The last few weeks have been very busy at ResourceWest! With kicking off our fiscal year and getting all the supplies ready for the Back to School program, each day has been full and exciting. Read through this month's newsletter for more Back to School updates, volunteer opportunities, and more!
We are in full swing with the Back to School Program! This program provides free school supplies to students in the Hopkins and Minnetonka communities so that they are well-prepared for a successful school year.
Organizations and individuals in our local community are a strong source of support for this program. We have had over 15 community organizations, churches, and businesses host collection drives for school supplies this year. Some of these organizations collect every year, like Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minnetonka, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, and kiddywampus. Others are newer to ResourceWest, like State Farm Insurance in Hopkins, Panka Natural Health, and Phillips and Temro Industries.
Donna Anderson, who helped in founding ResourceWest in 1993, is also a current volunteer, and partners regularly with her church, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, to support ResourceWest. She shared some of her reflections about why she supports ResourceWest.
Why do I support and volunteer for the Back to School Program and other initiatives at ResourceWest? It goes way back to 1993 when this non-profit was formed after I and several other concerned educators sent out a plea to community leaders that “our children and families needed help!” After brainstorming sessions and other meetings, the non-profit Hopkins Area Family Resource Center was formed.
I served on the Board for many years and connected my faith community, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, with supporting the mission. I continue to volunteer for each ResourceWest initiative, as I know that there are still many unmet needs for area families and ResourceWest is there to help fill those needs! That is a cause worth volunteering for and supporting financially!”
We are grateful for the incredible support from the many volunteers who have come to our office in the past few weeks to sort school supplies, pack backpacks, and help us prepare for distributing these items! Over 30 volunteers have signed up to support Back to School. Since we started preparing for Back to School, over 150 hours of volunteer time has been dedicated to this program.
One of our volunteers, Pat O'Brien, has been part of a group of volunteers who have been preparing for Back to School. shared her about her time volunteering: “I appreciate ResourceWest's partnerships with schools, and I am happy to support that through volunteering with the Back to School program. I enjoy organizing the supplies and backpacks to help students get a good start to the school year.”
If you’d still like to donate school supplies to Back to School, we are accepting donations for the next few weeks! Donations we receive that come in after the program will be held and used for next year’s program.
You can drop off supplies at our office on Mondays and Thursdays, 10am-2pm, or you can have supplies shipped directly to our office by using our Amazon and Target Wish Lists.
From the Staff:
Alison Kirscht, Program & Community Engagement Coordinator
Hello! My name is Alison, and I am the Program & Community Engagement Coordinator at ResourceWest.
As summer rolls on, staff and volunteers at ResourceWest are busy preparing for our 2023 Back to School Program. In 2022, 1,082 K-12 students attending Hopkins and Minnetonka school districts received backpacks and school supplies through our Back-to-School program.
Currently, we have 850 students registered to receive items aimed at promoting academic success in the 2023-24 school year!
Our efforts continue to be met by an outpouring of contributions from community members, local businesses, civic organizations, law enforcement, faith communities, and school partners.
While the depth of our gratitude is difficult to capture in words, we sincerely appreciate the commitment to our youth as demonstrated by such an extensive list of supporters. As the need for resources continues to grow, so too does the generosity of our neighbors.
As we approach the distribution of backpacks and supplies for the school year, we look forward to the opportunity to equip students with items that will contribute to their academic performance and achievement. Thank you for your continuous support; it is that which helps strengthen our community and our organization.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are looking for volunteers for the Front Desk Reception!
Front Desk Volunteers are scheduled weekly or bi-weekly for 2 hours. In this opportunity, volunteers assist when individuals enter our office, directing them to our Social Services Staff, answering basic questions, and accepting donations that are dropped off. Front Desk Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
If you are interested in volunteering in this capacity, or just in general, please fill out our volunteer application and email it to Ally, at ally@resourcewest.org.
Double your Impact: Make it a Match!
Did you know that many employers in our metro area will match your donation? Companies like UnitedHealth Group, Voya Financial, and Ameriprise Financial are already matching ResourceWest supporters' donations.
You can double your impact by asking your employer to match your donation. To find out if your employer matches donations, reach out to your HR team or manager who may have more information!
Thank you for your continued support. We hope your summer has been just as exciting as ours. Please reach out with questions or with anything you'd like to share.
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