you must drop your timesheet(s) off in Normandale’s Center for Experiential Education in C1066. Friends of the Mississippi River writes on your timesheet how many service hours you complete, along with how many hour you spent in transportation. Only the service time (not the transportation time) counts toward your total service-learning hours (unless you are given special permission by your instructor).

Eureka Recycling Agency Description: Eureka Recycling is a zero-waste organization located in the Twin Cities with a wide range of initiatives focusing on reuse, recycling, composting, waste reduction, producer responsibility, and more.

Job Descriptions: Zero Waste Educators: Zero Waste Educators explain to people how to properly recycle and compost at zero-waste events. On average, zero waste events result in over 94% of all the discards being recycled or composted. Some events achieve diversion rates as high as 99%! Events are typically on the evenings and weekends and last for about 3 hours.

Communications Research and Support: In order to get to zero-waste we need updated contact information to reach people. Our customer service, outreach, and education teams use this information to share how to properly recycle and compost and provide updates on our programs. This work includes researching and verifying contact information for apartment buildings, press, and other organizations with whom we connect using our internal database and tracking system as well as public search engines. This work would be done at our office in Minneapolis, typically between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm.

Paper Co-op Support: A key part of zero-waste is providing 100% post-consumer content recycled paper for everyone to purchase. We do this through a twice-a-year paper cooperative where hundreds of customers purchase paper through our program. This work will include data entry and information organization as people order paper and help people pick up their paper. This work would be done at our office in Northeast Minneapolis, typically between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. Must also be available the day people pick up their paper (TBD but will be in late November or Early December, from 9:00am to 5:15pm).

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Note about tracking hours: In order to get credit for your hours you must bring a Normandale Service-Learning Timesheet to your volunteer shift(s). Pickup a Timesheet in C1066 or download a copy online. At the event have a volunteer trainer or Eureka Recycling staff person sign your timesheet at the end of your shift. You should remind the volunteer organizer that you will need your sheet signed so they know to look for you at the end of the shift.

How to Apply: Email Miriam Holsinger, Program Development Manager, at miriamh@eurekarecycling.org; please include that you are a Normandale service-learning student, how many hours you would like to complete and which program(s) you prefer.

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