Homeless Shelter Meals
Food and Meal info - 2009/10 Season
Welcome to the meals page of the Shelter website. The shelter provides guests with a hot meal each evening. All of our meals are donated by groups or individuals who show their support for the shelter and guests through their gift of cooking. This page is to help those who are interested in providing a home-cooked meal for our guests.Scheduling
In order to allow as many people as possible the opportunity to bring in meals the schedule is usually done only a month or two in advance. A calendar of the schedule is posted here. The schedule is updated weekly.Numbers
We are never sure what our numbers will be as we begin a new season. Please initially plan the meal for approximately 30 people. The Meal Coordinator will update you with our approximate numbers based on the past weeks number of guests.Meal Preparation
Meals are to be cooked outside of the shelter and brought in. They should be brought in ready to serve. There is a stove and two microwaves available to warm things if necessary, however our kitchen is not licensed for food preparation. Because food is brought in daily to serve our shelter guests, food should be brought in containers that:- you can take back home with you
- or reusable containers that can stay at the shelter
- or disposable containers
Menu
Please let the Meal Coordinator know your menu when you plan what you will be bringing. We keep track of it so we'll have some idea of what the menu at the shelter has been, and as a way to help others know what will be served in the days before and after them. Please visit the recipes page for sharing ideas.Milk? Plates? Cups?
Besides the meal we ask those who are able to bring:- 2 gallons of milk
- paper plates, cups
Desserts
There is no requirement to provide dessert as part of the meal. There are usually a lot of sweet donations for the residents to eat. If you do want to provide dessert, consider treats that are lower in refined sugar, such as fruit based desserts or perhaps even jello. Many of our clients deal with diabetes, and we want to help them with healthy options as much as we can.Serving the Meal
The shelter opens and starts receiving guests at 5:00pm. Please plan to be ready to serve no later than 6:00pm. 3-5 people is a good sized group for the shelter's kitchen space. If for some reason you're running late, please call the shelter staff at 436-9344 so they know. If you do not want to stay and serve the meal please let us know ahead of time so we can have extra volunteers on hand to do it. Unless we hear from you that you are just dropping the food off, we will anticipate that you will be bringing a crew with to serve. If you haven’t served before, look for our "Lead Volunteer" for the evening, who will be happy to answer any questions you have. When your group arrives at the shelter, set up the "hot" food on the right side (near the stove) and drinks, coffee, desserts, salad, etc. on the left side. (viewed from the inside of the kitchen looking out) Please use gloves when serving and handling any food. Check the fridge to see if there are "other things" you can use to help free up space. Feel free to heat and serve food found in the fridge, as well as use canned fruit and vegetables in the cupboards. Other staff and volunteers may join our guests for something to eat. We encourage them to do so, because it really builds a good relation between people when they sit down to eat together and gives people a chance to take part in positive social interaction. If there are bags or boxes of food on the counter, you can try to find places to put it away. Please clean up the kitchen, wash pots and pans and put away. The kitchen closes for the evening around 7:30. Any guests arriving later in the evening will be served a meal from the leftovers and/or supplies in the cupboard by other volunteers who are working at the shelter.Volunteer Forms
Everyone in your group who comes to help serve will be asked to sign in and provide some basic contact information as a food volunteer.Breakfast
In addition to the evening meal we do schedule people to bring in breakfasts. In the past, we have had groups who brought in a big scrambled egg meal for our guests on Sundays. It was a neat way for them to make Sunday special. We’ve also had groups do mid-week mcmuffin or pancake breakfasts for the guests. If you are an early bird who likes to cook, please contact us. Thank you for your interest in providing our shelter guests with a delicious meal. You are a blessing to all of us. Mike Westenberg 435-6811 x306Meals@StJohnHomelessShelter.org