Volunteerism is Alive and Well: A View from Minnesota
By Niila Hebert and Lisa Joyslin
February 2, 2026
History will record this moment and the impact of Operation Metro Surge on the Twin Cities and throughout our great state. Those of us living through it continue to process the fear, violence, frustration, and horror that have arisen from the extreme tactics – racial profiling, escalated violence, and murder – exhibited by ICE agents in our cities.
AND, rather than focus on the impacts and actions of federal agents, we are calling people to see the beautiful and inspiring actions of our fellow Minnesotans.
WE the people are helping one another in every way possible. That is who WE are.
Our communities have been showing up and serving for years - but the current efforts and the sense of community here are unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years. Neighbors helping neighbors by delivering food, blowing whistles, protesting, providing safe transportation and housing, donating needed items, and so much more.
For anyone under the impression that “people just don’t want to volunteer anymore,” we challenge you to look at what’s happening in Minnesota right now. People want to volunteer. They ARE volunteering.
Many don’t see these acts of allyship and solidarity as volunteering - but it most definitely is! Volunteerism isn’t all about formally working with an organization, counting volunteer hours, or only showing up if there’s a sign up form - it’s about people helping each other to make our communities stronger, better, and more vibrant.
Most of this volunteering is happening informally – it is school social workers organizing efforts with teachers and parents. It is concerned community members joining together to protect their neighbors. It is friends standing up to protest together. It is people showing up where there is a need – doing what they can, with what they have.
And while it may feel too soon to begin “learning” from this experience, we don’t want this moment to pass without acknowledging some important lessons for volunteer engagement leaders. Here in the Twin Cities, in this moment, people are helping one another. People are offering mutual aid. People are volunteering. And, from our perspective, here are some of the reasons why:
- It’s hyper-local: People are not just volunteering in their city. They are helping in their immediate community, banding together with neighbors to support one another. Much of the mutual aid happening is through schools and churches. People are supporting others who they know – whether personally, or because they are a classmate of their child’s, or because they are a friend of a friend.
- It’s accessible: Supporting these efforts often involves simply reaching out and showing up. There will likely be some vetting to ensure you’re truly a neighbor there to help, but this often just means one person vouching for another. Volunteering for these efforts is not a long, drawn-out process. It’s simply showing up when needed, where needed, with a willingness to help.
- It’s in real time: For volunteer work that is planned in advance, such as packing food for families or monitoring school bus stops, volunteers are being scheduled days (not weeks) in advance. You can sign up today and help out tomorrow. The need is great and the ability to step in is immediate.
- It is flexible: People who want to help can find a way to do so, regardless of their schedule. Only available in the evenings? There’s something for you. Only available in the daytime? There’s also something for you. Only available on Monday afternoons? There’s something for you as well. Gone for the next two weeks? Help out before you leave. Whatever people can give is needed.
The points listed above are not new. MAVA’s previous work around equity in volunteerism has highlighted informal volunteerism as a more attractive option than traditional volunteering for many people. Further, for years we’ve heard that people want volunteer opportunities that are easier to access and offer more flexibility. We’ve heard that volunteers want to get involved quickly and make a difference on a local level.
We are here to say this: If you’ve come to wonder if people still want to volunteer, stop. People do want to volunteer. They are volunteering right here, right now. But they are doing so on their own terms. If you are a part of a nonprofit organization, know that our community members WANT to volunteer. It’s your job to make that flexible, accessible, and with systems that move at the speed of community and volunteer values.
There is a lot of trauma and tragedy coming out of this moment, but as we look around, there is a lot of good as well. And there can be more good if we’re willing, as the brilliant poet Amanda Gorman shared, “ For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
This is the first in a series of MAVA blog posts about lessons from mutual aid and volunteerism in Minnesota currently.
Interested in learning more about MAVA or joining together with other volunteer engagement leaders in community and learning? Check out MAVA’s upcoming events: