Greetings from 5th Bridge,

We apologize for our previous e-mail, which was a first draft not intended for mass distribution. We thank you for your patience, and hope you enjoy the new, redesigned 5th Bridge e-zine.

We hope you are all having a fantastic summer full of family, friends and new adventures. Please don't forget to take a little time to make a difference by volunteering.

On behalf of 5th Bridge, I would like to thank all of the organizations, individuals, businesses, and the City of Northfield staff who made the facilities at Spring Creek Park possible. It is always so incredible to see the good that can be accomplished when people use their individual strengths and talents to work together towards a common goal. On June 27th, the community celebrated this amazing collaboration with an evening of entertainment and free ice cream, donated by Cub Foods and Kemps Ice Cream. The photos on the left highlight the celebration. Do you have an idea for a project that would benefit the community? 5th Bridge will be happy to help you spread the word to mobilize others who share your vision.

Thank you also to all of you who are volunteering this summer. Our community life would not be as rich and full without your efforts.

If you are looking for some volunteer ideas, here are a few current opportunities:

• Do you love music, art, or dance? The Northfield Arts Guild would love to have your help. They have volunteer opportunities helping the Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra, assisting with visual arts programs, helping to maintain the dance studio space, volunteering in their retail shop, helping in the gallery, as well as several other opportunities. They are also looking for donations of up-to-date computer equipment, art supplies, paper, and maintenance supplies. Visit www.5thbridge.org for the complete posting.
• Get rid of unwanted clutter in your home and support your favorite cause or charity: host a garage sale and donate the proceeds. Even better, invite a few neighbors to join you and increase the impact of your efforts as well as having fun.
• Form a Circle of Service. A Circle of Service is a group of like-minded people who get together periodically to do service projects. The great thing about Circles of Service is that they are totally flexible and can be organized in whatever manner that the participants want them to be. Visit www.5thbridge.org and look under "stories" to see an example of the Circle of Service model. 5th Bridge can help by providing you with ideas for group service projects and by sharing your stories to inspire others.
• 5th Bridge still needs a few volunteers who would be willing to transport our mascot, "Bridgeit" the cow, around town periodically. Visit www.5thbridge.org and check out the "Cow Handlers Needed" posting for more details.

Do you know an individual or organization that you would like to see recognized for their positive impact on the youth in our community? Nominations are being sought for the "Make a Difference Award." See the complete posting on our website or visit www.northfieldhci.org/nsmakingadifference.php.

Have an "Utterly Joyful" summer of service. And don't forget to have your friends take the 5th Bridge Volunteer Pledge.

Sincerely,

Candy Taylor and your friends at 5th Bridge