Next Event:  The next Just Show up and Serve event will be held on May 18th 2013.
Held: Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. - Noon, bi-monthly (Check the Event Calendar)
Where: Meet in the Wooddale Eden Prairie Campus Gym, Door 5 to choose a site.  The sandwich project will be hosted at the Edina Campus.

Have you attended Just Show up and Serve before?  Do you have any comments or questions?  Or, would you like to learn about getting more involved with Just Show up and Serve? Please fill out a Feedback Form.  Click the Feedback tab above.

Check out photos from previous projects

May 18th Sites

Offering morning and afternoon session for May 18th. Morning session from 8:30am to noon.  Afternoon session from noon to 3:30pm.
The organizations we will be serving at are listed below.

Sandwich making at Edina Campus
Many people experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities struggle to get consistent meals.
Volunteers will: Help assemble and deliver 1,500 sandwiches to several homeless shelters in the Twin Cities so they can provide lunches for their guests as they leave the shelters for the day.
Minimum age: No age limit.

Morning opportunities at Eden Prairie (8:30am - Noon):

Cookie Cart
Through operation of a retail bakery, Cookie Cart offers North Minneapolis youth the opportunity to develop life, leadership and employment skills.The organization’s primary goal is to prepare young people to find and keep jobs in the 21st century workforce.  It achieves this objective by giving teens the opportunity to gain transferable employment and interpersonal skills that will help them be successful in work and in life.

Volunteers will: Group will be split. Half will work in bakery and half will practice interviewing and customer service skills with Cookie Cart kids. If cookie production need is high, all efforts will be concentrated on making cookies.

Minimum age: 12 years old (3/4 of volunteers must be adults)

Emergency Foodshelf Network
The mission of the Emergency Food Shelf Network is to provide high quality food and essential support services to hunger relief programs in the community. They do this by partnering to maximize the sharing of food, resources, and system's support, promoting quality standards, and educating and advocating for the eradication of hunger.

Volunteers will: Package donated food into smaller boxes and packages to be distributed to our network of hunger relief organizations, sort and remove damages, perishables, and non-food items from donated food, and assemble food packages for distribution to EFN's network.

Minimum age: 12 years old+ (age requirement must be followed due to liability reasons). Closed toe shoes required, and a waiver must be signed by a parent or guardian for each volunteer under 18 years old.

Hope for the City
Hope for the City exist to improve lives by distributing corporate surplus to organizations who serve those in need next door and around the world.  Since its inception, Hope for the City has given more than $480 million in wholesale value of goods to organizations serving those in need, saving valuable resources from our landfills, and giving hope to people in need in our local communities and beyond.

Volunteers will: Sand and paint donated bassinets for newborns. If you haven't already, you will have the opportunity to visit the Pathways of Hope poverty exhibit to see how poverty affects people around the world and how Hope for the City is helping (a $5 donation is suggested).

Minimum age: Younger children are welcome accompanied by a guardian.

House of Hope
The House of Hope is a faith-based home in Eden Prairie for women who have been victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. Breaking Free, a non-profit organization in St. Paul provides program and case management for the residents. City Hill Church provides the home rent-free and in partnership with Wooddale Church provides volunteers to assist with devotions, bible studies, transportation & special events. They strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus, seeking to demonstrate His heart by welcoming women with open arms and showing honor, value, acceptance and love. Through Jesus healing and restoration is possible and because of this, there is hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Volunteers will: Help with tasks at the Eden Prairie home which will include washing windows, mulching, planting annuals, cleaning garage and painting indoors.

Minimum age: 16 years and older (dress in clothes that could get dirty)

Jericho Road
Helping families and individuals move from crisis to Christ-centered hope and restoration by ensuring that they are nutritionally fed, housed, clothed, gainfully employed, community-minded, freed in Christ, and part of a Bible-based Church.

Volunteers will: Load and transport food from a food warehouse to Jericho Road.  They will then sort, stock and store food.  As weather and time permits, they will walk through the neighborhood and talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the community.  Also, as weather and time permits, they will explore a neighborhood park art fair with the goal of learning more about the community.

Minimum age: 12 years old

Metro Hope

Metro Hope provides residential homes for men and women seeking recovery from addiction in a grace-filled environment through Jesus Christ. Their purpose is to provide recovery to those seeking freedom from the shackles of addiction through a Christ-Centered process. They have two Christ-Centered long-term residential recovery houses: New Hope Center for men, and Healing House for women with their children or women working on being reunited with their children. 

Volunteers will: Help plant garden at men's facility. Volunteers will work alongside residents to help plant vegetable and flower plants.

Minimum age: 8+ years old

Wooddale Preschool

The Wooddale Preschool continues to adapt and innovate as the needs of our community change. As one of Minnesota’s largest and oldest preschools, Wooddale Preschool has an excellent reputation for high quality programming and care of children. Parents find a caring Christian environment to enhance their children's emotional, cognitive, physical, social and spiritual growth. Wooddale Preschool provides a balanced program of creative play, structured learning time, and physical activity.

Volunteers will: Work alongside Wooddale Preschool teachers to clean preschool rooms and storage rooms as well as other housekeeping tasks.

Minimum age: 9 years old (with adult supervision)

Urban Ventures

Urban Ventures is committed to working with children, youth, and adults in our community to break the cycle of generational poverty.

Volunteers will: Help clean and prepare the garden in the greenhouse for the harvest.  Food grown in the garden supports the feeding ministry of Urban Ventures.

Minimum age: Prefer Middle School age and up (closed-toe shoes recommended)

Eden Prairie Library

The library is committed to serving as Hennepin County's partner in lifelong learning programs for all ages.

Volunteers will: Sort and pull books and assist staff with projects and cleaning.

Minimum age: 12 years old