The last two years, students from the Key sold usable items gleaned from the Northfield Clean Up Days to raise money for their youth programs. This was a great collaboration as it helped their organization and it prevented good useable items from ending up in the landfill. Unfortunately the dates for the Northfield Clean up Days and the Goods for Good event do not align well this year so we are asking for your help.

Drop off your good quality, usable items at “The Key”, their new location is 109 Sixth St. W. in Northfield anytime between 3pm and 8pm, Saturday April 23-Wednesday April 27^th, 2011.

Habitat for Humanity Rice County is hosting their popular garage sale fundraiser in Northfield this year as part of the Goods for Good community garage sale event. They too need your good quality items to sell at their Goods for Good site. They also want your clean clothes in good repair. Donations for the Habitat sale may be dropped off at their sale site, 203 3^rd St. W. in Northfield (former location of the Three Pines Gift Store and next to the Chamber of Commerce) weekdays between 9am & 4pm beginning this Friday. If you have a donation and can’t make those hours, call Dayna at 507-323-5167 to arrange an alternate drop off.

Interested in hosting your own Goods for Good sale site? Sign up on line at www.5thbridge.org or call Candy Taylor at 507-581-3017, but hurry, deadline to sign up is April 21^st, 2011.

5^th Bridge is Happy to announce the winners of the first round of Northfield GIVES “Golden Tickets” drawn at 1pm :

The $250 Golden Ticket, sponsored by Cannon Valley Veterinary Clinic, will go to Rice County Habitat for Humanity thanks to the donation by Mary Albright of Minneapolis

A $500 Golden Ticket, sponsored by the Northfield Area Foundation, will go to the Friends of Northfield Library thanks to the donation by Michelle Reese of Northfield

A $500 Golden Ticket, sponsored by College City Beverage, will go to Laura Baker Services Association thanks to the donation by Cheryl Buck

Congratulations to the winners and a sincere thank you to the sponsors and donors!!!!!  Keep those donations coming. Visit www.5thbridge/northfieldgives for more information and for direct links to the GiveMN.org website.

Candy Taylor and your Friends at 5^th Bridge

Many of the participating organization have matching or challenge grants that may double your gift.

Every hour (from 12:01 am to midnight 11/15/2012) during  Give to the Max Day, GiveMN.org will draw a donation at random, and  award that donor’s charity  a $1000 “Golden Ticket” Grant.

There will also be one $10,000 super “Golden Ticket” drawn.

Plus, if your charity raises the most money in the 24 hour period, in their category, they will be eligible to win leader board grants of up to $15,000.

On top of all that… participating local charities will also be eligible to win local “Golden Tickets” here in Northfield. For more info visit www.5thbridge.org/northfieldgives

There has never been a better time to give, to give today and give often, to increase the chances of your charity winning,.

Our best hope of creating real change is to invest in the nonprofits that are doing the best job.  ~Money for Good II Report

“Money for Good II,” a follow-up project by Hope Consulting and GuideStar to the 2010 “Money for Good” study, researched donor behavior and how to drive dollars to high-performing nonprofits. Click here to learn three ways to donate more effectively.

If you’d like to help, you can find December Northfield donation opportunities and make an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

“… According to a recent study by the congressionally chartered National Conference on Citizenship, there is a strong correlation between civic engagement and unemployment. In recent years, unemployment has risen less in states and cities where more people volunteer, register to vote, attend public meetings, and work with neighbors to address community challenges. For every percentage point increase in people who attend public meetings, the study found nearly a quarter percentage point decrease in unemployment. For every percentage point climb in volunteerism, unemployment dipped nearly a fifth of a percentage point ….”

Read entire article | USA Today 11.01.11

Thank you to all the sale site hosts, event Chair Therese Kitzman, Neuger Communications (maps and promotional materials), Northfield News (local and regional ads and promotion), Tim Jackson (webmaster), Northfield United Methodist Church (meeting space), College City Beverage (Banners) and all the other people who made this event possible.

Left over “goods” still went for “good” as they were donated to the Epilepsy Foundation, Used a Bit Shop, Salvation Army or were given away free to someone who needed them.

If your family, book club, sports team, church, non-profit organization, or neighborhood didn’t get the chance to participate in Goods for Good this year, mark your calendars for the May 4th & 5th, 2012 (weekend before Mother’s Day) and plan to participate in the 5th annual Goods for Good, Great Northfield Rummage Raid for Charity. Also keep in mind that you can host a garage sale anytime and donate the proceeds to charity. We would be happy to promote your sale on our website and e-newsletter as long as 50% or more of the proceeds are going to a charity or good cause for your choosing.

If you want more details, here is a recap of the sale site results:

1. The Builder’s Relay for Life Team raised $1217 for American Cancer Society. They did not price any of the items at their sale, instead they accepted free will donations.
2. The Women in Action site raised $164 for the Ronal McDonald House Charities.
3. The Taylor and friends site raised over $800 for the Northfield YMCA.
4. Habitat for Humanity held their Garage Sale Fundraiser in Northfield for the first time and raised $1500.
5. The Ensrud sale raised $162.50 for the Community Action Center.
6. Danielle’s sale in Dundas raised $600.25 for the Greenvale Elementary School. Her potted perennials and tomato plants were a big hit.
7. Mamie Tuma and Full of Pep 4H Club raised $157 for the Humane Society and $157 the Community Action Center.
8. Marilyn Nelson and her crew raised a whopping $348 at their bake sale to benefit Greenvale Elementary School.
9. Elizabeth Lathrup raised $100 for the Friends of the Library.
10. Congratulations to the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary on their grandly successful 50th anniversary Book Raid. They raised a record $56,000, which is up $6000 from last year.
11. The Union of Youth raised $626 from donated goods.
12. Ruth Hoekstra friends and family raised $232 for the Community Action Center and another $90 for various other charities.
13. The St. Dominic School site raised $2000
14. Kate Buckmeier raised $60 from their refreshment stand for their family foundation honoring her father-in-law which helps Minnesota families who are dealing with cancer.
15. Middleschooler, Raphaela Cogan raised $50 for Crohns and Colitis research and $50 for the TESS Unlimited, which will go towards cleft palette surgery for a young boy.
16. The United Methodist Church raised $1500 for women’s missions.
17. Nanny, Katherine Baty and her families raised $400 to benefit the CAC’s Christmas Sharing Program.
18. The Three Links Care Center partner with 5th Bridge again and raised $890 at their annual Rummage Sale.

Many of the sites also donated a small portion of their proceeds to 5th Bridge (over $200) to help us off set the costs of promoting this event. Thank you!