Service Saturdays take place from spring through fall in the North Loop. Service Saturdays include picking up trash from around the neighborhood, working to enhance our beautiful park and playground along the river, as well as other special activities each month.

We are so fortunate to have a committed crew of volunteers to help us maintain the beauty and cleanliness of our neighborhood!

Service Saturdays are held on the second Saturday of each month, from April through November (or when the snow flies).

The day starts with gathering at 9:30am at Corner Coffee at 514 N 3rd Street, where volunteers are provided with bags and gloves, and spend an hour or so picking up trash around the neighborhood. This makes a huge difference as we all work to keeping the North Loop a clean, litter-free zone!

Starting at 10am, another volunteer group gathers at James Rice Park to begin their efforts of the day to continue working to beautify the park and playground area, continuing to remove invasive plants, planting trees, shrubs and perennial plants, and much more. This Saturday we have 150 trees to plant (with refreshments after), plus a school donations drive for Banaadir Elementarty School.

In addition, special neighborhood activities and events are secheduled for Service Saturdays throughout the season.

Here’s the schedule for this coming Saturday:

• Trash Pick-up – Corner Coffee 9:30am
• Plant Trees – Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) supported event at James Rice Park North Riverbank – 10am
• Back-to-School Supplies Donation Drive (James Rice Park 9-noon Drop-off)

For our Service Saturday this coming Saturday, our volunteers (including YOU, hopefully!) will not only be doing the 9:30am litter pickup starting at Corner Coffee with bags and gloves provided, and the big tree-planting effort along the river.

We’re also collecting donations of school supplies for Banaadir Elementary School in Northeast Minneapolis. From 9 to noon, there will be a collection station near the playground in James Rice Park. Below is a list of supplies needed:

1 subject 70 count notebooks
Pencils
3 ring zipper Binders. OR
3 inch 3 ring binders
Post-its: 3×3, 1 1/2 x 2, 8×6
3 hole punch Pencil pouches
Kleenex
Magic eraser sponges
Highlighters
Pencil eraser caps
3 hole punch pocket dividers
Glue sticks
Cheap ear buds to plug
into Chromebook