Northern Division: Serving every county in Minnesota and North Dakota
Volunteering

Volunteering

There are many ways you can help us fulfill our promise to do the most good in the Twin Cities. Use the arrows below to reveal details about the current opportunities.

Follow the link to sign up online, when offered, or fill out the Volunteer Interest Form and mention the opportunity title in the “Other Interests” section to get connected.

Still have questions? Call our office at 651-746-3426.

 

Upcoming Events

The MOST Amazing Race

Want a day of adventure and fun without all the pressure of racing? Be one of our MOST amazing volunteers! We need more than 100 volunteers to make this event run smoothly. Sign up online at the MOST Amazing Race volunteer website. 

When: Saturday, July 20, either 8 a.m. – Noon, 12:30 p.m. – Evening, or All Day

Where: Minneapolis

Back-to-School Shopper

Target School Spree Shopper

State Fair Parking Attendant

Direct cars to parking spots at The Salvation Army youth housing facility during the Minnesota State Fair. The money raised from this short term parking lot supports activities for the youth. Sign up online to volunteer for a shift.

When: August 22 – September 2, 8 a.m. – Noon, Noon – 4 p.m., 4 - 7:30 p.m.

Where: Booth Brown House, 1471 Como Ave. W., St. Paul

 

Meal Serving

Shelter Meal Service Assistant

Assist in preparing, serving and cleanup of meals at Harbor Light, The Salvation Army’s homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served every day of the year. Individuals or groups of five to six volunteers are welcome.

When: Daily shifts 7 - 9 a.m., 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 4 – 7 p.m.

Where: Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Ave., Minneapolis

St. Paul Lunch Program Assistant

Assist in preparing dining area and serving a meal for about 150 people. Individuals or small groups of 4 people are welcome. Volunteers should commit to at least once a month.

When: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m - 1 p.m.

Where: St. Paul Eastside Worship and Service Center, 1019 Payne Ave., St. Paul

Sunday Family Dinner Team

Work with the young people at our youth shelter in St. Paul to prepare the evening meal, eat together, clean up and then playing games or socialize. Help is offered on planning the meal and getting supplies. This is a great opportunity for a small group of volunteers from a family or a few friends.

When: Sundays, 4-8 p.m.

Where: Booth Brown House, 1471 Como Ave. W., St. Paul

Loaves and Fishes Meal Server

Help provide a meal to people at our Coon Rapids location. Volunteer serving teams purchase, prepare and serve the evening meal. Individuals are also welcome to volunteer and kids with chaperones can help too.

When: Monday and Wednesday, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. (please plan to arrive earlier to prepare the meal)

Where: Harvest Worship and Service Center, 10347 Ibis St. NW, Coon Rapids

St. Paul Breakfast Server

Do you rise early and wonder what to do with your morning? An average of 300 homeless and working poor receive a hot breakfast each morning thanks to The Salvation Army and our volunteers. If you would be willing to do one to five days a week we would love to welcome you to our team. Individuals or groups up to 10 people are welcome.

When: Monday – Friday, 7 a.m - 9 a.m.

Where: St. Paul Citadel Worship and Service Center, 401 West 7th St., St. Paul

Summer Day Camp Lunch Server

Assist in preparing and serving lunch to youth in the preschool and summer day camp program. 3 – 5 volunteers are needed, and volunteers should commit to at least once a week during the summer.

When: June 10 – August 23, Monday – Friday, lunch times vary slightly by location

Where: Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis and Maplewood

 

Food Distribution

Food Shelf Helper

Prepare well-balanced food bags and distribute the bags to families waiting for their orders. Help unload donations and stock shelves. Keep food pantry clean and remove expired products. Be able to lift at least 30 pounds and stand for long periods of time.

When: Monday – Friday, three hours or more between 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Where: Various locations in St. Paul and Minneapolis

St. Paul Food Distribution Assistant

Organize the free food area at our Eastside office. Volunteers help participants pick up donated bakery and produce items. Individuals or groups up to 6 volunteers can participate.

When: Fridays, 1 – 3 p.m.

Where: St. Paul Eastside Worship and Service Center, 1019 Payne Ave., St. Paul

On-Call Food Stocker

Unload delivery trucks, move large cases of food and stock shelves. Volunteers should be able to lift 40 pounds.  Staff will contact you one to two days prior to a delivery to schedule the shift.

When: Monday – Friday, a couple hours at a time

Where: Temple Worship and Service Center, 1604 E. Lake St., Minneapolis

Minneapolis Free Produce Distributor

Each month The Salvation Army, in partnership with Second Harvest, will give away free produce to community members in south Minneapolis. Volunteers will help setup, distribute and cleanup. Groups up to 6 volunteers are welcome.

When: 2nd Wednesday of each month, 9 a.m - Noon

Where: Temple Worship and Service Center, 1604 E. Lake St., Minneapolis

 

Emergency Disaster Services

Disaster Phone Bank Operator

Assist at a televised phone bank during a local newscast to raise money for disaster relief. Sign-up online to be contacted for future phone banks.

When: Immediately following disasters

Where: TV stations in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Eden Prairie

On-call Disaster Team Member

We are always looking for people  to join our disaster response team. Whether you’d like to help in a Salvation Army mobile kitchen or you can assist in a more specialized role, we have a place for you. You’ll find more information on our Disaster Volunteers page. 

When: Immediately following disasters

Where: Disaster scenes

 

Salvation Army Stores

Store Helper

Volunteer at a Salvation Army store. Help prepare merchandise for sale, organize shelves and racks, and remove older items that have not sold.

When: Monday – Saturday, three hours or more while the store is open

Where: St. Paul, Minneapolis, Burnsville, Bloomington, Hastings and Elk River

Merchandise Sorter

Sort clothing and other items donated to Salvation Army stores. Remove older items that haven’t sold from the shelves so new merchandise can be added. Volunteer groups up to 12 people are welcome and youth groups with chaperones are allowed.

When: Sunday, two hours or more while the store is open

Where: Salvation Army Store, 9728 Lyndale Ave. S., Bloomington

 

Youth and Mentoring

Preschool Literacy Tutor

As a Minnesota Reading Corps volunteer, you can work in The Salvation Army Child Development Center and help children ages 3 – 5 develop early literacy skills in preparation for kindergarten. Apply online with Minnesota Reading Corps for this fulltime position. Volunteers receive a living stipend and educational grant.

When: August 7, 2013 – July 11, 2014, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: St. Paul Citadel Worship and Service Center, 401 W 7th St., St. Paul

Student Tutor

Tutor school age kids during the school year. Math assistance is in high demand. Seeking volunteers who can commit to tutoring at least twice per month.

When: September – early June, Monday – Friday, two hours in the afternoon or early evening

Where: St. Paul, Minneapolis, Maplewood and Brooklyn Park

Child Care

Provide supervision and lead child care activities while parents attend a Project Break Through support group. Games and craft supplies are provided by staff. Lunch will be available for volunteers

When: 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: Minneapolis Parkview Worship and Service Center, 2024 Lyndale Ave N, Minneapolis

Day Camp Activity Guide

Help guide children in arts and crafts, games, field trips and meals at a Salvation Army Worship and Service Center. You can either help every day at camp or bring a small group to help for a day.

When: June – August

Where: Various locations in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Brooklyn Park 

 

Adults and Mentoring

Job Coach

Assist with resume writing and interview skills during a business class offered to people staying at Harbor Light, the Salvation Army homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Work in small group settings and also do one-on-one training. Must be at least 25 years old. A commitment of at least six months is required.

When: Thursday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Where: Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Ave., Minneapolis

Computer Lab Supervisor

Monitor the computer lab at Habor Light, the Salvation Army’s homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Volunteers are asked to work at least one shift per week.

When: Monday – Friday, two hours or more 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Where: Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Ave., Minneapolis

Book Club Coordinator

Select the book, promote the monthly gathering by creating flyers, develop or find discussion questions and lead a book club with women staying at Harbor Light, our homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis.

When: Flexible

Where: Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Ave., Minneapolis

 

Office Help/Property Management

Office Receptionist

Greet visitors and answer calls at a Salvation Army facility. A minimum commitment of one shift per week for at least three months in requested.

When: Monday – Friday, half day or longer during office hours of 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Worship and Service Center, 2080 Woodlynn Ave., Maplewood

Office Worker

Provide office help at Habor Light, the Salvation Army’s homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. A volunteer office worker will assist with updating records in a database, counting and recording donations, and other office work.

When: Flexible, 2 – 5 days per week.

Where: Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Ave., Minneapolis

 

Senior Services

Manicurist

Provide manicures to participants at The Salvation Army’s Adult Center.  Must be at least 16 years old.

When: Monday – Friday, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Adult Day Center, 2080 Woodlynn Ave., Maplewood

Activity Assistant

Help the activity staff set up and do activities with participants at The Salvation Army’s Adult Day Center. Small groups or individuals can help one time or on a regular basis.

When: Monday – Friday, minimum one hour between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Adult Day Center, 2080 Woodlynn Ave., Maplewood

Outing Driver

Assist  participants of the Adult Day Center by driving our Salvation Army bus on outings. A commercial driver’s license and good driving record are required. You get free admission and meals.

When: Once a week Monday – Friday, usually two to five hours between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Adult Day Center, 2080 Woodlynn Ave., Maplewood

Outing Assistant

Assist Adult Day Center participants on outings to a variety of locations in the Twin Cites. Scheduled and on-call help is needed.

When: Once a week Monday – Friday, usually two to five hours between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Adult Day Center, 2080 Woodlynn Ave., Maplewood

 

Special Programs

Coats for Kids

Each year, thousands of children residing in the metro area – from infants to 18 year-olds – receive a warm coat for the winter through Coats for Kids. Help sort donated coats and distribute at coat boutiques. Available October.

Toy Shop Registration

Help with data entry or take phone registrations from families seeking assistance providing toys for their kids. After the registration, help troubleshoot by answering client questions and making corrections in the database. Available November and December. Volunteer registration will open September 16.

Bell Ringer

Spread Christmas cheer while helping us raise money that will make a difference in the lives of people in crisis through food and housing programs, after-school activities for at-risk kids and so much more. Visit the bell ringing page to learn more. Available November and December. 

Christmas Toy Shop Elf

Help parents at our Toy Shops while they select Christmas gifts for their children. Duties include registration, shopping with parents, restocking tables and bagging toys. Available December. Volunteer registration will open September 16.