ALL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
To apply for any of the volunteer opportunities, please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.
You’ve Got Talent!
Can you juggle, play the piano, paint pictures or crochet? Is your dog truly man’s best friend and looking to be friends with others? If you have something special to offer that doesn’t quite fit into one of our listed volunteer opportunities, please let us know! Fill out the volunteer interest form and tell us more in the comments section.
Upcoming Opportunities
MOST Amazing Race Challenge Judge
Are you interested in checking out The Salvation Army's MOST Amazing Race, but not able to compete? Why not volunteer as a challenge judge during the qualifying event? You can help set-up one of the race challenges, monitor the racers as they complete the challenge, then help clean-up afterward.
Date: Saturday, July 25
Time: 8 a.m. - Noon
Location: Bierman Track and Field Stadium, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Click here to sign-up online for this activity
Cancer Walk Lunch Bagger
Have an appetite for lunch? Enjoy the aroma of sandwiches being made? The sound of paper bags being opened? If so, follow where your nose is guiding you and volunteer to help The Salvation Army as they assemble sandwiches and bagged lunches for participants in a three-day cancer walk! Volunteers under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Needed volunteers: 20 per shift (Note: this is a great opportunity for groups!).
Dates: August 20 - 22
Times: 8 a.m. - Noon, Noon – 4 p.m.
Location: St. Paul Eastside Worship and Service Center
Click here to sign-up online for this activity
Back-to-School Shopper
Each year hundreds of children go to school unprepared to learn. The Salvation Army is determined to help families in need by providing back-to-school clothes through the Leaders Launching Learners (L3) program. On Saturday, August 22, we need volunteers to escort children through the store, assist in selecting clothes, and track the cost of the items to keep it within the $100 budget. Volunteers should be 18 or older; younger volunteers may be considered. You can choose one of the locations listed below and register online as a volunteer. The date for all locations is Saturday, August 22.
Bloomington Kohl’s
7031 South Town Center
Time: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
Brooklyn Center (Brookdale) Kohl’s
2501 County Road 10
Time: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
Coon Rapids Walmart
13020 Riverdale Dr.
Time: 7:30 – 10 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
Fridley Target
755 53rd Ave NE
Time: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
St. Anthony Walmart
3800 Silver Lake Road Ne
Time: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
St. Paul Kmart
245 Maryland Ave. E.
Time: 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
St. Paul Walmart
1450 University Ave. W.
Time: 7:30 – 11 a.m.
Click here to register for this location
Gardening Green Thumb
Do you have a “green thumb?” Do you like to work with plants, dirt, and people? Our gardening volunteer will work with The Salvation Army Adult Day Center clients on creating and maintaining the center garden. As a volunteer you can teach the clients gardening tips and tools and also learn from them.
Dates: Once a week, Monday – Friday, during the growing season
Time: 1 hour between 10:15 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Worship and Service Center, Maplewood
Day Camp Activity Guide
Have fun during the summer and share the fun with kids at one of our Salvation Army Worship and Service Center Day Camps! Help camp leaders guide children in arts and crafts, games, field trips and meals. You may choose to help out all summer, or bring a small group that is ready to lead an exciting activity for a day!
Dates: Monday – Friday, June – August
Time: Half or full day
Locations: Minneapolis, St. Paul and Brooklyn Park
Bus Captain
The Salvation Army corrections department is seeking people to ride on a chartered bus and lead activities for children of incarcerated parents. Normally, there are 15-30 children requiring transportation who are coming to a special event at a Salvation Army facility. These special events are held 2 - 3 times a summer in the Twin Cities metro area.
Dates: 2 - 3 times during the summer
Times: Up to 6 hours per activity
Location: Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters, Roseville
Adult Rehabilitation Center
Family (Thrift) Store Helper
The Adult Rehabilitation Center of The Salvation Army offers men suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction the opportunity to regain their self-respect and acquire the life skills needed to take their rightful place in society. The main funding for the center comes from income generated at Family Stores. You can be a part of this amazing program by volunteering at a store. Help prepare merchandise for sale, organize merchandise on shelves and racks, and remove older items that have not been sold. See how old, unwanted items can create a treasure for someone else.
Dates: Monday – Saturday
Times: Flexible, 3 or more hours during store hours
Locations: Blaine, Burnsville, Columbia Heights, Elk River, Minneapolis and St. Paul
Click here to sign-up online for a shift at one of the stores
Employment Specialist
The Minneapolis Adult Rehabilitation Center wants to provide supportive employment services to individuals who are unemployed or underemployed working to achieve self-sufficiency. As a volunteer you will assist clients in writing resumes, practicing job interviews, discuss appropriate attire for interviews and work, show job search tools and find employment opportunities. We believe that this opportunity for growth will help move the men in a positive direction for change.
Dates: Year round, can be Sunday - Saturday
Times: Approximately 2 - 3 hours between 5 - 8 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Adult Rehabilitation Center
Merchandise Sorter
The Salvation Army receives generous donations of used items to sell in our thrift stores. All donations are processed at the warehouse of the Adult Rehabilitation Center/Main Thrift Store. Groups of volunteers that can come in and help sort the items, especially the clothes, would be appreciated. Once the clothes are sorted, they will be loaded into trailers for delivery to stores. Volunteer groups should be between 10 - 15 people, and youth groups with chaperones are allowed. Volunteers do need to be able to lift 40 pounds. Volunteers should bring work gloves to wear while sorting. The warehouse is not climate controlled, so volunteers should dress accordingly. Food and beverages will be provided for volunteers.
Dates: Monday - Friday
Times: 3 or more hours between 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Adult Rehabilitation Center
Chiropractor
The men going through treatment at the Adult Rehabilitation Center would greatly benefit from a volunteer willing to provide chiropractic care to them. Volunteers need to have professional liability insurance.
Dates: Year round, can be Monday - Friday
Time: Approximately 2 hours between 5 - 8 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Adult Rehabilitation Center
Barber
Do you like to cut men's hair? A licensed barber or hairdresser is in high demand by the men in The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center. Volunteers should have experience with a variety of men's hairstyles.
Dates: Year round, can be Monday - Friday
Time: Approximately 2 or more hours between 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Adult Rehabilitation Center
Janitor
You can help keep The Salvation Army Thrift Stores clean and tidy by sweeping the floors, vacuuming and cleaning restrooms. Keeping the store neat provides shoppers with a better experience. The profits from the thrift stores fund The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center.
Dates: Flexible, Monday – Saturday
Times: 3 or more hours during store hours
Locations: Stores are located in Blaine, Burnsville, Columbia Heights, Elk River, Minneapolis and St. Paul
Emergency Disaster Service
Disaster Phone Bank Volunteer
During times of disaster, local TV stations have been generous in allowing The Salvation Army to have a phone bank during the newscast to raise money for disaster relief. We are looking for volunteers to be on call to help answer phones, fill out donation forms and be on camera should the need arise. Phone banks are usually announced for the same day or next day. On-call phone bank volunteers would receive an email and/or phone call with the times and location of the event. You may choose to accept or decline the invitation. Volunteers will be trained and provided with a shirt to wear on camera. 10 volunteers are needed for each shift.
Dates: TBA
Times: Depends on the station, one shift for the 5/6 p.m. newscast and one shift for the 9/10 p.m. newscast
Locations: TV stations in Minneapolis, St. Paul or Eden Prairie
Click here to sign-up online for this activity
Social Services
Food Shelf Helper
Prepare well-balanced food bags and distribute the bags to families waiting for their orders. Help unload donations and stock shelves. Keep food pantry clean and remove expired products. Be able to lift at least 30 lbs and stand for long periods of time.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Time: Two hours or more between 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Locations: St. Paul, Minneapolis and Rosemount
Meal Service Assistant
Assist in preparing, serving and cleanup of meals at our Harbor Light Center, The Salvation Army's homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served everyday, year round. Individuals or groups of 5 - 6 volunteers are welcome.
Qualities desired: Feel compassion for others; sensitive to issues of homelessness and aware of diverse cultural backgrounds and differences; must be 16 or older; if under the age of 18, must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Contact the Harbor Light Center Volunteer Coordinator at 612-767-3108.
Dates: Year round, Sunday – Saturday
Times: 6:30 – 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 4 – 7 p.m.
Location: Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis
Food Donation Deliverer
Have you ever had the impulsive desire to visit a high-end grocery store? Have you ever caught yourself wishing you could smell fresh-baked bread without the temptation of adding to your calorie intake for the day? If you’d like the personal satisfaction of knowing that your delivery of bread, bakery goods, fruit, vegetables, salads, and sandwiches to The Salvation Army will feed the hungry, then you should volunteer to be a food donation deliverer. Through the generosity of area grocery stores, many food items are available to The Salvation Army, but we need your help to get it to us!
Dates: Mondays, Wednesdays and/or Thursdays
Times: Daytime hours, exact times depends on route
Location: Deliveries are taken to Rosemount
Warehouse Workers
The Salvation Army and its community partner, Hope for the City, are looking for groups of volunteers to prepare corporate surplus donations for distribution. Tasks include unloading, sorting, packing and loading donated items. Groups up to 50 people are welcome.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Times: 9 a.m. - noon and 1 - 4 p.m.
Location: St. Louis Park
Trash Collector
Mornings at St. Paul Citadel are busy with close to 300 people getting breakfast. A group of people that big generates a lot of trash! Someone with some muscle that can carry heavy bags from the cafeteria to the dumpster will make the breakfast program run even smoother.
Dates: Minimum once a week, Monday – Friday
Time: 7 – 9 a.m.
Location: St. Paul Citadel Worship and Service Center
Food Distribution Pro
You can show-off your know-how by managing The Salvation Army’s Dakota County food distribution program. As the distribution pro, you would oversee other volunteers and make sure donations are properly unloaded, sorted and displayed. You would also ensure that clients checked in and received the right amount of food. To reach your pro status, training is provided by Salvation Army staff.
Dates: Mondays and/or Wednesdays
Times: 2 - 4 hours in the morning
Location: Rosemount
Food Distribution Assistant
Work with the food distribution pro to run a smooth program and help needy families receive donated food items. You would help with setting up the distribution area, unloading donations and cleaning up afterwards.
Dates: Mondays and/or Wednesdays
Times: 2 - 4 hours in the morning
Location: Rosemount
Mentoring Adults
English as a Second Language Teacher
This unique ESL class meets the needs of adults who need to learn to speak English, and we are able to witness about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His love. Volunteers will help adults complete required forms and course work. You need not know another language, but must be willing to learn about and accept cultural differences. Training is provided.
Dates: September - May, Mondays & Thursdays
Times: 1 - 3 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Temple Worship and Service Center
Youth Activities
After-school Tutor
Do you remember your three “R”s? Can you help a child with his? Spend your afternoons tutoring elementary – high school age kids during the school year. If your favorite “R” is arithmetic, then your talents are in high demand!
Dates: September – May, Monday – Thursday
Time: 2 hours in the afternoon/early evening
Locations: Minneapolis and St. Paul
Junior Achievement Assistant
During Kid's Club time, youth still learning English need assistance with school work and English skills. Volunteers will be trained in the Junior Achievement program objectives of providing engaging, academically enriching and experiential learning. Be a tutor and help children learn to succeed in life!
Dates: September - May, Tuesdays and/or Thursdays
Time: 6 - 7 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis Temple Worship and Service Center
Office Help
Tour Greeter
The tour greeter would be the first to greet guests as they arrive at Salvation Army Beyond the Red Kettle tours, held approximately 2 times per month at various Salvation Army program facilities in the Twin Cities. The greeter would introduce him or herself as a volunteer with The Salvation Army and usher the guest to the registration table where staff will greet the guest. It makes a powerful statement to the guest to have volunteers involved with the tours, and will be a unique and fun experience for the volunteer. Volunteers should arrive by 30 minutes prior to tour start time. You are invited to stay for the tour or leave early if you'd like (meal is included for the greeter).
Dates: Year round, Monday and/or Wednesday
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis
Office Wizard
The Salvation Army’s Dakota County social service office could use someone with a magic touch to help keep the office running smoothly. As a volunteer, you could zap files into cabinets or make them disappear in the shredder. You can also make items appear by responding to donation calls and walk-ins. All it would take is a few hours a week to work your magic to help others in the community.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Time: Two hours or more during 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., 2 – 3 days a week
Location: Rosemount
Senior Services
Manicurist
The Adult Day Center in Maplewood is a gathering place for seniors where they promote participant wellness through an individualized plan of care and stimulating program of physical, social and recreational activity. The volunteer would provide manicures to those individuals that are interested. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Times: 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Worship and Service Center, Maplewood
Musician
The clients at the Adult Day Center love to listen to live music and sing along with familiar songs and hymns (some from the 1930’s – 1950’s). Any kind of instrument, such as piano, guitar, trumpet or violin, or vocalists would be welcome. Musicians may be adults or youth.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Times: Between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Adult Day Center, Maplewood
Senior Activity Assistant
Have you ever seen how much fun the clients at the Adult Day Center have throughout the course of a day? Have you ever wanted to participate in that kind of fun? The Activity Assistant is just the volunteer position for someone like you! The Activity staff of the ADC plan the activities. Our volunteers assist us in getting the clients involved and engaged in a variety of different activities. This position helps set up for different activities during the day and helps the clients participate in these activities.
Dates: Year round, Monday - Friday
Time: Minimum 1 hour between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Adult Day Center, Maplewood
Outing Assistant
At least once a week clients at the Adult Day Center may choose to go on an outing to a show, program or museum. Past outings have been to the Como Park Conservatory, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Steppingstone Theatre. As a volunteer, you would be an extra set of eyes to make sure everyone is accounted for, and you could help walk with clients or push wheelchairs. You would also have the opportunity to enjoy the outing and get to know some great people!
Dates: Outings take place once a week, Monday – Friday (dates vary)
Time: approximately 4 hours between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Adult Day Center, Maplewood
Seasonal Opportunities
Director of Parking (August - September)
If you enjoy directing traffic, taking people’s money, and telling people to park wherever you want them to, perhaps you should consider this volunteer opportunity. Booth Brown House, a shelter for youth, turns its yard into a parking lot during the Minnesota State Fair and needs your help in order to raise needed funds.
Coats for Kids (October)
Imagine you’re 12-years-old, homeless, and without a coat. And it’s winter. Can you see yourself shivering in the cold, all alone; sitting huddled in the dark under a bridge? Now imagine that your family visits a Salvation Army Coat Boutique and is assisted by a friendly volunteer who hands your parent a warm coat, just your size. Now imagine being the volunteer who collected, sorted, and helped distribute that coat. Can you see the delight and hope that giving that coat brings? Each year, thousands of children residing in the metro area – from infants to 18 year-olds – receive a warm coat for the winter through Coats for Kids. You can be the one to help put the coat in their hands and a smile on their face.
Bell Ringing (November - December)
You, too, can be a red kettle-keeper, a bell-ringer, a bright smile-giver, this Christmas season. Join the tradition of giving and discover what a joy it is to know that you’re making a difference in your community. It is never too early to sign up to be a bell ringer! Sign up online or call 651-746-3519 to register.
Toy Shop (December)
This Christmas, escort parents of disadvantaged families while they select Christmas gifts for their children at the Toy Shop. Find an added meaning in restocking tables and bagging toys, knowing that because of your volunteered time and energy a child will have a brighter Christmas morning.
