Martin Luther King Jr. had a question, too
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uttered one of his most famous quotes in Montgomery, Ala., on Aug. 11, 1957: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
As our nation honors the venerable civil rights leader this week, please remember that helping others is as simple as contacting your local Salvation Army. Our locations across Minnesota and North Dakota serve thousands and need volunteers every single day (view opportunities).
There is no end to the impact you can make. You can hand out groceries to hungry families, or visit with lonely seniors, or work with youth in our after-school programs. You could be a driver, or volunteer receptionist. Our disaster teams need food servers, and our stores can always use an extra hand sorting donations. And that’s just the start.
If you’ve got a special talent or skill, you can share that, too. Musicians have played instruments and sung at our hot meal programs. Financial professionals have taught budgeting classes. Painters have given the walls of our service centers a fresh coat.
“The possibilities are endless,” affirmed Lt. Col. Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Northern Division commander. “As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we encourage everybody to volunteer now and throughout 2015 in the same inspirational spirit of love and service that MLK so gracefully embodied.”
Here is a closer look at some of The Salvation Army’s specific volunteer needs in the Twin Cities, North Dakota and Greater Minnesota.
Twin Cities
One of the greatest needs is for reliable, regular volunteers to help in any of our eight metro area food shelves (find opportunities). Volunteers should be physically able to consistently lift up to 30 pounds.
Formerly homeless veteran Mike Hamm (pictured) became a food shelf volunteer at the E. Lake St. Salvation Army in Minneapolis last year and has been helping almost every Wednesday morning since. He spends a few hours organizing food donations and helping people pick out food.
“I know what it’s like to be poor and broke, to feel like no one cares,” said Hamm, 56, who’s been sober almost three years. “I do this to make a difference, to stay grounded. I can be a listening ear, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The staff here is upbeat and positive.”
Another need is for trained disaster volunteers to drive vehicles and serve meals to disaster survivors and first responders. Volunteers are particularly needed in the north and south metro. Disaster training courses will be held in late January and throughout February (learn more or sign up).
N.D., Greater Minn.
Volunteers are especially needed at all of The Salvation Army’s 23 stores across North Dakota and Greater Minnesota. Activities include sorting donations, stocking shelves and clothing racks, helping customers, and more (find store locations). All store sales fund local Salvation Army programs and services.
And just like in the Twin Cities, the need for reliable food shelf volunteers never stops. Volunteers are also needed to serve hot meals in Fargo, N.D., the Minnesota cities of Rochester and Albert Lea, and elsewhere.
“It’s all about helping people,” said volunteer Ed Vesel, who in 2014 gave more than 350 hours of his time to The Salvation Army in Hibbing, Minn., by serving meals, helping families during the holidays, and more. “This gentleman came in and he saw that we had bikes for all of his children – he and his wife started crying because they never had a Christmas like this last one, with the food, the clothing and new bikes.”
Whether you can spare two hours of volunteer time or 200 is irrelevant.
“Even if your time commitment is minimal, it can still make all the difference to those who may need a little help,” Thomson said. “We encourage everybody to help their communities by volunteering at The Salvation Army. And thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for their kindness and generosity.”