This church sticks to the basics of loving Jesus Christ and fellow human beings. The church is in…read morethe heart of a nice neighborhood, but it is has many programs to help members of the community. I have never seen so many programs to help others through tough times. The church leadership sets the example of lending a hand while preserving the dignity of those served. For these reasons and others, we are happy we joined this community. Members and visitors are not required to pretend things are well , when they are not. Instead, they show care when they identify a need. I, particularly, enjoy the band led worship service at the Lake site (on the corner of Cliff & Pilot Knob in Eagan). http://easter.org/wordpress/ http://easter.org/wordpress/?page_id=5435 worship schedule

From the owner: Easter Lutheran is a vibrant place that strives to blur the lines between church and community. At…read morethe center of our church is the message of Easter Sunday; resurrection, hope, and new life. All are welcome. And we really mean that! Whatever your religious background, whatever your family looks like, whatever you've done - God loves you.

Well Run! Everyone is professional, options are clearly laid out. Everything was so Clean!read more

Dropped off a box of food products I'd received from a client. Quick, easy, and lovely. Writing…read morethis took at least thrice as long as the entire donation process did. RECIPIENTS: The place is clearly well-attended with several individuals and families in the waiting area awaiting their turn in the three entries per 15-minute arrangement, though everyone is free to take as long as they prefer once in the pantry. The pantry itself is spacious with shelves lining the walls of a large room, bustling with activity from shoppers seeking healthy fare. A mobility bus even stopped right in front of the pantry and assisted elderly attendees to the vehicle. From my understanding, they also operate a mobile food pantry truck. DONORS: The shelves could definitely be fuller especially given the level of activity they clearly see, so feel free to drop by with some gifts! Donations are weighed after separating perishables from non-perishables. The weights are then recorded onto a donation receipt, with a copy handed to the donor to go on their merry way through a separate door - which you should look for upon arriving if you're dropping off food, unlike me who unknowingly waltzed into the main area instead. It's a seemingly little thing, but dignity matters a great deal and is among the first things to feel compromised when dealing with difficult times, and it might not feel that great relying on food pantries for some individuals, so I greatly appreciate The Open Door going that extra mile to keep their recipients' sense of comfort in mind. Well done, team. Due to the nature of the environment, I only took a photo of the front for ease of identification for anyone wanting to find it. It's in a low-key plaza sitting at the foundation level of an apartment building behind the high-end shopping center in the area. Google Maps took me for a little spin, so keep your eyes open!

I've volunteered at Feed My Starving Children - Eagan, MN many times in the past with close…read morefriends, and it continues to be one of the most rewarding ways to give back. I try to go monthly, though I've been out of rhythm I'd say probably the last year, so it felt great to jump back in tonight. This session was extra special because my niece and nephew joined me for the evening shift. We packed meals for Peru, and it was so heartwarming to see how excited they were about the impact we were making and memories we created together. They were thrilled by the number of boxes our table packed and kept chatting about the jobs they were assigned (even in the car ride home)--like it was the highlight of their week! The energy at FMSC is always bright! It's upbeat, organized, and truly family-friendly. The staff does a great job keeping everything running smoothly while reminding us why this work matters, and showing appreciation and gratitude for our time and efforts. It's just two hours, but the sense of purpose and connection you leave with lasts much longer. Can't recommend this place enough--for families, groups, or anyone looking to make a real difference while having some fun. I look forward to resuming my monthly packing sessions.

FMSC Eagan is my favorite place to volunteer with my kids. I've probably volunteered 30+ times over…read morethe years. Their organizers are awesome to work with! Their online reservation system is so easy and convenient. Their preparation videos are informative and gives me so much inspiration. Even the way they sell merchandise in order to fund their operations is outstanding. No matter the volunteer role I take, I always walk away thinking that my help was really valued and meaningful. They always tell us how many children will benefit from the work completed in each shift. Great value for my time and SO POWERFUL! When you arrive to volunteer, they give you a hair bonnet and access to their lockers where you can store valuables. Personally, I prefer to leave my items at home or in my car, then I just keep my cell phone and keys in my pocket while I volunteer. The volunteer shift is only about 90 minutes and doesn't even feel like work. There are 3 types of volunteer roles: 1. Label Stickers. If you need to be sitting during your shift, this is the job for you! 2. Warehouse restockers. If you like to work out and use lots of muscles while volunteering, this role is for you! However, the warehouse are is not air conditioned so make sure you know that before taking a summer shift. 3. Meal Preppers. They need about 90% of the volunteers in these roles. They folks work in teams of 11 to prep ingredients into small plastic packages and then sealing several packages into large boxes. VITAMINS, VEGGIES, SOY, RICE! So grab some friends and volunteer together! I think you'll enjoy the experience.

Thanks to Paul Birnberg & the great attorneys at HOME Line of Minnesota, my previous, not so…read morepleasant roommate/landlord will not be getting away with stealing all of my belongings. If you're having rental issues, please get in touch with them. They are fast, informative & very reasonable! In less than 24 hours the issue was solved.

From the owner: HOME Line provides free and low-cost legal, organizing, education, and advocacy services so that…read moretenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems. We work to improve public and private policies relating to rental housing by involving affected tenants in the process.

After closing our lake cabin for the season we had way too many pantry items. I had never donated…read morehere before but very happy that I found a place that helps to end hunger locally (serving Dakota County). I will be back as the process was easy and fuss-free.

http://www.worldreliefmn.org/ Had to do some personal…read morehomework after spotting the logo on shirts and asking a few questions. I was very visibly moved when I saw a group of Somali refugees come into MSP late in the evening last week, just about the same time as I arrived. A cadre from World Relief was on hand to assist. We were all congregated by baggage claim #9, and immediately, I thought of the Lost Boys of Sudan documentary, and the many, many books that I have read on various countries' histories in Africa. I tried to move to the side and just observe the advice and support being given to these new visitors to this country, and watched their reaction, attempting to read their faces. I even helped one fellow brother locate his suitcase on the belt. Were it not for people like Pastor Trotter who bother to care and enable those without to begin to start a life with, the world would be a much poorer place, in more sense than one. Taking action and participating in aiding and giving hope to the most vulnerable has always been one of my loves (as well as other social justice and human rights abuse issues). World Relief empowers those who are forgotten to feel remembered and cared for. This was my very first experience upon touching down in MN, and already, I was a huge fan of this wonderful spot in MidAmerica.

Wow, can I say excellent service enough when it comes to this kewl krew?!…read more Today, I called and spoke with Marge. She was friendly, bubbly and a great listener. I had a couple of unique situations with an Evie rental and she was able to make sense of my ramblings and give me some credit for my extra effort. I know that soon, I won't need to have this service as much as I depend on it now but I gotta say I love these folks! They are super awesome and really take care of everything that comes up. Thank you!

Expensive and the cars always have an almost empty tank every time I reserve one. Customer service…read moreis rude asf. Lady asked me if I "know how to fill a gas tank". Why would I rent a car if I didn't? I dont think the people working customer service even went to college. Just use Turo and avoid hourcar

This is a review for Lenten fish fry. Except this year they did not serve fish. The church is…read morelocated at 1960 Lexington Ave. S in Mendota Heights. Usually they offer a very tasty breaded and fried fish - walleye. This year they gave up the fish and offered a fully vegetarian plate. It was amazingly good - though we did miss the fish. Dinner: rice pilaf with green beans in a tomato sauce; pan fried cabbage in lots and lots of butter; falafal; breaded and fried zucchini; salad with very, very garlicky lemon dill dressing and pita with humus and garlic sauce. This year too, they offered 3.2 beer. Cost $9, plus $1 for pop and $2 for beer.

I had the fish fry dinner last night. It was very good. I liked you had your choice of baked or…read morefried fish. I had both, but preferred the baked. The side dishes were enjoyable and different from others. Rice cooked rich in butter with a tomato sauce base green beans over it. Side of cooked cabbage, salad, flat bread, desert and garlic dipping sauce. It was all the side dishes you could eat, but I didn't need to go back, one was plenty. The line moved pretty fast. I will eat there again.

There are a few reviews about poor service, but I've only had that experience with one employee who…read moreI regularly see. Besides them, everyone else has been extremely friendly. There's a decent assortment of items, and they refresh items often. I love to thrift, especially frames, and they have a good selection here! The big downside that many have mentioned is the pricing. The pricing is extremely overpriced. More frustratingly, there's no consistency in any of the pricing. It is extremely common to see something like a beautiful glass punch bowl priced at $4.99 while a junky plastic water bottle is priced at $15.99. I've also seen frames with ripped backs and shattered glass priced higher than $10. If you're looking to buy secondhand, this place has some nice options. If you're looking for a BARGAIN, this is NOT the place.

I recently came here to try and mainly find some good Minnesota Twins swag while I was in the area…read more They had a limited amount of items here but they so happened to be full of Vikings and Minnesota University wear. Fair variety of jeans, shirts, dress shirts and home decor. Prices are ridiculously expensive for a thrift store unfortunately.