ResourceWest

10/22/2026

A familiar face in a new role! Please join us in welcoming Shannon Andreson to the ResourceWest staff as our Development and Communications Manager.

Shannon has served on our Board of Directors for nearly six years, and she brings that knowledge and commitment to her work with our team. We’re glad to have her alongside us in this new capacity as we head into a busy season at ResourceWest.

Welcome to the team, Shannon!

10/18/2026

Planning a Winter Warm Wear appointment? Here’s how it works.

Your family will have a private appointment in the Winter Warm Wear Shop. You can look through available coats, hats, gloves, and mittens and choose the sizes and items that work for your children.

Appointments are available through March.

The program is available for children from infants through age 18 who attend school in the Hopkins or Minnetonka School District, or who live in Hopkins, Minnetonka, Excelsior, Shorewood, Deephaven, Greenwood, or Woodland.

Schedule online at www.resourcewest-appointments.as.me or call 952-933-3860 for help scheduling.

Please share this information with a family who may be able to use Winter Warm Wear program.

10/16/2026

You don’t have to wait until Election Day to vote. If you’re juggling work, school, or family schedules, voting early may be easier.

In Minnesota, you can vote early in person through Monday, November 2. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Find your voting location and hours, preview your ballot, and learn about registration at mnvotes.gov. Information is available in several languages, including Spanish and Somali.

www.mnvotes.gov

10/15/2026

Winter Warm Wear appointments have started at ResourceWest. As coats, hats, gloves, and mittens go home with families, we’re asking our neighbors to help keep the shop stocked.

Parents visit by private appointment, one family at a time, and choose what fits their children. Having different sizes available means a parent with several children can look for what each one needs.

Would you host a collection with your coworkers, friends, neighbors, or congregation? You can collect a mix of winter gear or keep it simple and focus on new hats, gloves, or mittens. We’ll share our current needs and help you get started.

For a family balancing winter clothing costs with groceries, childcare, and other bills, finding those items here can ease some of the pressure.

Fill out our short form to host a drive:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/82TUU9A36Y

If someone comes to mind who could bring a group together, please share this with them.

10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day. 💚

At ResourceWest, our work often begins with a conversation about what’s making daily life difficult. We help neighbors navigate resources, meet essential needs, and work through next steps together.

Today is also a good reminder to check in with someone you care about. Make time to listen. And if they need help finding community resources, let them know we’re here.

10/08/2026

A rack full of donated coats can still be missing the size a child needs. We’re checking those sizes now as we prepare for Winter Warm Wear appointments beginning October 12.

Today is DAF Day. If you have a donor-advised fund, a grant to ResourceWest helps us buy the sizes we’re missing and replenish hats, gloves, and mittens throughout the winter.

Parents can browse the clothing and choose what fits their children at no cost. For families replacing coats their kids have outgrown, this can make winter shopping a little easier on the budget.

If you’d like to help, log in to your DAF account and search ResourceWest, EIN 41-1975357. Recommend a grant for “Winter Warm Wear.”

Thank you for helping make these choices available to local families.

10/07/2026

Meet Katrin Birk, ResourceWest’s new AmeriCorps Groundwork Fellow! 💙

Katrin graduated cm laude from Carleton College with a degree in Biology and Studio Art. Her experience includes environmental research, organizing campus events, and serving as an AmeriCorps Math Corps tutor, helping students build their math skills and confidence.

We’re glad to welcome that mix of science, creativity, and experience supporting young people at ResourceWest.

Katrin joined us in late September through the Minnesota Alliance With Youth’s Groundwork Fellows program. She’s been getting to know our staff and programs and helping prepare for Winter Warm Wear appointments, which begin next week. During her time with us, she’ll help strengthen our programs supporting children, youth, and families across the West Metro.

If you see Katrin around ResourceWest, please introduce yourself and help us welcome her. We’re happy she’s here!

10/06/2026

We’re sorting coats by size and getting the Winter Warm Wear Shop ready for families to visit next Monday, October 12. A few sizes are still needed, and we’d love your help.

🧥 Youth coats in sizes 6–10
🧤 Water-resistant gloves and mittens in youth sizes S, M, and L

Having these sizes on hand means more parents can leave their appointment with winter gear that fits their children.

Drop off donations at our ResourceWest building on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

You can also shop our wish lists and have items delivered directly to us:

📍Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1AIOXKPK8GNG1
📍Target: https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/ResourceWestWishList

Give toward purchasing needed sizes:
https://www.resourcewest.org/donate/

Thank you for helping us fill the racks before families arrive. If donating isn’t an option right now, sharing this post helps spread the word!

10/05/2026

When a letter arrives saying your healthcare coverage is ending, it can be hard to know where to start. You may worry about filling your next prescription or keeping the care a loved one depends on.

MPR News reports that more than 5,000 Minnesota immigrants lost Medicaid coverage on October 1, including people with refugee or asylum status. Many may qualify for MinnesotaCare, but it doesn’t cover all the same services.

For our West Metro neighbors facing these changes, ResourceWest is here to help.
Our social services team can sit down with you to read through a coverage notice, help organize paperwork, connect you with insurance enrollment assistance, and help you contact county or healthcare staff about your options. We can also help you find support for other needs affecting your family.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Call us at 952-933-3860, Monday through Friday, 8 am–4 pm. You can also stop by during our drop-in hours on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 am–4 pm. We’ll work through the next steps with you.

The Minnesota DHS Refugee and Immigrant Helpline also offers free help connecting with healthcare and insurance resources: 1-800-814-4806.

Read the story:

A Twin Cities family says their mother could soon be left without care for a brain injury, after Medicaid coverage ended for thousands of Minnesota immigrants. Advocates and government officials are scrambling to find care for hundreds of people with high needs who have been left uninsured.

09/30/2026

A full rack of coats means little if none fit the child standing in front of it.

You can make sure the right sizes are ready.

Winter Warm Wear appointments begin October 12. Each family will have time to choose coats, hats, gloves, and mittens that work for their children. Your gift today will purchase the sizes and items we're missing before the first appointments.

And when those sizes run low during the winter, your support helps us restock.

Help a child find a coat that fits: www.resourcewest.org/donate/