Before Thanksgiving, Minnetonka Schools’ staff, families, volunteers and local organizations came together as part of the third annual Minnetonka Schools Community and Resource Night. 

“This event is so important for our community,” said Cari Lindberg, Minnetonka Family Collaborative Coordinator and a member of the Community and Resource Night steering committee. “We have a wealth of resources here in Minnetonka, and one of the most important goals of this event is to connect our district’s families with the organizations that provide those resources.” 

Hosted on Friday, November 22 from 6-8 p.m. at Minnetonka Middle School East, the evening brought families and resources together in an easy-to-access format. Dinner was provided, as well as games for kids, free take-home resources and access to information about programs and services available in the local community. 

More than 40 organizations were represented in the Resource Fair portion of the evening. “We were thrilled to have so many organizations at this year's event, including mental health counseling providers, food services, academic support services, employment and tax help, utility assistance, county programs, sports and activity signup information, flu shots and vision screening,” said Lindberg. 

A few of the organizations represented included myHealth for Teens and Young Adults, Resource West, ICA Food Shelf, the YMCA, Minnetonka Police, Hennepin County Sheriff's Department, Relate Counseling, Bountiful Baskets, Hennepin County Child and Teen Check Ups, Hennepin County Library, Three Rivers Park District, and Epilepsy Foundation, among others.

The evening also featured community-building activities, such as crafts, bouncy houses, treats, prizes and cultural information booths. Professional language interpreters were available throughout the night, and free books, winter warm wear, Tonka spirit gear and food were shared with all attending families. 

“My favorite part of this year's event was watching our high school students participate,” said Lindberg. “The Tonka Neighbors Initiative is a new student group at MHS of multilingual students who are interested in using their language skills to help in the community. These talented high school students served as ambassadors for the evening, using their language translation skills to help families with registration and welcoming them to the event,” she continued. “I loved seeing their enthusiasm and willingness to support our Minnetonka community.”

Donations of items and funds, as well as the support of many volunteers, made the event possible. “We had an incredible turnout of Minnetonka staff volunteers who gave their time for the event to make sure our families could connect with the resources available,” said Lindberg. “Family Friends donated 80 pizzas to feed our families, Kowalski's Market donated 500 bags of chips, and Adele's Custard, which is owned by a Minnetonka family, provided ice cream for all of the attendees. We also had donations from Lunds and Byerly's, Crumbl Ridgehaven, Bruegger's Bagels, Panera Edina and more.” The event received financial contributions from the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation, the Minnetonka Family Collaborative and PTO/PTA groups in the district.

“I love how this event showcases the incredible generosity we have in our community,” concluded Lindberg. “It makes me so proud.”