Note: As of February 3rd, all meal serving volunteer shifts will be at 2471 Lincoln Blvd.
Please add a comment if this is your first volunteer shift with us!
Lunch: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
- (12:00 pm) Arrival and set-up
- (12:00pm - 4:00 pm) Serve meals to youth members
- (3:45pm-4:00pm) Begin to clean-up, wipe down counters, use our kitchen markers to add the date to any lingering containers, and place them in the fridge as needed
Prep Meals Area. (Lunch Shift)
- Refill napkins, utensils, cups, condiments, tea, coffee packets,non-dairy creamer, hot chocolate, on the front kitchen table for youth to easily access. All cabinets in kitchen are labeled.
- Breakfast Items. If any breakfast items remain from the brunch shift please pack away all cereal and oatmeal packets in the white pantry located next to the fridge. Any fresh fruit can remain out.
- Snack Items. Please place fruit or granola bars out on the front table for members to access. Chips and drinks should remain behind the kitchen counter and can be offered to members.
- Set out hot trays for warm meals. If sacked lunches are provided please organize them in a manner that is easiest to distribute.
- Check the refrigerator to see if there are any meals remaining from previous dates. Check the dates and if the food is still usable please offer it to members as an option alongside the current meal. Any item that is past three days since it’s been labeled should not be served.
- Last, please update our mini menu whiteboard with your menu for the day using the meals schedule.
Meal Service.
- Please wash your hands and put on gloves before serving meals. We also ask that all volunteers wear a hat, put their hair up with a hair tie, or wear a hair net when serving meals. We have hair nets and gloves as needed.
- When youth approach the front kitchen table, explain what foods you are serving and which dishes contain meat. We have some vegetarians, and some youth who do not eat pork. Let members choose which foods they would like to have.
- If our members ask for more, give them some more and let them know they can come back for seconds (please refer to the seconds rule). They can also take any amount of fruit with them and already wrapped items to put in their backpack (i.e. pastries).
- Seconds Rule. During days of high youth count (over 40 members) please practice seconds rule. The rule ensures that all members can enjoy a meal. After 2:30pm members may grab seconds and to-gos. Please offer members snacks or left-overs from the previous day should they return for seconds before 2:30pm.
Closing Procedures. (All shifts)
- Label. If there are any remaining meals that were not served that day, remind volunteers to label them using the date they were received. If there are any unservable meals left from previous days, please ask volunteers to discard.
- Hot Plates. Return hot plates in their shelf and double check only the water station is plugged in.
- Dishes + Sink. If time permits please wash any remaining dishes and clean the sink in an effort to prevent flies.
- Clean. Make sure that the kitchen area is clean and wipe down surfaces with disinfectant wipes. Assign to volunteers if present.
- Check Trash. If the trash is full, take out the trash and replace the trash bag if needed. (Replacement bags can be found below the sink).
Engaging with Youth
We are extremely grateful for your presence here at SPY. The following guidelines are indeed common sense, but we appreciate you keeping them front of mind for the benefit of the members you’ll be serving today.
- Be sensitive to the economic and day to day realities of our members. Please don’t mention things like home remodeling while talking amongst yourselves when members are around
- Please refrain from comments that could make our members feel bad about their situation. For example “Are you hungry?” Instead, simply ask what they would like today.
- Please try and refrain from using pronouns (for example he or she) about members. We never want to assume how a member identifies their gender.
- It is not our place to comment on things like manners or member choices. Examples include “Say’ please’” “Say ‘thank you’” and “You can’t have dessert before dinner”.
- Please do not take any photos that include a member’s face or anything identifiable (ex. tattoos). This is in an effort to protect their privacy.
- We ask that you do not share your personal contact information or social media with members. If asked, this is a SPY policy. If you have any resources to share, please have them contact volunteer@safeplaceforyouth.org so we can connect with a case manager.
- We ask that all additional in-kind donations outside of meals and kitchen supplies are first scheduled by our Development team (give@safeplaceforyouth.org ). For instance, we are not accepting used clothes at this time. More info here. Thank you so much!
