Seven Great Ways to Give Back in Woodbury

Looking for a meaningful way to use your time and talents? Consider making a volunteer commitment to one of these local organizations which contribute so much to Woodbury. Woodbury Lions Clubpresident@woodburylions.org; woodburylions.org Since 1969, Woodbury Lions Club, a service organization made up of all volunteers, has supported local youth and educational programs and also assisted people with sight and hearing impairments. Fundraising events include the Community Garage Sale, Pancake Breakfast and Veterans Memorial Golf Tournament in memory of Dick Stafford. New members are welcome; meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month.  Children’s Hospital Association Woodbury Guildchawoodbury@gmail.com; cha-stpaul.org The Woodbury Guild is one of 16 Children’s Hospital Association guilds in the Twin Cities, dedicated to raising funds and providing programs and services to support the health and well-being of children in our community. For more than 40 years, the Woodbury Guild has been working to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota.  Woodbury Days651.735.0409; woodburydays.com/volunteering It takes over 250 volunteers to help make Woodbury Days a success. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks including greeting guests as they arrive at Ojibway Park, providing help to vendors, calling Bingo numbers or answering questions at the information booth. Individuals, families and groups are welcome to volunteer for the August event; training is provided.  Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf651.233.1296; contact@christiancupboard.org; christiancupboard.org The Christian Cupboard provides food and personal care items to over 400 families in need every month. Volunteers and donations are critical to the vitality of the food shelf. Volunteers can sort and stock donations and assist those in need. In addition, individuals with talents such as bookkeeping, grant writing, IT, HR or other administrative skills are always welcome. Individual volunteers and groups can choose to participate in one-time or ongoing events, which could involve truck unloading, food collection and distribution, and sorting and packing groceries. Potential volunteers are encouraged go to the Christian Cupboard website to submit information about their interest.  Suicide Prevention Collaborativesuicidepreventioncollaborative@gmail.com; suicidepreventioncollaborativemn.org A nonprofit organization comprised of professionals and community volunteers dedicated to preventing teen suicide, the Suicide Prevention Collaborative (SPC) is committed to increasing awareness about depression and other mental illnesses, the warning signs of suicide and the need for professional treatment. Volunteers are needed to help organize and publicize activities including the annual SPC 5k run/walk, Together It Gets Better community education presentations and Woodbury Days parade and booth.  Woodbury Community Foundation651.788.6586; woodburyfoundation.org The Woodbury Community Foundation (WCF) helps neighboring Woodbury organizations fulfill their mission of providing life-changing opportunities for economically stressed residents, working toward “well-being for all . . . for Woodbury.” The WCF is looking for volunteers to join its hard-working committees to make a major impact in Woodbury (programs, development, volunteer, trustee, marketing). The organization also serves as a clearinghouse to connect volunteers with other organizations.  Rotary Club of WoodburyCorkwicker@yahoo.com; Cork Wicker 612-363-1146; woodburymnrotary.org The Rotary Club of Woodbury focuses on youth and family oriented projects, such as raising funds for the Woodbury Rotary Jeff Hanson Memorial Miracle Field, installing the Powers Lake fishing pier and sponsoring the Greg Orth Public Service Scholarships. The club is raising funds in support of the Homeless Youth Program operated by Canvas Health serving Washington County and participating in Adopt-a-Highway along Valley Creek Road. Rotary is an international organization of business men and women united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace around the world.   Other local organizations looking for volunteers include the Animal Humane Society (animalhumanesociety.org), South Washington County Schools (http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us), Woodbury Health Care Center (woodburyseniorliving.com), Woodwinds Health Campus (healtheast.org/woodwinds), Relay for Life (relayforlife.org/sowashcomn) and Woodbury Community Theatre (woodburycommunitytheatre.org).