Community Partners

Masking Up Thanks to Hmong American Partnership

Masking Up Thanks to Hmong American Partnership 3334 1459 Maren Nelson

Last week, Way to Grow received a large donation of face masks and hand sanitizer from our community partner, the Hmong American Partnership! Making sure our families and children are healthy and safe is very important to us, and this generous gift allows us to extend a helping hand to families who may not have accesses to the resources they need. Each of our Family Educators received a bag of 125 masks for children and adults, and they couldn’t wait to distribute them! We also received 400 containers of hand sanitizer that are on their way to families around our community. Thank you so much to the Hmong American Partnership and we look forward to continuing our efforts to support our communities together. Thank you!

Make your Target run count…again!

Make your Target run count…again! 1200 630 Melissa Meyer

We are honored and excited to announce that we have been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have the chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us!

Now through December 31, vote for us through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target’s donation will be divvied up. Find out more about Target Circle here: www.target.com/circle.

We’re asking our supporters to help us make the most of this incredible opportunity. Every vote counts to help us receive a portion of the available Target funds as we continue our mission to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to succeed in school and life.

Don’t forget, as you earn more votes, you can keep voting multiple times during the campaign! Thank you for your support, and we encourage you to share your support for us (and your thanks to Target) on social media throughout the duration of the voting!

Thank You, Headwaters Relief Organization!

Thank You, Headwaters Relief Organization! 1024 768 Maren Nelson

When the pandemic arose, Headwaters Relief Organization went to work creating a science-informed coloring book to help parents explain to their children what the coronavirus is and why families were quarantining at home together, instead of going to work and school. Their intention was to distribute the coloring books to local charities to increase understanding of the pandemic in the community. Way to Grow is very fortunate and thankful to have received over 600 copies of When We All Stayed Home: A Coloring Book about the Coronavirus donated by Headwaters Relief Organization. And the giving hasn’t stopped there!

Make Your Target Run Count

Make Your Target Run Count 1024 512 Melissa Meyer

We are honored and excited to announce that we have been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have the chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us!

Now through March 31, vote for us through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target’s donation will be divvied up. Find out more about Target Circle here: www.target.com/circle

We’re asking our supporters to help us make the most of this incredible opportunity. Every vote counts to help us receive a portion of the available Target funds as we continue our mission to ensure that children within the most isolated families are born healthy stay, healthy, and are prepared for school.

Don’t forget, as you earn more votes, you can keep voting multiple times during the campaign!

Thank you for your support, and we encourage you to share your support for us (and your thanks to Target) on social media throughout the duration of the voting!

#BeerForBetter: Join Us For A Night Out!

#BeerForBetter: Join Us For A Night Out! 2400 1256 Angelique McDonald

Way to Grow is excited to announce our partnership with Lakes & Legends Brewing Company as their February #BeerForBetter campaign recipients! On February 27, Lakes & Legends will be donating $1 of every beer sold from two of their specialty taps from 5:00–10:00pm. Stop by after work for happy hour or after dinner for a night cap and support Way to Grow!

Come early and visit with Way to Grow staff, get your adult crafting on and test your skills with some of our preschool curriculum activities, plus a surprise raffle! We promise, it’s a goodie! Mark your calendar and make sure that you bring a friend (human or four-legged). We can’t wait to see you there!

WHAT:

Beer for Better! Sponsoring Way to Grow

WHEN:

Thursday, February 27, 2020
5:00 – 10:00 pm

WHERE:

Lakes & Legends Brewing Company
1398 Lasalle Ave, Minneapolis

7 Back to School Tips for You and Your Family!

7 Back to School Tips for You and Your Family! 2560 1709 Angelique McDonald

The start of a new year can bring challenges as well as excitement. We found this great resource from PBS to help you and your family get ready for the new school year. Here are just a few ways that you can get involved without getting overwhelmed! Click through to read more:

  1. Meet the teacher
  2. Tour the school
  3. Connect with friends
  4. Tool up
  5. Avoid last-minute drilling
  6. Chat about today’s event and tomorrow’s plans
  7. Ease into routine

Festival of Fathers

Festival of Fathers 1143 751 Angelique McDonald

We believe every caregiver should be supported in their journey of raising a child. In a show of support for dads in our community, Way to Grow participated in Festival of Fathers at North Commons Park in North Minneapolis this past August. The annual Festival of Fathers is a community sponsored event that seeks to strengthen the positive role and perception of men, specifically fathers, in their families and communities. The event celebrated the essential impact of fathers and father figures in the lives of children and families. Families enjoyed free food, music, entertainment, a petting zoo, pony rides, a moon bounce, prize drawings, and a free t-shirt for dads with kids. We had a great time supporting families and getting out into our community!

What are some ways that you show support for all the types of caregivers in your family?

Backpacks are back!

Backpacks are back! 960 720 Angelique McDonald

An annual tradition was back again this year. On August 14, Way to Grow staff, in partnership with the Greater Twin Cities United Way and SPS Commerce, packed 1,200 backpacks in 30 minutes! Each backpack was filled with school supplies and distributed to families across the Twin Cities. Thanks to our community partners, we filled our school bus with 350 backpacks that were given out to Way to Grow children just in time for the first day of school!

A huge shoutout to our friends at Greater Twin Cities United Way and SPS Commerce for getting our kids ready for school!

New Place, Old Friends!

New Place, Old Friends! 960 720 Angelique McDonald

Earlier this month, Little & Company came to visit our new Way to Grow office and left quite a mark!

As part of their 40th anniversary celebration, the staff at Little participated in service projects throughout the Twin Cities, including right here at Way to Grow. One of their Give 40 projects was to help to make our new space feel a little more like home. A small team from Little designed and installed an incredible mural in our new play room, celebrating Way to Grow, our partnership, and the wonderful people we serve. We couldn’t be more thrilled to share this space with our families and it really brightens our days whenever we walk by. Check out the photos below to see this amazing team in action and the completed mural!

Thank you Little!

Little team painting a mural

It’s time to Howl!

It’s time to Howl! 850 601 Maren Nelson

Marquee Night at the Minnesota Timberwolves

On Monday, April 1, 200 of our kids and parents descended on Target Center as the Timberwolves took on the Portland Trailblazers. A special shout-out to the Wolves’ all-star point guard Jeff Teague, who selected Way to Grow to be the featured nonprofit for its Marquee Night program—and to the Timberwolves for welcoming our families throughout the season with its Tickets for Kids program!

This season, hundreds of Way to Grow participants were able to attend over 15 home games thanks to the generosity of Jeff Teague and the Timberwolves. For many Way to Grow families, a professional basketball game is a special treat that they cannot otherwise enjoy without the support of the FastBreak Foundation, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Minnesota Lynx. We’ve had a blast watching our Wolves this year and are thrilled we were able to share these experiences with our families!

    Your Name (required)

    Address

    City

    Zip

    Your Email (required)

    Phone

    Preferred contact method:

    EmailPhoneEither

    Available days:
    SunMonTuesWedsThursFriSat

    Time of day available:
    MorningAfternoonEvenings

    Services interested in:
    preschoolspecial projectsteen parentsadministrativeeventsother

    Opportunity interested in:

    Language(s) Spoken besides English:
    AmharicArabicHmongOromoSomaliSpanish

    Other languages spoken:

    Emergency contact (name, phone, relationship):

    Volunteer agreement (required):

    I understand that during the course of my volunteering at Way to Grow, I may come in contact with information that is deemed confidential. This includes, but is not limited to, personal information about Way to Grow participants. I understand that Way to Grow is required by law to keep this information confidential, and I will treat all information I come across as such unless I am told otherwise.

    I understand and agree that I am volunteering for Way to Grow at my own risk and request. I also give permission for the free use of my name, picture and voice in any broadcast, telecast, print account or any other account in any medium of the event being recorded.

    I Accept

    Additional Message: