Thanks Again for Making the American Indian Family Center Project a HUGE Success!

“Mii Gwech” is Objibwe for “thank you.”  The American Indian Family Center and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities would like to thank everyone who came together to renovate the American Indian Family Center in St. Paul.  Together, we created a teaching kitchen that will be used to provide classes on nutrition and cooking; renovated the bathroom to make it ADA compliant; and landscaped, painted, and made other improvements to Center.   Through this project, sponsored by Maxwell House Drops of Good, we have created a more welcoming and functional space for the people the Center serves.

On Tuesday, August 7th, we hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was attended Brad Radke, former Minnesota Twins player and Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer, and several local, state and federal elected officials, including  U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, Mayor Chris Coleman, Saint Paul City Council President Kathy Lantry, Saint Paul Council Member Amy Brendmoen and Sheriff Matt Bostrom.  Thank you for joining us for this special event!

We would also like to thank the amazing volunteers and local contributors to this project, including the Pohlad Foundation, True North Remodeling, On Site Sanitation, Warners Stellian, Yarusso Brothers Italian Restaurant, Minnesota Timberwolves, Autumn Oaks Landscaping, Cub Foods, Stemwedel Murdoch Architecture, Valspar and the East Side Development Company.  Your efforts have made a difference in the lives of the people served by this important community center!

 

Minnesota Timberwolves and Linx Work at Gibbs Museum

On August 17th, more than 100 volunteers from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Linx joined forces with Rebuilding Together Twin Cities to make repairs at the Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life in St. Paul.  Volunteers installed new fencing, repaired existing fencing and worked in the gardens.  This is the fourth year in a row that Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has partnered with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the FastBreak Foundation to improve community spaces in the Twin Cities.

The Gibbs Museum is an important community resource that provides subsidized tours for schools serving lower-income areas, performs outreach programs in local schools, hosts programs for home-schooled children, and provides information about pioneer and Dakotah life to teachers in the nine-county region.

Thanks again to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Linx staff who came out to volunteer at the Gibbs Museum and thank you to the FastBreak Foundation for providing the resources to make these improvements!

Remembering 9/11

On September 10th, more than 250 volunteers joined Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and HandsOn Twin Cities to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke at the event, along with Brian Dunn, Best Buy CEO, and Kathleen West, civic leader.

Volunteers spent the morning cleaning and polishing tribute markers along Victory Memorial Drive; gardening at Loring Elementary School; planting trees and shrubs at Theodore Wirth Park; drawing and writing on a Freedom Banner; and writing letters to the troops.

The volunteer event on 9/10 was the culmination of a larger initiative by Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and HandsOn Twin Cities to engage 1,000 volunteers to provide critical home repairs and services for 30 families in need, including several veterans and their families.

Thanks again to everyone who was able to join us and a huge thank you to sponsors of projects connected with this event, including Ameriprise Financial, CB Richard Ellis, GLS Companies, Honeywell, Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Mosaic Company, Sears Heroes at Home, and Wells Fargo; and sponsors of the commemoration event, including the HandsOn Network, Best Buy, and Target.

Coming Together to Commemorate 9/11

This September marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a tragic day that affected countless individuals, families and communities.  In the aftermath of that terrible event, we witnessed neighbors reaching out to help one another, organizations and businesses supporting those in need, and volunteers providing hours upon hours of service.  In 2009, September 11th was designated a National Day of Service and Remembrance to recognize the power of people coming together to help each other recover and rebuild.

To commemorate this anniversary, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and HandsOn Twin Cities are partnering to provide critical home repairs and services for 30 families in need, including several veterans and their families.  Together, we plan to engage 1,000 volunteers through this initiative, which will culminate in a large volunteer event on September 10th that will recognize fallen soldiers, veterans who have served and those who are still serving.

On Saturday, September 10th beginning at 9am at the Victory Memorial Flagpole at the intersection of Victory Memorial Drive and 45th Avenue North, volunteers will gather and listen to local dignitaries share about the importance of service. Immediately afterwards, volunteers will participate in various activities, including cleaning and polishing tribute markers along Victory Memorial Drive; beautifying Farview Park; planting trees and shrubs at Theodore Wirth Park; and speed volunteering opportunities at Folwell Park, such as drawing and writing on a Freedom Banner, sending electronic tributes to the troops, and writing letters to the troops.

Community members will be able to sign up on HandsOn Twin Cities’ project calendar beginning the week of August 22nd.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, which includes employee projects throughout August and September and thorough event recognition, please contact Kathy Greiner at k.greiner@rebuildingtogether-twincities.org.

Thank you to sponsors of projects connected with this event, including Ameriprise Financial, GLS Companies, Honeywell, Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Mosaic Company, Sears Heroes at Home, and Wells Fargo; and sponsors of the commemoration event, including the HandsOn Network, Best Buy, and Target.