One of ProAct participants’ favorite opportunities is volunteering, and this holiday season, ProAct was fortunate enough to partner with The Link of MN, a non-profit organization serving homeless youth in Dakota County.

Senior Program Manager for Day Support Services, Stephanie Osman reached out to The Link’s CORE Program Manager, Jason Weegmann, and just like that, the plan was set in motion.  Items needed for the youth included hygiene kits, hand warmers, hats, gloves and socks. Donations came from stakeholders involved with every single location and program, including Virtual Enrichment!

As each item and donation came in, Stephanie’s office started to fill to the brink!  As the boxes filled and overflowed, participants became more excited and wanted to be involved in any way they could.  Participants engaged in all aspects of the process from collecting and sorting the items, to shopping for the hygiene kits and hand warmers, assembling the hygiene kits and then delivering the items to The Link.

“The amount of generosity received from ProAct stakeholders was truly humbling and gave us all the warm feelies everyone needs this time of year,” expressed Osman.

One of her favorite memories was when shopping for hygiene kit items with participants.  “A community member inquired about all the products in our cart,” Osman explained, “and the participant explained that it was for homeless youth.  The community member was so moved by the cause that they made a monetary donation right there!”

Overall, ProAct received over $1000 in monetary donations, roughly 300 hats, gloves and socks, and was able to provide The Link with roughly 250 hand warmers and 100 hygiene kits!

“The whole event created such a positive energy in the entire building,” Osman exclaimed. “The desire for volunteer opportunities such as this demonstrates how much the participants we serve want to contribute to their community and also demonstrates how the community around them wants to help with this desire.”

ProAct is appreciative to everyone who donated and assisted in making this event successful and hopes to continue efforts like this in the future.