Our House of Minnesota

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Volunteer

Our House was founded by volunteers and continues to rely upon individuals within our community who understand that the needs of individuals with mental retardation can only be met through the actions of caring members of their community.
If you have a gentle and caring spirit – if helping others makes you happy – if you are willing to share some personal time to improve the quality of life for those in your community who experience challenges greater than most people realize, volunteering may be as rewarding to you as it is beneficial to those we serve.
Volunteers may function in limitless capacities. Our goal is to match the interests and talents of the volunteer with the needs of our residents, our organization, or possibly even the common needs of human service providers throughout the state of Minnesota. Call us with your interests and abilities and we will do our best to coordinate the perfect match.
One thing is certain. By volunteering at Our House of Minnesota, you will improve the lives of many. Most likely, one of them will be your own.

Recreational / Activity Assistant: Help with the “fun stuff”! Help residents get to church, join the choir, go bowling, sporting events, attend the state fair, visit family members, go shopping and many other community activities where you could assist with supervision, assistance or transportation.

Medical Services Assistant: Help with the “necessary stuff”! Coordinate appointments with physicians. Clarification and follow-up on medical information that is incomplete or unclear. Take residents to Dr. appointments. Assist in training employees on medical services i.e. (CPR, 1st Aide), coordinate staff training registration or update of certifications as they expire. Assist in any service area that you currently are competent or would be willing to be trained to do.

Mechanic / Vehicle Maintenance: We transport resident in two 1999 Chevrolet Astro vans. We have need for minor repairs (brakes, mirrors, switches, door rollers etc.) periodically and routine maintenance regularly (oil changes, tire rotation, check and maintain fluid levels etc.). Our vehicles transport vulnerable adults and we want to be sure they are reliable. The cost of doing this at local shops can become significant to a small organization such as ours.

Building Maintenance: We serve our residents at two locations. Both are single family homes. One is a two story Victorian home around 100 years old and the other is a converted duplex built in the 1940’s. Most repairs are minor and can be done by making a visit to each building once each week. We have had individuals with previous experience or self described “handyman”/home owners who have filled this roll very well. It has been a nice fit for someone who is retired, possesses the skills and desire to stay active but enjoys the freedom of limited responsibility, can work independently at their own pace, set their own hours, yet receive support and assistance from staff at the homes as needed.

Grant Writer: Our organization was established in 1975 and as a result, many of the individuals who originally participated in fund raising and in providing actual cash donations have passed away. We recognize the need to revitalize our donor list and to find ways to fund future needs that require major expenditure of funds. At the present time these items include the replacement of two 1999 vans and accumulating funds sufficient to make our facilities barrier free or purchase barrier free buildings and relocate. We hope to do this to allow residents we currently serve to remain with their friends at Our House as they continue to age and encounter physical or medical challenges that would otherwise require them to leave our program.

We are looking for someone to assist us with this challenge. You do not need to have experience, only a willingness to participate in the process and the ability to follow and respond to the grant writing requirements outlined by potential donor organizations.