Our Blue Bookshelf program places books in the hands of young readers to promote early childhood literacy and education. We install bookshelves in locations where families spend time waiting and are stocked with free books and resources like Read, Talk, Play Everyday. Reading is the single best way to prepare children for Kindergarten! This is an easy way to encourage a love of reading and get books into the hands and homes of our neighbors in need.

More information on how to become a sponsor is available HERE.

5 Star Coin Laundry

310 Main St West

Cannon Falls, MN 55009

Goodhue Public Schools - Preschool Wing

510 Third Ave

Goodhue, MN 55027

The Born Learning Trail is a series of 10 interactive signs that offer fun, active learning activities for young children and their families. It helps parents, caregivers and communities create quality engagement opportunities when out on a stroll or visiting a local playground.

United Way has installed two Born Learning Trails in Red Wing.

Pine Valley Park: The first trail was built in partnership with the Dawn Breakers Kiwanis and the City of Red Wing in May of 2016. 

Charleston Crest Park: The third trail was built in partnership with Live Healthy Red Wing.

Signs are available in English and Spanish and translations can also be made to most other languages. The trail can be ordered as a kit and includes instructions, hardware, and reinforced, full color metal signs. Building materials and muscle can be locally sourced - installation days make for great volunteer events. Sings include special messaging, including sponsor names and company logos. More information is available HERE.

We are looking for sites to erect additional trails throughout Goodhue, Wabasha & Pierce Counties.

Fare for All is a pop-up grocery store. They sell packs of fresh produce and frozen meat at up to 40% off of retail prices.

Everyone and anyone can shop at Fare for All across 30+ pop-up sites in the Twin Cities and Greater MN. Shop for quality, nutritious foods at discount and budget-friendly prices. It follows a co-op model, so the more people who shop, the better the discounts. Just stop by and shop!

Fare for All buys fresh produce and frozen meat in bulk from wholesalers, manufacturers, and growers. Volunteers bundle it into $10 – $30 packages that are sold at sale locations.

Red Wing Fare for All events are held at St. Joseph Church - 435 West 7th Street.

Credit, debit and EBT cards preferred. Please no checks.

Check out our Events Calendar for the current shopping dates.

For many kids, school breakfast and lunch are the only meals they can count on. Packing for the Weekend provides simple weekend meals to make sure no kids go hungry. The food program is available in Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Goodhue County Education District, Lake City, Red Wing, Wabasha-Kellogg, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa. Contact your school social worker to sign up.

Our Read, Talk, Play, Everyday program aims to promote kindergarten readiness, everyday reading, and parent involvement in pre-school-aged kids. For activities, tips, and tricks for reading with your child, click here.

To ensure all kids have the same opportunities to start the school year right, every fall United Way collects the tools our kids need to learn and grow, including pens, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks, rulers, scissors and notebooks. We distribute 300 backpacks stuffed with school supplies along with hundreds of other supplies to schools within Goodhue, Wabasha & Pierce counties.

Thank you to our Program Partners!

211 is the simple, single access point for all community resources nationwide. It is a comprehensive, multilingual; over-the-phone service where people can call to find community resources that can help them, their families, neighbors, and friends.

United Way 2-1-1 is a free and confidential community information and referral line available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 211 can help people navigate the social services system. Users dial  2-1-1 (from a landline and most cell phones) or 1-800-543-7709. 40,000 community services are in our statewide database. Our 211 information and Referral Specialists are trained to evaluate and offer needs in: