Charity of the Month – Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency

Innovative Office Solutions is the proud sponsor of the Minnesota Wild Charity of the Month program for the third consecutive year. This program brings exposure to Minnesota charities, once per month throughout the NHL season.

The January Charity of the Month is Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency.

Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA) provides community-based public health nursing services to individuals of all ages and in every stage of life.

In 1902 the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA) was formed by three compassionate women of the Associated Charities of Minneapolis with early support from The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis. Recognizing a need for greater access to health care by the city’s disadvantaged, the women collected donations and hired a visiting nurse “to serve needy sick persons…who otherwise would be unable to receive proper attention.”

Today, MVNA nurses continue to address the health needs of pregnant and parenting women, children, families and adults by providing health care and related services to more than 15,000 people a year, many of whom are living below the poverty line. In addition, MVNA focuses on providing quality care through the end of life with hospice care through Hospice of the Twin Cities (HOTC, subsidiary organization). MVNA and HOTC nurses and health care teams enhance the quality of the lives of our clients and families by providing respectful care based on maintaining dignity.

Through all of MVNA’s health services, our goal is to maintain or improve the quality of life for the people we serve, focusing on education and prevention while addressing the immediate health, safety, and medical needs in our community. MVNA staff provides in-home skilled nursing services aimed at sustaining a healthy community by improving the health, well-being and independence for our clients.

For families in our community, MVNA nurses promote healthy birth outcomes, positive parent-child interaction, healthy child growth and development, and self-sufficiency as well as prevent complications due to illness and chronic disease conditions. With services delivered through nurse home visits, MVNA utilizes evidence based practices to empower and transform the lives of clients. MVNA is moving families out of generational poverty by educating young mothers about parenting and healthy child development and connecting each mother to resources to support her own education and economic sufficiency. Statistically, 98% of infants born to an MVNA client is born full-term and at a healthy birth weight. Additionally, 73% MVNA teen parents graduated or are in school; nationally the rate is 20%.

For more information, visit them on the web at www.mvna.org.

The MVNA representatives at their in-stadium awareness night on January 10th.

Field Goals for Hearing with the Minnesota Vikings and Innovative Office Solutions

Field Goals for Hearing – So The World May Hear

In partnership with the Minnesota Vikings and Avery, we were proud to host the Field Goals for Hearing program during the 2011/2012 NFL season. The program objective was to raise money for the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Each time a Minnesota Vikings kicker successfully kicked a field goal, Innovative and Avery donated $250 to the program, to a maximum donation of $5000. On December 4th, we were happy to announce that the Vikings had kicked enough field goals to reach the $5000 donation! It was at least one bright spot on what hasn’t been the best of seasons for our beloved Minnesota football team.

A check was presented to Starkey Hearing Foundation at Mall of America Field on December 18th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Foundation

In 1984, the Starkey Hearing Foundation started with a simple premise: “Alone we can’t do much. But, together we can change the world.” With “So the World May Hear” as his goal, Starkey Hearing Foundation founder William F. Austin (above second from right) built an organization upon this vision. Today the Foundation is sustained by the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors around the world. Your support allows us to deliver more than 50,000 hearing aids annually through more than 100 hearing missions a year in countries stretching from the U.S. to Vietnam. In addition to giving the gift of hearing, the Foundation promotes hearing health awareness while supporting research and education. For more information visit www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org

Charity of the Month – Madison Claire Foundation

Innovative Office Solutions is the proud sponsor of the Minnesota Wild Charity of the Month program for the third consecutive year. This program brings exposure to Minnesota charities, once per month throughout the NHL season.

The December Charity of the Month is Madison Claire Foundation.

The Madison Claire Foundation was created to enhance the lives of children and families living with physical and developmental disabilities by giving them the opportunity to play alongside all others through the building of universal accessible playgrounds.

The Madison Claire Foundation has a vision to build “Madison’s Place” in Woodbury, MN.  The City of Woodbury is providing the site for this playground at the Bielenberg Sports Center.   Madison’s Place will be an “inclusive playground” completely handicapped accessible where children with disabilities as well as those typically developing can play together side by side fostering friendships, understanding and acceptance.  Unique features of Madison’s Place will include:

• play structures will include ramps so every child will be able to reach the highest play deck,
• brightly colored rubberized tile flooring which will provide an accessible foundation for the playground,
• swings, accessible swings and ground level play components can be accessed by all children,
• activity panels and music drum surround to provide cognitive and sensory development,
• a metal slide for persons with cochlear implants or hearing aids which prevents feedback and static created in traditional plastic slides to accommodate hearing impaired children and caretakers.

In the surrounding area there are more than 4,000 children with some form of physical disability or developmental delay.

Cost of Project:                  $688,622.00
Concrete Slab (materials only) $ 96,000.00
Rubberized Flooring  219,214.00
Play Equipment  272,458.00
Contractor Install of Tiles    32,600.00
Installation of Play Equipment    64,500.00
Vinyl Benches      3,850.00

 

 

Please consider making a donation to help create this tremendous community need.  To learn more about the playground, please visit http://madisonclairefoundation.org/madison_place.php

 

Post-it® PopNotes – You can no longer claim that you forgot…

Calendar reminders work great if you have to do something at a specific time, but what if you have to remember something at a specific place? That’s where Post-it PopNotes come in.

Maybe when you leave work you have to remember to pick something up on the way home, or when you get home you need to remember to whip up some chili for tomorrow’s pot luck?

Setting a reminder in your calendar isn’t very reliable for that. Perhaps you normally leave work at 5pm, you set a reminder in Outlook that diligently annoys you 15 minutes before, you snooze it a few times, then 5pm rolls around and you pack up for the day. You excitedly hop in your car with visions of settling down on the couch to watch your evening sitcoms and next thing you know you’re home and you forgot to stop and pick up a bottle of wine.

If you’re like me, this happens all the time. I get sidetracked easily and time based reminders just don’t cover everything. Just like I had to pick up bagels on the way to work yesterday. The Post-it PopNotes app on my iPhone basically allowed me to stick a massive imaginary Post-it note on the exterior of the bagel shop so when I drove near i’d remember.

The night before, I scribbled the barely legible word “bagels” on a note in my phone, dropped the pin onto the map near the bagel store and I was in business. Driving to work the next morning my phone beeps right on cue about 100 yards from the store. Of course I didn’t mess with my phone while driving, that wouldn’t be safe, but it was enough to remind me to stop.

So there you go, a new innovation from Post-it that doesn’t involve adhesive of any kind. And if you really want to have fun with it, make your spouse download it too, and you can place reminder notes for them!

Charity of the Month – Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Innovative Office Solutions is the proud sponsor of the Minnesota Wild Charity of the Month program for the third consecutive year. This program brings exposure to Minnesota charities, once per month throughout the NHL season.

The November Charity of the Month is Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Since 1906, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation has been helping residents of Saint Paul when they need help most.  Through direct service programs, research, and community development, the Wilder Foundation addresses social welfare needs and provides resources and tools for people to have what they need to maximize their full potential.

The Wilder Foundation programs serve low-income and vulnerable children, families and older adults throughout the community.  Our more than 40 programs help children succeed in school, help older adults remain independent, provide respite for caregivers, help troubled youth and families create healthy futures, and support housing stability for individuals and families.  They serve thousands of people each year within areas of mental health, education, housing and aging.

Wilder Research is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit research and evaluation groups dedicated to the field of human services.  Wilder Research studies evidence and ideas that will help children and families thrive, producing over 150 reports each year including key studies on homelessness, immigration and early childhood health.  By sharing knowledge and evidence, Wilder can help organizations and communities have greater impact.

Wilder Center for Communities fosters leadership, learning, and service that strengthen individuals, organizations and communities.  Wilder offers leadership programs that nurture and build the skills of emerging community leaders and renew the energy and commitment of experienced leaders.  Wilder’s convening activities bring together residents, nonprofit and business organizations, foundations and governmental units to identify critical social issues important to our region and connect the people ideas, knowledge and leadership necessary to craft workable solutions.

The Wilder Foundation has been helping make Saint Paul a vibrant community for over 100 years.  Through Wilder Programs, Wilder Research and Wilder Center for Communities, Wilder is here for people when they need help, here for leadership and learning, and here for good.

To learn more or to find meaningful volunteer opportunities, please visit www.wilder.org

Charity of the Month – Cullen Children’s Foundation

Innovative Office Solutions is the proud sponsor of the Minnesota Wild Charity of the Month program for the third consecutive year. This program brings exposure to Minnesota charities, once per month throughout the NHL season.

The October Charity of the Month is Cullen Children’s Foundation.

The Cullen Children’s Foundation, or Cully’s Kids, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial resources to organizations that support children’s healthcare needs founded by Matt & Bridget Cullen in 2003.

Each summer, a Celebrity Weekend is held in the Fargo-Moorhead area which includes a Celebrity Golf Tournament, Silent Auction & Social, and Kid’s Picnic.

This year, the Cully’s Kids Celebrity Weekend made over $430,000, surpassing this year’s goal and setting a new record.  Over the last seven years, the Cullen Children’s Foundation has raised more than $2.3 million to benefit Cully’s Kids and has created an endowment fund of more than $1 million to ensure that the Foundation can continue to grant money into the future.

The kids who benefit – affectionately named Cully’s Kids – live with special care needs due to affects of cancer or other disease. Grants are awarded by the Cullen Children’s Foundation to local Fargo-Moorhead organizations that support these children’s health needs while positively improving their quality of life and have totaled more than $700,000 through 2010.

Charity of the Month – A success story!

I was attending the Minnesota State Fair this year, and it happened to be on military appreciation day. I ran across the booth for Defending the Blue Line, a charitable organization that was a Charity of the Month in our program for the 2010/2011 MN Wild season.

Defending the Blue Line is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization created by soldiers with the spirit of keeping hockey alive for the children of our nations military heroes. They accomplish this by providing free equipment, hockey camps, special events and financial assistance for registration fees and other costs associated with hockey.

I had the pleasure of meeting Shane Hudella, President and Founder of Defending the Blue Line. I was overwhelmed when he shared the success they have had since being featured as a Charity of the Month last season. It was amazing to meet someone who has not only served our country for 22 years, but then continues to serve by investing his time and passion to helping military families. After that meeting, we received the following letter:

“….after being selected for the charity of the month program last season, Defending The Blue Line has experienced tremendous growth.  We have since been featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, countless regional tv and radio outlets around the United States, and now the NHL Network will be airing public service announcements for us world wide this season.  DTBL will also be a featured non profit on aol.com in October 2011.
We have taken a great idea locally here in Minnesota, and with the help of great partners like Innovative Office Solutions, the Minnesota Wild, and several others, are now expanding nationally to better serve military kids across North America.  Our long term goal is to become the one stop shop for military families to keep their kids healthy and active in sports while their parents are serving our country.  We have had some great successes so far on the hockey front, and will continue to forge ahead with the help of our strong volunteer and corporate partner base.
As President and Founder of Defending The Blue Line I am very grateful for Innovative’s involvement in sponsoring the “Charity of the Month” program with the Minnesota Wild.  The program was key in building our exposure which has directly lead to better benefits for some deserving military kids and families.  I am also a 22+ year military service member, and it is great to see businesses like Innovative step up to help despite the continued challenging economic times.

Thanks for all you are doing!

Regards,

Shane Hudella
President, Founder
Defending The Blue Line
651-253-6737
www.DefendingTheBlueLine.org“

We are incredibly excited to learn of the success of Defending the Blue Line as they and other Charity of the Month honorees work to serve those in need and strengthen our community.

Minnesota Wild Charity of the Month – Hope, Inc.

Innovative Office Solutions is the proud sponsor of the Minnesota Wild Charity of the Month program for the third consecutive year. This program brings exposure to Minnesota charities, once per month throughout the NHL season.

The September Charity of the Month is Hope, Inc.

Their mission is to provide sporting and recreational opportunities for children and young adults with mobility challenges and their families.

In September 2006, HOPE implemented a year-round sports and recreation program for children and young adults ages 2-23 who have mobility challenges. Hope, Inc. provides extra adaptive sports equipment so that siblings, parents and friends can participate seated and play too!

Some of their goals include: increase physical fitness, self-esteem and self-confidence.  They help teach communication, social skills, sportsmanship and teamwork in a fun, energetic and encouraging environment.

Some of the weekly activities include:

•              Sled hockey (December-February)

•              Wheelchair bowling league (December-February)

•              Adaptive Downhill Skiing (Andes Tower) December-February

•              Indoor wheelchair soccer (March-May) and (September-November).  3 divisions based on ability

•              Baseball (June-August)

They also have a full schedule of monthly and annual activities. For more information, visit their website at www.hopeinconline.org

Hope, Inc. relies on the generosity of individual, corporate and service organizations to carry out their mission.

To learn more about how you can volunteer or donate to HOPE, Inc. please contact Adair Grommesh, Executive Director at 701-866-9002 or agrommesh@cableone.net

Innovative and MN Twins Wives Organization partner for MN kids.

Innovative is the official office supply partner to the Minnesota Twins. Through that partnership, we got together with the Minnesota Twins Wives Organization for a Back to School event on August 10th, 2011.

The event was held at the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center in Minneapolis and benefited children aged Kindergarten through 8th Grade who had been affected by the recent tornado.

250 backpacks were given to the children to help them start the school year off on the right foot. The Twins Wives Organization purchased the backpacks using money they had raised throughout the year, and Innovative donated the school supplies to fill them.

If you’d like to learn more, you can watch a short video here.

Help your local schools – Box Tops from Avery products

Did you know that many Avery products you may use today carry Box Tops for Education Coupons? Over 1,000 Avery products in fact.

Every time you purchase Avery products with Box Tops for Education Coupons, remove the coupons and send them to your child’s school to help the school earn cash for computers, art and music programs, books and more.

Box Tops for Education was created by General Mills, Inc. in 1996 as a way to raise money for schools. This program has helped schools raise over $300 million in the past 13 years, and $50 million last year alone. Avery is the exclusive office products manufacturer to provide this program.

So remember, clip your Box Tops from Avery products and help your local schools.