Volunteer Appreciation!

This is national volunteer recognition week, when we take a brief moment to recognize the outstanding activities provided by volunteers that make our world a better place. Our country relies on volunteers for everything from coaching, mentoring, tutoring, visiting shut-ins, cleaning up parks, giving blood to delivering meals on wheels.

Kinship of Greater Minneapolis is privileged to work with hundreds of truly outstanding volunteers who mentor children, serve as ambassadors, help with events, provide guidance and support on the board of directors or committees. Collectively they are making a world of difference in the lives of hundreds of our Kinship kids.

Volunteers are seldom paid; not because they are worthless, but because they are PRICELESS!

Heartfelt thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers!

Volunteers help with Kinship's website overhaul

On March 20th Kinship of Greater Minneapolis will be among 15 other nonprofits receiving a website face lift by a group of volunteers. This will involve a 24 hour all night effort by website experts working with three Kinship staff. The "Nerdery Overnight Website Challenges is being organized by Nerdery Interactive Labs, a division of Sierra Bravo Corp. The makeover is valued at up to $25,000. You can read more about this in an article by Jean Hopfensperger "Geeks offer free all-nighter" in the Star Tribune.

Thanks to Marit, Nancy and Margie on Kinship's staff for pulling an all-nighter with these techies! Word is there will be plenty of free coffee to keep them going. Watch for a new and improved Kinship website coming soon! www.kinship.org

Mayor Cory Booker presentation at Westminster Town Hall Forum

Pictured above: Cory Booker, Dan Johnson and Bruce Ensrud, Kinship board president

Kinship was proud to co-sponsor Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey for a public address at the Westminster Town Hall Forum on February 25th. Mayor Booker spoke eloquently of his work to pull together nonprofit, government and corporate groups to reduce violence in Newark. He referenced the value of mentoring youth as one important means of helping young people achieve a better life, especially those with a parent in prison.

One of the radical things Mayor Booker has done is to move into one of the toughest neighborhood in Newark and get to know some of the residents. He's even a mentor! He encouraged all to be active in changing the world. His courageous examples of intervention brought a standing ovation from the forum participants. His talk was broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio on March 2nd and can be heard via their website.

We are thankful for an anonymous donor who helped underwrite the cost of this event. If you would like to help support this effort, please contact Dan Johnson at 612-588-4617.

If you would like to mentor a child in need of an adult friend please contact Kinship today to find out more, 612-588-4655, www.kinship.org. Without intervention we know that those children of prisoners on Kinship's waiting list are seven times more likely than their peers to enter the correctional system.

Apple does the right thing for kids

I was pleased to read some good news in the business section: Apple scrubs racy programs from iPhone store. A co-president of the company making these applications remarked "It's very hard to go from making a good living to zero".

I dispute his claim that selling applications like “sexy scratch off” qualifies as a "good living", despite earning thousands of dollars a day. On behalf of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles everywhere, way to go Apple! I trust your company will continue to make a good living for your employees by doing the right thing.

Kinship on the Move

After 14 wonderful years of being housed at Christ English Lutheran Church, Kinship has moved its main office from the Northside of Minneapolis to the Southside. Our new office is located in the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches’ Center for Urban Service, 1100 E Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407. This is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood, just a block away from the Midtown Global Market.

In addition to the opportunity to work more closely with the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, this new office provides a supportive environment and opportunity for all of the staff to have a common work place. Our satellite office staff from Minnehaha Communion Lutheran are also now working in the new location. Kinship of Greater Minneapolis will continue to serve Hennepin and Anoka counties. The office phone numbers will also remain the same.

When you are in the neighborhood, we would love for you to stop in and see our new digs!

Northside Achievement Zone

Did you know that in 1973 there were 300,000 Americans in prison, while today there are 3.4 million? That is just one of many startling statistics Geoffrey Canada shared to a packed house at the Basilica of St. Mary on January 15th. He noted that it costs on average $37-40,000 a year to lock someone up in prison. And then when they come out after 10 years they often haven't gained one thing in order to successfully contribute to society. Yet, if we spend $18,000 on education people are screaming. This doesn't seem to make economic sense does it?

Mr. Canada is founder of the Harlem Children's Zone, which is serving as a model for the Northside Achievement Zone. Kinship of Greater Minneapolis has joined with Bolder Options and Big Brothers/Sisters of the Twin Cities to bring mentors for kids to a high need area of North Minneapolis. Kinship is also working to find mentors for children of prisoners, who without intervention are seven times more likely than their peers to enter the correctional system. Currently we have about 50 kids on our waiting list who have a parent in prison and who would love to have a Kinship friend.

We simply can't afford to the current cradle to prison pipeline that exits. You can learn more about this national crisis from a report provided by the Children's Defense Fund. Thanks to all who are helping to break this tragic cycle of incarceration.

President Obama proclaims January as National Mentoring Month

Recognizing the value of mentoring, President Obama has proclaimed January as national mentoring month. His proclamation is available at the National Mentoring Center's website. President Obama notes "Mentors are building a brighter future for our Nation by helping our children grow into productive, engaged, and responsible adults."

Kinship is working with numerous churches, media outlets and others to get the word out about the value of mentoring and the opportunity to befriend one of the 150 kids currently awaiting Kinship friends.

Interested in helping promote this recruitment effort? Please contact Kinship's Director of Recruitment and Communications, Nancy Torrison, nancyt@kinship.org.