Had such a great time volunteering here with SGAD!! I've volunteered with Surly at the Roseville…read morelocation before doing a hanger sort. This location was a bit different. We did a napkin and placemat sort/pairing, some people got to match the sets to a set of dishes so when people come to grab them they can have a whole set. This location seemed a bit tighter space wise than the other location but it worked out for us spreading out. Staff were nice and helpful when we had questions.

I would tell them not to turn down wonderful pieces of furniture. I had a beautiful Bernhardt sofa…read morethat barely was used and they turned it down with a Thomas ville oak dining room table six chairs. They don't bother to even look at pictures and then ask you to pay for moving. With so many people without homes or furniture, how can they do that.

Habitat for Humanity's A Brush with Kindess Program is the perfect way to get a group together to…read morevolunteer in the community. This is an especially great way to get your work involved in some volunteer work. I organized a group from my company to volunteer with ABWK this week and it was a wonderful experience. It's very easy to sign up a group and you don't need a large group to participate. Habitat for Humanity supplies everything you need for the project, all you need to do is bring the volunteers and your lunch. The volunteer day lasts from 8:30 to 4:00 in the summer. Most projects in the summer consisit of painting and scraping. They also do work in the winter where they work on the interior of homes. This program is a wonderful way to help people in the community and it definitely leaves you feeling fulfilled!

VEAP provides an incredibly necessary community service. I go to VEAP once a month to get food and…read morethey provide "an abundance of groceries" absolutely free. Fish fillets, ground beef, fruits, vegetables, grains, bread, canned foods, frozen foods, sauces, pastries, butter, even sometimes toilet paper, paper towels and napkins. I'm not sure how they've managed to grow to become such an inspirational and clearly imperative service to the community but having been here in Minnesota for more than 20 years may explain it in part. It also requires dedicated and responsible volunteers that work with a smile for everyone that comes through the door. I'd give VEAP 10 Stars or more if I could. We get between 15 and 30 full, well balanced meals for 2 people every month! As an aside, I don't believe any of VEAP's policies could be considered overreach and if you use VEAP and are amazed at what you get for free and feel that VEAP makes you feel deserving and proud, take the time to leave a review!

The individual who assisted me was amazing. She understood my needs and assisted with just that. I…read morehighly recommend their services!

Had the opportunity to volunteer here a few days ago with SGAD who was celebrating their 15th…read morebirthday, so it was extra special. We were able to hear a bit about The Food Group's mission & how they operate. We packaged elbow macaroni which was pretty chill. The facility was clean & organized! I liked that the stations were spaced out a bit with 3-4 people at each station (which would vary depending on group sizes). Overall a great experience & would highly recommend as a place to volunteer! Very friendly staff!

I was a chef there a few months ago and the idea of serving people and families in need was a honor…read morefor me but the management in the kitchen is not qualified to serve these types of clients/residents, and why I say this is because I have seen the quality of food that the so called managers were willing to feed the residents. They don't care about the residents in the building and they don't have skill or respect that they should have working for people that are at a disadvantage. That place new need and fresh ideas and management because the system they have is bias and shows favoritism to those who suck up to them and caters to their egos. Bias, racism and favoritism has no place in a organization like this. Oh yeah the "kitchen managers" don't know how to cook food properly and doesn't use gloves when preparing ready to eat meals!

This review is based on my volunteer work almost a year ago. I need to write it down before my…read morelose my memory. Every year, I try to do something helpful within the community. I have heard of this place from a friend. I looked it up and called them right away. They told me the only thing I could do is serve meal for now, I said sure. I noticed the time frame they got were mostly booked by big corporation workers, like Target. Since most of the lunch and dinner were booked the only option was breakfast. Of course since I am an early bird, I signed up. I arrived pretty e-a-r-l-y. I had to get a cup of coffee so I could be ready to work. I arrived and there was a police officer sitting by the security.Yes, they check your ID to make sure you are legit and not to bring any thing harmful to the building. If you are a visitor or volunteer person, you filled in your name and reasons for the visit. I headed downstairs where the cafeteria located. The staff was very nice to me. They explained to me what I needed to do. I served oatmeal, coffee and juice. I had to wear an apron and a hair net which makes sense. I stayed a little longer to help out cleaning the tables and floor. I was there for a little over two hours. After that I went straight to work. I had a great time talking to people coming in for food. Most of them were family in need. I really appreciate a service like this helping the community in need. I hope everyone get a chance to do something like this. Who knows you might see me there...:) (Parking lot is small)

Super easy to donate food. They have a dedicated door for food donations. Staff are welcoming and…read morefriendly. They offer lots of services beyond food such as clothing, housing help, etc.

The Bloomington Lutheran Church is the site for once a month food pick up donations to stretch your…read morebudget You donate $25 per bundle in advance to get a time slot. Rubys Pantrycan be looked up on line for a site near you. They span several states and get food through corporate donors. It was well organized with traffic directors and people going to each car to check you in and put a post it on your windshield as to how many bundles you paid for. For $50. I got a trunk full of breads, milk, eggs, wraps, taco shells, whole grain bread,oranges, cookies, snack items, frappe mix, fresh tomatoes. Mashed potatoes. Potatoe salad, beef broth,yogurt bars, a jelly roll cake, whole grain bread and other items. Caring helpful volunteers who loaded cats. It was a humbling experience seeing people lined up for rows to be served.

Such a great organization! They take donations (housewares, furniture, small…read moreelectronics/appliances, decor, etc.) and provide them to people to who are transitioning out of homelessness. We worked a special shift via Surly Gives a Damn, sorting hangers. But they do take groups of 5 or more to do projects such as putting furniture together, sorting utensils and linen and more. There's always work to be done. Shifts are 2-3 hrs long. The work was very chill. You got to pick what you wanted to do as well as they were very accommodating for example if you needed to sit while working or needed to take breaks. Diana was running things and she was such a great host! Made us feel welcomed & made sure to tell us about all the opportunities they have to volunteer and give back. She also offered tours of the warehouse after the shift was over. She said she's always looking for new volunteers, so if you are looking for opportunities, please check them out!!! They have 3 locations- Bloomington, Roseville & Plymouth-opening very soon.