HandsOn Twin Cities connects volunteers with opportunities

If you ask Kristin Schurrer why it's important to volunteer, be prepared for an exhaustive answer.

"Where do I begin?" said Schurrer, who is executive director of HandsOn Twin Cities, a nonprofit organization "committed to promoting and facilitating meaningful volunteerism, education and leadership development" in the Twin Cities metro area.

"I grew up in a small town and always felt connected to it," she said. "But if you live in a large urban area, that's not always so easy. Volunteering helps you feel connected and invested in the community you live in. Besides, volunteering is good for the soul."

Started in 1919 as the Volunteer Center of Minneapolis, HandsOn Twin Cities has had many names over the years, though its mission has largely stayed the same: To connect people and organizations (public and private) in an effort to strengthen communities through "meaningful volunteer action."

"We estimate we connect people to roughly 500,000 volunteer opportunities a year, in a wide array of areas, from working with the homeless and other vulnerable populations to bettering the environment," she said. "If you have an area of interest that you'd like to volunteer in, chances are we can connect you to it."

Schurrer said Minneapolis and St. Paul are fertile grounds for volunteering. "Everybody talks about Minnesota Nice, and I guess there's something to that," she said. "A recent study showed that about 40 percent of Twin City residents volunteer, and that's No. 1 for large urban areas in the U.S. Our goal is to get even more Twin City residents volunteering. We want that number higher."

Schurrer said there are three predominant reasons why the Twin Cities ranks so high nationally in volunteerism. "For one, we have good companies that see the importance of volunteering because it strengthens communities and their workforce," she said. "Many companies we work with readily give employees time off to volunteer because they see it as a team-building exercise that ultimately keeps employees around and engaged."

Lastly, more and more schools, she said, are integrating public service into their class work. "It's really a win-win, tying public service into learning," Schurrer said, noting that some school districts are awarding student "letters" for volunteerism. "They're similar to athletic letters. It's important we recognize kids and students and get them engaged in volunteering early in their lives. If we do that, they'll be more apt to continue to volunteer as adults."

Schurrer said volunteering teaches youths life skills and that "certain things are bigger than themselves."

"Volunteering teaches empathy and helps young people become better, more informed citizens, which is the cornerstone of our democracy," she said. "You'd be surprised by the ideas kids come up with. They're ambitious and want to do something impactful beyond just stuffing envelopes."

Schurrer said her organization had to disband its Twin Cities Youth Advisory Board, which was designed to teach leadership skills and civic engagement through volunteering. "Unfortunately we lost a grant, and we had to make some cuts," she said. "We're hoping to bring that youth board back at some point. Giving young people a voice in the programming we provide is very important."

HandsOn Twin Cities has roughly 300 partner organizations (including several companies) and an annual operating budget of roughly $800,000. "Volunteering isn't free," she said. "It takes a staff and resources to make our mission happen, but the return on investment is huge. I've worked with volunteers most of my professional life. I love people who want to make a difference. I have special place in my heart for those who do."