August 2025 E-News

What:  CVC-TC Member Virtual Coffee Chat

Date & Time :  Thursday, August 28, 9:00am-10:00am

Location:  Virtual

Topic(s) for discussion: As we gear up for Q4 and year-end activities, our next coffee chat will focus on two areas:

• Volunteer Plans for Sept–Dec 2025 — What’s in the works, community needs, ideas for engagements, and how we're rallying support for this critical stretch.
• Strategic Communication — shifts in messaging, tone, tools, and tactics with their audiences from employees to executives, volunteers to customers.

Join us for insights and an open exchange of ideas!

CVC-TC Member

Speed Networking

& Happy Hour

When: Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Time: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Where: Bridging-Roseville, 1730 Terrace Drive, Roseville, MN 55113

 Join us for a fast paced member mingle and happy hour! Meet new members, catch up with a colleague, and hear what’s hot in volunteer engagement around town. Plus, find out who’s trying new programming or see if anyone can help solve a current challenge you’re having. The first half will be dedicated to a speed networking activity, and then we will have hosted drinks and snacks to keep the conversations going. We hope to see you there!

Solventum Hosts First-Ever Employee

& Family Picnic at TCO

In July, Solventum brought together employees and their loved ones for a joyful and impactful inaugural picnic at TCO. More than 80 dedicated team members volunteered their time and energy to lead activities and support a meaningful community initiative.

Together, Solvers and their families assembled over 100 care kits for Firefighters For Healing and raised funds through a spirited field goal challenge. The event was a powerful reflection of our shared commitment to giving back—and a beautiful example of how our people truly live with heart.

H.B. Fuller aims to provide student interns the full experience of what it means to work for a world-class company — including the importance they place on giving back to our communities.

Earlier this month, a group of 22 interns volunteered with Spark-Y supporting youth empowerment and sustainability through hands-on service.

Volunteers joined Spark-Y staff and apprentices for a rewarding day of gardening and environmental stewardship. They focused on weeding, rain garden maintenance, native plant identification and inventory, and replanting efforts.

Help us knock it out of the park! Volunteers needed!

Join us for the2025 USA Wheelchair Softball World Series 14-16, 2025 at Mall of America Fields in Bloomington, proudly presented by the Minnesota Twins. 

Hosted by Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, this national tournament brings together 15–20 of the top wheelchair softball teams from across the country for three days of exciting competition. Check out this short video to see the action in motion!  

Our very own Minnesota Rolling Twins, the reigning 2024 National Champions, are ready to defend their title at home. With an incredible 22 national championships, they’re a team you won’t want to miss.

But we can't do it without you! 

We need volunteers to help make this event a home run! Whether you're assisting with logistics, running the scoreboard, or helping behind the scenes, your support will make a meaningful impact. 

No prior knowledge of softball is required for many of these positions, so everyone can join in the fun! Volunteers must be age 15+. 

If you are not interested in volunteering, come cheer on Courage Kenny's Minnesota Rolling Twins defend their title at home. The game schedule will be coming out in August.

Some of the Exciting Volunteer Opportunities!

Tournament Schedule 

• Wednesday, August 13 - Set up Fields & Team Check-in 

• Thursday, August 14 - Day 1 of Games 

• Friday, August 15 - Day 2 of Games, Youth Clinic with MN Twins 

• Saturday, August 16 - Day 3 of Games, Awards Banquet 

          Sunday, August 17 - Take Down Fields

Please share this email with your friends, family, colleagues and more! We hope to see you at the tournament!

Questions about volunteering? Contact [email protected] 

Over the past six weeks, more than 400 high school students participated in BestPrep’s Minnesota Business Venture (MBV), a summer program with two weeklong sessions focused on business, leadership, and financial literacy. Hosted on the University of St. Thomas campus, the program provided students with a unique opportunity to experience college life while engaging in hands-on learning. Students were assigned to groups, known as their “company,” and worked together to develop a fictitious product or service, pitching their business plan to a panel of judges at the end of the session. Throughout the week, they also attended breakout sessions, participated in team-building activities, and heard from a variety of business professionals, gaining valuable career insights and essential life skills.

What truly brings MBV to life is the incredible dedication of its volunteers. Each week, professionals from different industries give their time and energy to support students throughout the camp. Some serve as Resident Business Leaders (RBLs), spending the entire week mentoring student companies, guiding them through business planning, and helping foster leadership and collaboration within the group. Others volunteer for a few hours, participating in mock interviews, providing valuable feedback to help students strengthen their communication and professionalism. MBV also welcomes keynote speakers and breakout session leaders, who share their career journeys, offer advice, and engage students in conversations about entrepreneurship, personal finance, and workplace readiness.

The impact of these volunteers is clear. After Week 1 of MBV, 95% of students reported feeling more prepared for their future as a result of attending the camp. Students regularly cite their connections with volunteers as one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

Tim Mercil, a longtime MBV volunteer from Medtronic who has spent the past 20 years at camp, shared, “This program has been such a big part of my life and it’s shaped how I lead, how I listen, and how I show up for others. I’m better because of it.”

Volunteering at MBV is more than just giving back — it’s also a chance to grow professionally and personally. Whether you're looking to enhance your mentoring, leadership, or communication skills, or simply want to inspire the next generation of leaders, MBV offers a meaningful and impactful way to make a difference.

To learn more about how you or your company can get involved, visit bestprep.org/mbv 

Together, we can help students dream big and prepare for a brighter future.

“The 4th annual CHS Spirit of Service Days was held June 16-27 with great success. Nearly 900 employees demonstrated our company value of Cooperative Spirit by generously donating their time to volunteer. Employees gave back to 44 communities across the CHS footprint by participating in volunteer projects that impacted youth, the environment, or access to basic needs. Collectively, CHS employees volunteered more than 1,700 hours.”

HandsOn Twin Cities' CFC marketing volunteer recruitment is open Monday August 4th-Monday September 1st.  The day long virtual hack-a-thon partners skilled volunteers with nonprofits to collaborate and create solutions for marketing challenges/projects.  Details and the signup link can be found here, on the Connected for Change webpage.

Email questions to Blair Halperin at [email protected]

September is Hunger Action Month, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about hunger and inspire action to combat it. Join Second Harvest Heartland on Friday, September 19, from 9:30 a.m-12:00 p.m. followed by an optional volunteer shift from 12:00-1:30 p.m. You’ll see firsthand how a food bank works and learn about our Make Hunger Historymovement. We have some fun activities planned, including a tour of our facility. Lunch will be provided. Complete this form to receive updates on the event.

Free meal and parking for all volunteers.  Individuals or groups are encouraged to sign up.   

3 Volunteer options to choose from:

Set Up 

Event Support 

Take Down Crew 

Join us as we transform lives by securing funding for life giving supports. Help us ensure critical priorities are met by volunteering at the Gala and supporting people with disabilities and the dedicated staff who care for them daily. We cannot do it without you and appreciate your support and advocacy! 

Questions?  Contact Volunteer Program Manager [email protected]

ACCP is excited to share a special opportunity for members of CVC-Twin Cities—an exclusive 20% discount for the 2025 ACCP Annual Conference, taking place September 15–17 in Atlanta, GA. Link here for more information.

Register at the non-member rate and receive 20% off with the code PSOPartner25 during checkout here.

This is a great option for a lunch ‘n learn, intern project, or “Town Hall” event at the office. Towels are currently in short supply! Bridging needs your assistance serving nearly 300 people each week. Used and new accepted! All sizes wanted for the kitchen and bath. Questions? Want a Bridging speaker to join you on collection day? Contact Diana Dalsin (952.888.0746 or [email protected])

MORE INFORMATION 

Time to book your summer dresser builds

at Bridging

Bridging needs more dressers in stock to meet the growing need for basic home essentials! Sponsoring a dresser build event can be hosted at your location OR one of three Bridging warehouses; Bloomington, Roseville, and now Plymouth!  This is a super corporate team building event and you great pictures and videos to share. Questions? Ready to learn more? Contact Diana Dalsin, 952-888-0746 or [email protected]

One Shift = ~9,000 Meals  

One Shift = ~9,000 Meals  Join us to sort and pack fresh produce, build food boxes for seniors, or work in our special clean room. With every 2-hour food packing shift, you can help provide around 9,000 meals for local families facing hunger. We welcome youth ages 8 and up. Donate your time and talents at Second Harvest Heartland and sign up today.

Summer is the lean season...can you help us? Volunteer are needed to pack meals this summer at Feed My Starving Children. Sign up for a two hour packing shift at one of our three MN sites: Coon Rapids, Chanhassen and Eagan. www.fmsc.org

Fun Facts-

Please enjoy this new regular section of our e-news where we share “Fun Facts” about members as it relates to volunteerism. Feel free to email in fun facts to [email protected] for inclusion in a future e-newsletter.

Fun Facts from Xcel Energy:

• Xcel Energy offers employees 40 hours VTO per year
• Xcel Energy completed 9 Pro Bono Projects – 2 projects in collaboration with Accenture – in 2025
• Xcel Energy hosts their Annual Day of Service each year in September offering 30+ Projects in Minnesota and 75+ Company-wide

CVC- Twin Cities

1611 County Road B West, Ste 315

St. Paul, Minnesota 55113

[email protected]     https://www.cvctc.org/