We Did Good in Our Community!

By Christine Retkwa

Brett Gebhard and Christine Retkwa (below) helped clear trash near highway 35W.

Humanists were out and about during HumanistsMN’s participation in the national Secular Week of Action, coordinated by Foundation Beyond Belief. Our events:

•  Fifteen people worked hard at The Food Group, packing boxes of meats for the program that supplies food at wholesale prices in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The group packed over two tons of food!
•  About a dozen humanists risked getting soaked and cleaned river bluffs and nearby Minnehaha park at an event organized by Friends of the Mississippi. Thankfully the rain stayed away!
•  Nine hard workers scoured the brush on the shoulders of 35W in Lino Lakes, collecting at least 20 bags of trash — all to the music of appreciative honks from motorists.  “Treasures” large and tiny were collected.
•  Our last event of this period  — doing yard clean-up for some St. Paul seniors — was postponed until Saturday, May 14. Please join us if you are available! 

We know that many of you volunteer with other organizations and have roles outside of HumanistsMN activities – from the arts to education to the environment. For example, HMN volunteer Ginny Redgrave staffs the front desk at the Museum of Russian Art and is a longtime member of the Friends of the Cemetery, a volunteer group that supports the Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery.  

Thank you for all you do to help your neighbors and make our community as fabulous as it can be.

Here’s to Doing Good in our community!  Watch for future opportunities throughout the year!  And if you have suggestions on other activities, contact socialaction@humanistsmn.org.

Christine Retkwa is co-chair of HMN’s Humanists in Action team.