September 2010
Dakota Woodlands is the only facility specifically for homeless families in our county.
Dakota Woodlands was awarded the 2009 Minnesota Nonprofit Excellence Award
Links:
From Our Executive Director
Reyne Branchaud-Linsk
It is that time of year, my favorite season, Fall!
One of the best parts of Fall at Dakota Woodlands is our Flying Home Event. This year, the event is October 8th. It is going to be the greatest event yet. I can’t believe it is just around the corner. We are busy planning all aspects of the event. This month’s Dakota Digest will provide a few highlights and key packages for this year’s event.
Another part of Fall I always loved was the start of a new school year. With my son off at college, I am happy to still be part of this process with our residents. Make sure to take a look at our current needs and our volunteer needs; there will be many opportunities to help out this school year.
Thank you so much for taking interest in and supporting our work. Thank you for reading our Digest.
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Fall Family FunFest
Hawthorne Ridge Mall
Wednesday marked the first day of fall and what better way to celebrate, than by attending the Fall Family FunFest located at Hawthorne Ridge Mall, 525 Diffley Road (Diffley and Hwy 3) in Eagan. The event runs from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2010 and includes: pig roast, inflatable jumpers & games, free cotton candy, crafts & activities for kids, demonstrations by Fusion Martial Arts & Dance-Twirl Minnesota, giveaways, drawings, and more!
Admission is free. But there will be ways to contribute, all proceeds from the day will benefit Dakota Woodlands.
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Volunteer of the Month
Sheri Spears
Sheri was born in Los Angeles and moved to the Twin Cities when she was younger. She lives in Eagan with her mom and her cat. She is a special woman who loves her community of Eagan and is currently working part time at a local senior living home as a housekeeper. She has been bringing her house cleaning skills, for over a year, along with her love for Eagan, and a big smile to Dakota Woodlands every Monday morning. Sheri says she enjoys volunteering at Dakota Woodlands because it gives her a sense of helping others. She shares her enthusiastic energy and impeccable cleaning skills. She especially likes to sort the clothing donations; it gives her a chance to organize and see a variety of clothing styles.
Sheri loves to travel and has enjoyed Lake Tahoe, Disneyworld and Germany. Although she loves to travel, Sheri loves home the best. This time of the year in Minnesota is great and she loves our State Fair, eating her many favorite foods on a stick!
We are glad Sheri has chosen to spend a few hours volunteering at Dakota Woodlands every week. Sheri is reliable, hardworking and brings her positive attitude with her every day! Thank you Sheri!
To learn about volunteer opportunities, please contact Patty at (651) 456-9110 or volunteer@dakotawoodlands.org.
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5th Annual Flying Home
A Night of Fun, Friends and Fundraising
The countdown begins to this year’s Flying Home Event. On Friday, October 8, we will be hosting the 5th annual Flying Home at the Eagan Community Center. This year is sure to be the best yet. We are busy putting the final touches on our plans, decorations and many wonderful auction packages.
We have over one hundred packages, including;
- A relaxing 3 night stay at beautiful Bluefin Bay
- A fabulous Twins package and signed birdhouses by the entire winning Twins team
- The new Apple iPad (16 GB)
- Many tickets to events, including… A suite at the “So You Think You Can Dance” Tour
- A variety of items that will make for great gifts the Holiday Season
Besides the amazing auction packages, the night will include great food, fabulous music, and a few surprises. If you have yet to get your tickets, we hope you give us a call (today) because we would love to have you share in this night.
Tickets are $50.00 and can be purchased by calling Abby at (651) 289-3567 or by emailing her at resource@dakotawoodlands.org.
If you would like to purchase tickets online, please click the link below.
http://www.dakotawoodlands.org/special-events.html
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Find us on Facebook
We invite you to sign in and follow us on Facebook. It is a great way to keep up with what is going on at Dakota Woodlands. Keep an eye out for upcoming activities and events, new pictures, information on ways to help and news about homelessness and poverty. We welcome your feedback and hope you join our network of support.
You can go to our Facebook page and invite your friends to attend our Flying Home event with you.
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Current Needs
* New, medium sized stuffed animals
* Toddler Car Seats (regular car seats not boosters) to 40 pounds
* Gift cards for gas stations, movie theatres, ice cream, fast food and other local places for activities and events for our families.
* Sippy cups
Contact Abby at resource@dakotawoodlands.org or
(651) 456-9110 to learn more about these needs.
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Volunteer Needs
We still need a few more volunteers for our Flying Home Event. During the event we have opportunities to help with check in, check out, clean up and more.
Volunteers are also needed for:
Make a Difference Day on Oct 23rd
Pick-up and delivery of Target donations to Dakota Woodlands, twice a month on Fridays.
A tutor, twice a month, on Monday evenings to help our kids with homework
If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Patty at (651) 289-3565 or email her at volunteer@dakotawoodlands.org
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3430 Wescott Woodlands, Eagan, MN 55123
Phone: 651-456-9110 www.dakotawoodlands.org.
