Programs
NCJW CARES
NCJW MN is committed to providing Action, Resources, and Equity in Schools. To support this effort, we allocate rapid response funds* to support homeless and highly mobile youth and families. Additionally, we offer standalone programs to support Twin Cities Metro Area schools:
Books To Borrow
Books to Borrow is a lending library program for children. For almost three years, we have been partnering with Neighborhood House and Project for Pride in Living (PPL) to promote literacy, family engagement, and community by providing easy, early access to quality children’s books. It is our goal to foster the value of reading and learning while honoring the multi-culturally diverse community we live in.
The Books to Borrow program includes:
- Stocking three little libraries with quality, popular titled books for neighborhood children to borrow, read at home, and return for another. Libraries are located at Sibley Manor Apartments, Fort Road Flats and between 1372-1384 St Paul Avenue.
- Volunteer-led story time and activities for children to participate in while their parents are shopping at Neighborhood House’s monthly Fresh Produce Distribution Days at Francis Basket Food Pantry located in Sibley Manor Apartments. (July-October)
- Participating in pop-up family programs like National Night Out, holiday/seasonal potluck dinners and a community-wide baby shower for new parents; volunteers mingle with families, encourage book borrowing, and lead craft activities that support the love of reading.
Join our Books to Borrow team.
Have books to donate? Click here to learn more!
Periods Happen
NCJW MN is committed to menstrual equity for all. Through a range of community collaborations we are able to donate and distribute menstrual products to meet the needs of our surrounding community. Additionally, our advocates successfully worked with our legislative partners to pass legislation that mandates and secures state funding for the provision of pads and tampons to Minnesota students in grades 4-12. We remain committed to ensuring that menstruating students don’t miss school due to lack of access to the products they need.
Clothing Closet
We have par
tnered with social workers at Patrick Henry High School to assist in stocking and staffing a Clothing Closet, which provides free clothes to students in need.
We are always looking for new volunteers to staff the Clothing Closet, which entails sorting and organizing donations and minding the shop when students come to pick out clothes. Shifts run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays during the school year, and you can sign up for as many or as few as you would like once you have completed the MPS volunteer application and background check, as well as a brief training at the school. Please email sam@ncjwmn.org if you are interested in getting started!
*Rapid response funding requests are referred to NCJW directly through our MPS liaison; we do not accept direct funding requests.