Tommies Together Volunteer Center

A group of six smiling young adults stands around a large bin full of onions, holding plastic containers and wearing gloves, inside a food distribution center. In the background, other volunteers are visible sorting produce under banners that promote hunger relief efforts.

Tommies Together Volunteer Center

The Tommies Together Volunteer Center provides our campus �ƹ��Ƶ with a range of co-curricular opportunities to invest their time, talent, and skills into the �ƹ��Ƶ. Whether you want to participate in one of our established programs like Shelter Crew or find a specific opportunity related to your field of study, we can help you get started.

With over 400 approved �ƹ��Ƶ partners, countless volunteer opportunities exist to advance the common. Volunteers can find opportunities that match their career path or personal interests, broaden their perspective, and become engaged in the work happening on the ground to create positive social change.

The center provides one-on-one coaching for those seeking assistance planning a volunteer event, maintains a database of local volunteer projects, and provides several leadership development opportunities.

Get Involved

Schedule an appointment with our staff to get started!

Highlighted Programs

A St. Thomas student reads the book "The Day the Crayons Came Home" to a young child in a classroom setting. They are seated at a table with colorful chairs, and the child listens attentively with face paint on her cheek.

Tutor-Mentor Program

Our tutor-mentor program builds meaningful connections between K-12 students and St. Thomas volunteers.

Tutor-mentors commit to volunteering for at least one semester for a minimum of one hour each week. The Tommies Together Volunteer Center covers transportation costs or provides carpools to all preapproved volunteers.

Shifts are available Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Most shifts run 1 hour. Longer shifts are available.

Email us to learn more!

A group of student volunteers wearing hard hats and reflective vests work together to build a front porch on a Habitat for Humanity home. One student is on a ladder while others support and assist from the ground under a clear blue sky.

Shelter Crew

Shelter Crew is a co-curricular volunteer and advocacy group that invites students to advance housing justice by joining in solidarity with their neighbors who don't have access to safe, affordable, and permanent housing.

Students volunteer with and , reflect with each other about the systemic issues that impede housing access, and work with the to advocate for justice, equity, and dignity in housing.

Email the Shelter Crew for more information.

Volunteers unload cardboard boxes from a Keystone Community Services Foodmobile parked near campus. Students with backpacks wait in line, and team members inside the bus hand down boxes filled with food items.

Tommie Shelf

Tommie Shelf is a co-curricular volunteer and advocacy group that invites students to advance food justice by joining in solidarity with their neighbors who don't have access to healthy, affordable food. Students volunteer with and , reflect with each other to understand the systemic issues that impede access to food, and work with the to advocate for justice, equity and dignity in food access.

Tommie Shelf

Community Partner and Volunteer Fair

The Center for Common Good hosts a bi-annual volunteer fair for students, faculty and staff in collaboration with the , Student Affairs, and Campus Ministry. Students learn various ways to directly impact our local �ƹ��Ƶ in a partnership to advance the common good.

Over 60 non-profit organizations set up booths to share information and connect with students, faculty and staff interested in exploring and even signing up for any of the many �ƹ��Ƶ engagement opportunities made available through these fairs.

Interested in learning more? Connect with us.

Community Education and Impact Events

Habitat for Humanity Builds

A safe, decent, affordable home is fundamental to a family forging a path out of poverty. Each semester, we are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity to support 1 to 2 home builds or home improvement projects. We look forward to seeing you at a future build!

Family Homelessness: Journeys in Minnesota

This educational tool was created to actively engage participants in learning about the realities facing families experiencing homelessness in our local �ƹ��Ƶ. The purpose of the activity is to make homelessness experiential and personal. Participants are invited into the struggles of a family facing homelessness and prompted to make decisions about how to handle the many challenges that arise.

Opportunity Gap Panel

This panel was created to engage students—especially those involved in the Tutor Mentor Program—in a deeper understanding of the educational opportunity gaps that affect the communities they serve. The purpose of the event is to explore the root causes of these gaps and to learn from educators, researchers, and �ƹ��Ƶ leaders about strategies that make a difference. Students are invited into a meaningful dialogue that connects their volunteer experiences to broader systemic challenges, encouraging reflection and action toward educational equity.

HEAL: Red Cross Blood Drives

Through a partnership between the Center for the Common Good and the American Red Cross, these drives invites St. Thomas �ƹ��Ƶ members to take direct action in supporting patients in need. By donating blood, students, staff, and faculty can help address critical shortages and contribute to a healthier, more compassionate �ƹ��Ƶ. Each donation has the potential to save up to three lives, connecting volunteer action with real, immediate impact.

Are you a non-profit organization or school looking to partner with the Center for the Common Good?

Info for Community Partners

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