Enjoy wood-working & building things? Share what you know with Steve!

A mentor match with a birdhouse they made together

Here is one youth waiting for an adult friend to hang out with:

First Name: Steve

Age: 9

Interests: Steve likes going to parks, reading comics, biking and making things.

Personality/Characteristics: Steve is fun, energetic, nice, caring and enthusiastic! Steve’s' single parent mom is interested in a male role model or couple or family for her son. Steve says lunch and recess are his favorite subjects at school and his teacher is super nice. He is a great reader!

Goals/Dreams: Steve would love to learn more about making things with metal or building things.

Steve is waiting for a mentor through Kids 'n Kinship mentoring program in Dakota County. Currently there are 62 youth ages 5-16 living in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville or Rosemount waiting for mentors. Volunteer mentors are individuals, couples, or family wanting to spend time with youth.  Mentors get together weekly with youth for fun and engaging everyday activities like bike riding, going to parks, having a meal together, or doing crafts or other hobbies together.  To learn more, attend our information session on March 23rd, 6-6:45 pm at the Wescott Library in Eagan.  RSVP to Rita 651-686-0990.  You can also see other profiles of waiting kids, read stories about matches and more on our website www.kidsnkinship.org.

Like bike riding or puzzles? Be a friend to Michelangelo!

Summer is a great time to get started mentoring youth!  If you love spending time outdoors, please consider sharing just an hour or two with youth who are desperate to get outside this summer!  Kids 'n Kinship has 50 kids age 5-16 waiting for someone to spend time with them.  See below for a profile of just one youth:

Name: Michelangelo

Age: 6 

Interests:  Michelangelo enjoys watching movies, playing with legos, puzzles, games, snowball fights, sledding, bike riding, hockey & soccer. 

Personality/Characteristics:  He is fun-loving, friendly, goofy, and active.  He lives with his mom and 4 other siblings. 

Goals/Dreams:  He would love to have a mentor with a snake or a lizard.  His wish is to win the lottery!

For more information: Michelangelo is waiting for a mentor through Kids n’ Kinship in Dakota County. To learn more about this agency, contact Kids n’ Kinship at www.kidsnkinship.org or 952-892-6368. 

For more information about mentoring in your area, contact the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota at 612-370-9180 or check its online list of mentoring programs at mpmn.org under "Find a Program."

Join Us for the Celebration of a Record-Breaking CEM 900

Once again John Elder and his team of bike riders, support drivers, & funders have blown us away with the Merchants Bank CEM 900 bike ride!  This is the 9th year of doing the bike ride and so far this year over $38,000 has been donated! Kids 'n Kinship mentoring program is so thrilled to receive this support for our work matching youth with volunteer mentors here in Dakota County! To add your donation, go to: http://givemn.razoo.com/story/2014-Christian-Elder-Memorial-900?referral_code=share

The riders have enjoyed lovely weather for most of this year's ride around Minnesota & Wisconsin.  Check out their road diary for the details of their adventures this year: http://cem900.com/diary.html

Also please join us at the Merchants Bank in Apple Valley for the CEM Celebration welcoming the riders back home!  TOMORROW Saturday June 7, 10-11 am.  There will be live music from the Dakota Brass Quintet, entertainment from Clowns Across the River, and hot dogs, popcorn, and ice cream sandwiches for all.  We hope to see you there!

For more about CEM 900 - go to cem900.com
For more about Kids 'n Kinship, go to www.kidsnkinship.org

Rick's Fantastic Bike Sale Was A Record-Breaker!

Kids ‘n Kinship is thankful to Rick Anderson for holding his 6th Annual Bike Sale and donating the proceeds to support our organization!  

This year he raised a record-breaking $12,924  ($1278 more than last year) from the sale of 119 bikes.  Rick receives donated bikes and fixes them up to sell each year.  In six sales he has raised $46,584 for Kids 'n Kinship!   

Kids 'n Kinship also wishes to thank Rick and his volunteers who help make the bike sale a success volunteering that day to keep things running smoothly.  As a small non-profit, Kids 'n Kinship especially appreciates these funds to be able to continue to serve youth ages 5-16 by matching them with a mentor individual, couple, or family. 

For more on mentoring youth here in Dakota County, MN, go to www.kidsnkinship.org.  Or attend our next information session Tuesday June 3rd, 6-6:45 pm at the Wescott Library in Eagan. 

Enjoying Summer? Share it with Angelina!

FINALLY!  Temps are warm and weather is dry and everyone wants to get outside for their favorite outdoor activities.  It's the perfect time of year to get started being a friend to a child! 

 

The mentor match pictured above enjoys tennis.  If you are thinking of sharing summer, and year-round fun, with a teen, consider Angelina, one of the 46 youth waiting for a mentor through Kids 'n Kinship right now.

First name:  Angelina

Age:  13

Interests:  Angelina enjoys biking, roller-blading, hiking, tennis, & watching sports.  She really loves reading, drawing and writing poetry. She also loves animals!

Personality/Characteristics:  She is very creative, respectful, and sweet.  She’s excited to have a mentor and though she might be shy at first, she would open up and become talkative.  She currently lives with her dad and stepmom. 

Goals/Dreams:  Angelina wishes her family would get closer and that there would be no harm in the world.  She’s looking for a female mentor to get out & have fun with and also to have someone to talk to.

Individuals, couples, and families are invited to be a friend to a child age 5-16 through Kids 'n Kinship, a private non-profit serving Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville & Rosemount for over 40 years.  All it takes is an hour or two a week including a child or teen in activities you already do and showing that you care about them.  Become a mentor and make a difference in the life of a child!

Please come to our information session to learn more and to get started - Tuesday June 25, 6:00-6:45 pm at the Burnhaven Library. To RSVP, call 952-891-3885 or email ihkinship@aol.com.

On the Road Again

On Wednesday May 22nd the brave CEM bike riders embarked on their 900 mile trip through Wisconsin.  For the 8th year these bike riders, led by former Kids 'n Kinship mentor John Elder, have biked 900 miles to raise awareness & funds for Kids 'n Kinship.  In years past they've biked from Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska & Iowa.  The ride is named the Christian Elder Memorial Bike Ride for Christian Elder, John's son, who passed away in 2007.

This year the riders are John Elder, Kids 'n Kinship board member Dennis Hill, Kathy Kelly, Bob Porter, Nate Cline, & Kids 'n Kinship former mentor Larry Koehler. They bring an RV and road crew Dave Goodermont, Jay Saterbak, & Jim Elder. 

To read about their adventure, go to their road diary: http://cem900.com/diary.html 

To donate towards our goal of raising $30,000 for Kids 'n Kinship, go to: http://givemn.razoo.com/story/2013-Christian-Elder-Memorial-900

ALSO, Join us in celebrating their return!  
Saturday June 8th, 11 am to 12 noon at Merchants Bank in Apple Valley
 
We will have live music by the Dakota Brass Quintet, hot dogs & root beers!  EVERYONE is welcome! 

For more information, go here: http://eagan.patch.com/groups/events/p/welcome-home-party-for-cem-bike-ridershttp://eagan.patch.com/groups/events/p/welcome-home-party-for-cem-bike-riders

Rick's Bike Sale A Huge Success!

Rick Anderson, mentor in Kids 'n Kinship, hosted his 5th annual bike sale last weekend at his home in Apple Valley.  It was a huge success, despite the rain, and his biggest sale yet!   He sold 129 bikes to community members, many of whom are participants in Kids 'n Kinship. As a result, Rick generously donated over $11,000 raised this year to Kids 'n Kinship!   Overall his sales have brought in more than $33,000 to Kids 'n Kinship over the years and we couldn't be more grateful for his support!
 
Here's a photo of a young man, who is matched through Kids 'n Kinship, enjoying his new bike!

Consider being a mentor to a boy like Garrisson!

We have 40 children waiting for a mentor right now.  One for every year Kids 'n Kinship has been serving children in Dakota County.   Most of them are boys, like Garrisson below.  Please consider being a mentor to a child!  

First name:  Garrisson   

Age:  11

Interests:  Garrisson is in 6th grade; he enjoys baseball, fishing, basketball and riding his bike.  he likes anything outdoors.  And he likes art

Personality/Characteristics:  Garrisson is very well mannered, he is friendly and talkative.  He really wants a mentor!  His mom works full time and he does not see his dad - he would love to do activities with a mentor.       

Goals/Dreams:  Garrisson would like to go to a baseball game or other sports event.

Looking For: An individual male mentor, couple, or family who will do activities with him.

For more information or to sign up, go to our website: www.kidsnkinship.org.