Dear Friends,

Congratulations, graduates! School is almost done for the rest of the kids and summer is finally here ... Yahoo! Looking for some "utterly joyful" ways to spend your time? Here are some great ideas:

• Host a dog wash and donate the proceeds to the Humane Society (sell homemade dog biscuits, too!).
• Love to garden? All over our community – in parking lots, around municipal buildings, on school grounds, in parks and along boulevards – are garden patches of different sizes in need of a little tender loving care. Pick one and pull a few weeds. Imagine how much more beautiful our community would be if all these garden patches were given a little extra attention. Here's how easily it could work ... Imagine you are dropping your child off at one of the schools or parks for an hour-long activity. Instead of driving all the way home (only to turn around and return soon after), bring your garden gloves, a couple of grocery bags, and pull some weeds. Recruit a few more parents, and before you know it the grounds look great! You did a good deed, you saved money, got some exercise, made some friends, set an example for others, and taught your kids, in the best way possible (by example), the value of service.
• Love to garden and have a passion for feeding people through the food shelf? There is a new communal garden at the bottom of question mark hill which is being organized by Rebecca Carlson and the St. Olaf College SEEDs Program. We need people to help plant and maintain the designated "charitable" garden that will go to the food shelf. If you are interested in helping and want to receive e-mail alerts when help is needed, e-mail candy@5thbridge.org ASAP.
• Summer is vacation time! Check with your neighbors ... can you help feed their animals, water their plants, collect their newspaper or mow their grass while they are on vacation?
• Take advantage of the beautiful weather and take walks often. Always bring a trash bag and pick up trash along the way.
• Pick flowers from your garden and take them to seniors in local retirement homes. Take the time to visit, ask them to tell you stories about summers long ago.
• Organize a group service activity for your sports team, friends, book club or neighbors. 5th Bridge can help with project ideas – check out our website www.5thbridge.org.
• Save gas and be good to the environment and your health – walk or ride your bike instead of taking the car.
• Have a garage sale, lemonade stand or car wash and donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.
• If a neighbor you know has young children, give the parents a break and volunteer to play with the children for a while. This is a great way for "baby sitters in training" to get some good experience while supervised.
• Write a story about someone who volunteers and help others in our community, then send it to 5th Bridge.
• Do highway clean-up at one of the three Adopt-a-Highway sections that 5th Bridge has adopted just north of town. Groups are needed to clean each of the three sections this summer.
• Need more ideas? Check out the "300+ Ways to Volunteer" on our website, www.5thbridge.org.

Thank you to the United Methodist Church Youth Group, Target employees and St. Dominic Church Youth & Families for cleaning the 5th Bridge adopted highway sections this spring!

5th Bridge is working to develop a system to support Circles of Service with communications and project ideas. If you have a Circle of Service, please let us know by e-mailing candy@5thbridge.org and we will keep you posted.

Always remember that your service and philanthropy is greatly appreciated!

Candy Taylor and your friends at 5th Bridge

P.S. Mark your calendars and start gathering fund raising ideas ... 5th Bridge is hosting the 4th Annual Feed My Starving Children Food Packing Event November 12–14. Our goal is to recruit 2,500 volunteers to pack 500,000 meals for starving children around the world and raise over $85,000 to cover the costs of the food packed. Individuals, families, clubs, teams, church groups, student groups, businesses or neighborhoods who are interested in participating should e-mail candy@5thbridge.org and we will make sure you receive information about this upcoming event.