February 21, 2015 is our Next Event

Mark your calendars! Clear your schedule! You are going to want to be a part of this.

On February 21st the MN Gifts of the Heart event will take place from 9:00 to 12 noon at the Brooklyn Park building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (4700 Edinbrook Terrace, near the intersection of 85th and Noble in Brooklyn Park).

We are looking for donations and volunteers.

Donations should be brought to the church between 9 am and 7 pm on February 20th, however other arrangements can be made if you would like to donate before then. Just email mngiftsoftheheart@gmail.com and include your contact information, as well as an estimate of  how much stuff you want to donate (i.e., three shopping bags or two large boxes, etc.) We can give you an address to drop your stuff off.

This is a huge effort, so you can imagine we would like to have all the help we can get. On Friday we set up, sort, organize, label, hang signs, and, frankly, have a blast while we do it. We have three shifts each lasting three hours: 9 am -12 pm, 1 pm - 4 pm, and 6 pm - 9 pm. Please email mngiftsoftheheart@gmail.com if you would like to sign-up for a shift (or two!) on Friday the 20th.

On Saturday our volunteers help connect stuff with people who need it. We maintain the organization (folding and refolding clothes) and make the event as pleasant as possible for our guests. At the end of the event volunteers help to bag up leftover clothing and other items and prepare them for donation to a local shelter. We also break down tables and essentially undo everything we did on Friday. There are two shifts: 8:30 am -11:30 am and 11 am - 2 pm. Please email mngiftsoftheheart@gmail.com if you want to volunteer on Saturday the 21st.

If you have any questions, please refer to our FAQ page or email mngiftsoftheheart@gmail.com.

Coming soon...

Mark your calendars! Saturday, August 23rd from 9:30am-1:30pm will be the MN Gifts of the Heart Clothing and household item giveaway. There will be something for everyone: clothing, small furniture, household items, toys, books, baby items and more. Come check it out!

4700 Edinbrook Terrace (85th and Noble) in Brooklyn Park

Volunteering

If you are interested in volunteering there are several ways to help out! 

• Spread the word in your neighborhood or school or church or ?? and offer to collect or be a drop site for donations
• Share the invitation on Facebook--if you have come to this event in the past, tell your story! https://www.facebook.com/MnGiftsOfTheHeart
• Share your experiences with the Gifts of the Heart Exchange on this page--pictures are great!
• Come help sort donations on January 24th between 9-11am, 11am-1pm or 6-8pm 
• Help the day of the event by keeping things tidy, there are several shifts available: 9-11am, 11am-1pm, 1-3pm
• Hang a flyer in your favorite grocery store/coffee shop/WIC office
• Post about the event on craigslist or freecycle or any local groups you are a part of (chicken keepers, homeschooling, etc)

Contact MNGiftsoftheHeart@gmail.com for more information!

The fliers are updated!

Spread the word!

https://www.facebook.com/MnGiftsOfTheHeart

Date & Location announced!

Save the dates!

Friday January 24th, 2014: Collecting and sorting donations

Saturday January 25th: The main event!

Location: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

4700 Edinbrook Terrace

Brooklyn Park, MN

Times TBA

We need people to hang posters, collect & sort donations, make signs, contact community organizations and help keep things tidy--we need YOU!!

Please leave a comment or email mngiftsoftheheart@gmail.com if you would like to help and/or donate!

The first MN Exchange--Feb. 2, 2013

Well, yesterday was a roaring success! When I first had the impression that I needed to do the Exchange in this area I had no idea what to expect. Would people donate? Would people come? Would people volunteer? I knew I couldn't pull this off on my own, but I also knew that the inspiration came from God, so He would make things work.

Sometimes I would forget that He was really in charge, and then I would get a little nervous. As of 4 days before the event the only donations I knew about were the bags in my garage, so I kept repeating to myself what I'd been telling others: This idea didn't come from my little head--it came from a loving God, and I'm expecting a loaves & fishes miracle.

Sure enough, I got it:

Over two days 45 members of my church congregation spent over 180 volunteer hours sorting and organizing thousands of pieces of clothing, toys, books and household items. Around 200 members of our community came and took almost everything home. The leftovers went to "Everyday Miracles" in Minneapolis and the Arc's Value Village in Brooklyn Center.

Can't wait to do it again next year! Be sure to "like" us on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/MnGiftsOfTheHeart) to find out more!

The official announcement!