Volunteer Service Awards Nominations Still Needed!

Do you know a Maverick, Faculty/Staff person, or Community Partner that has given outstanding community service (as a student) or provided quality service learning opportunities (as an MSU faculty/staff or community partner) to our campus?

We invite you to fill out and submit our Volunteer Service Awards Nomination form! 

Nominations will be processed as they come in and award recipients notified by April 15th.

Awards Categories are as follows:

• Motivated Maverick: awarded to Mavericks who continually show up and serve when the need arises. These Mavericks will have 15 hours or more of volunteer service in the 2025/2026 MSU Academic year. They are aspiring leaders and bring others along for the journey. 
• Emerging Talent: awarded to Mavericks who are just starting out in their Maverick volunteering journey but jumped in and got busy in a short amount of time! These are Mavericks who have volunteered less than 15 hours of service in the 2025/2026 academic year but made a big impact!
• Volunteer of the Year: awarded to Mavericks for the 2025/2026 academic year, who bring the ideas, make the plans, lead the charge, and inspire the action of others. This may be awarded to one or more Mavericks who serve more than 15 hours of volunteer time collectively, while holding leadership roles or bringing innovative ideas for service to life through new initiatives or expanded programs.
• Inspired Ally: awarded to MSU faculty, staff, or Mankato community partners who provide service-learning opportunities to Mavericks, adding diverse educational experiences our students take part in and learn from.

Volunteer nominees can come from all areas of MNSU campus & Mankato regional life including meaningful impact in a classroom setting, an RSO, an honors program, a known student leader, a campus faculty/staff person, or Mankato community partner, etc. The possibilities for service are endless!

Click here to fill out the form or select it from attached registrations below. 

Help us celebrate Mavericks who make a difference!

On-Campus Volunteer Opportunities

Nursing Home Visit
Mavs in Action
Join us on our monthly visit to the Nursing Home as we interact and play BINGO with the residents! This is an excellent way to get your volunteer hours in and get a break from your academic stress. We will meet in CSU 173 (Student Activities) before walking together to the Nelson Hall bus stop. The visit will last approximately two hours, and we will be using public transportation to get there. If all spots are full, feel free to join the waiting list, and please still show up, just in case someone does not show up.
Please remember to bring your MavCard. 
Thursday, April 16th
4-6 PM
CSU 173 Student Activities
Volunteer Sign-Up Link


Maverick Day of Service: Adopt a Highway
Mavs in Action
Please join us in cleaning up the road outside the entrance of Minneopa Falls State Park! This event runs from 9 AM to 10:30 AM, but we please ask that volunteers meet us in the flexible programming space located in the basement of the CSU (By Chic fil a) promptly at 8:45 AM so we can get you checked in and ready to go! Transportation, gloves, garbage bags, and trash grabbers will be provided! Snack and water will be available to you before and after the event  We hope to see you there!
Saturday, April 18th
9AM - 5 PM
Meet in the Flexible Programming Space (by Chick-Fil-A)
Volunteer Sign-Up Link

Mankato Area Volunteer Opportunities

Looking to get off campus and serve the Greater Mankato Area Community? Here is what we have found. Area partners have one-time and ongoing needs. Each week we will highlight at least 3 area agencies who depend on volunteers. 
Check it out!

Community Care
CompassionCare Hospice
"Our Volunteers provide necessary emotional support and companionship, making the best of what is left from life to terminally ill patients. They have a deeper understanding for those whose life has come to the ending and they have the spirit of compassion. Necessary and emotional support to both our patients and their families" 

• Companionship through tough times – sometimes just a presence of our volunteers means a lot to our patients 
• Indirect care-Doing clerical work in the office 
• Helping create special gifts for our patients 

This is an ongoing volunteer opportunity 
Locations and times vary by patient need 
Contact Nathan Phillips for more information nathan.phillips@momentshospice.com  | 507-609-8800 
Mankato Admin Office 124 E Walnut St. Mankato, MN 56001 
 

Community Clean-Up
Good Counsel
Tasks will include clean up of grounds, cleaning indoors, moving furniture and other tasks to help us get ready to open the campus for community use!
One time and ongoing volunteers needed
See sign up link for dates and times
170 Good Counsel Dr Mankato, MN 56001
Sign-Up Link
13 minute drive from campus
 

Annual Event Volunteers Needed 
Project Community Connect: Mankato United Way 
"Project Community Connect is a free community event to help reduce barriers and connect people to essential resources and services for a healthier, safer and more stable community. This collaborative event raises awareness of hunger, homelessness and poverty inour region. 

By bringing more than 90 service providers to one place, this event aims to provide ease of access to a broad variety of services and knowledgeable service providers to improve lives inour community." 
This is a one time volunteer opportunity! 
Tuesday, April 21
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM 
Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center 1 Civic Cener Plaza 
Mankato, MN 56001 
Accessible via Bus route #7 
Volunteer Sign-Up 

Student Basic Needs Resources

Sodexo Swipe Out Hunger
Maverick Food Pantry
Campus Cupboard at Crossroads
Echo Food Shelf

• accessible via bus route #7
• online ordering available

Live bus tracker
MNSU Emergency Grant Resources
Off Campus Housing Resources