During National Volunteer Appreciation Week 2026, we want to start with one simple message:
Thank you.
To our volunteers:
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for bringing your time, energy, and warm hearts.
Thank you for walking alongside older adults in our community.
You listen, you learn, and you connect.
And it means so much.
At Friends & Co, we believe volunteerism is rooted in relationship. Our volunteers offer presence and care, and in return, they’re met with wisdom, perspective, laughter, and insight that only lived experience can provide. The exchange is mutual, meaningful, and deeply human.
This is volunteering at its best, and it’s why volunteering in Minnesota can be so powerful. Among the many places to volunteer in the Twin Cities, Friends & Co is proud to foster connections that strengthen individuals and communities alike.
Together, we’re creating a community we’re all proud to invest in and live in.
📸 Programming Staff from left: Georgia Afton, Director of Visiting Companions & Advocacy; Emma Lucchesi, Senior Director of Programs; Emily Beck, Teleconnection Programs Manager; Jethra Kapp, Director of Community Engagement
None of this happens without care, consistency, and collaboration. We’re proud of the behind-the-scenes support our program staff provides each and every week. This support helps make these relationships possible, and most of all, for the volunteers who show up week-after-week we want you to know that this community is stronger because of you.
If Volunteer Appreciation Week has you thinking about giving back, or about finding connection through service, we’d love to welcome you.
👉 Learn more about volunteering with Friends & Co:
https://friendsco.org/get-involved/
