We consider the Night Shelter to be an opportunity to connect with our city’s most vulnerable and get them into permanent housing solutions as quickly as possible. Data has long supported the idea that once basic needs of food, shelter, and safety are met, individuals are better able to address more abstract goals like stabilizing physical and mental health, employment, and building community. Our goal is to provide a warm bed, safe from the elements, for those experiencing homelessness to spend the night. Knowing that we all sleep better with a full tummy, we want to provide dinner as often as possible to ensure a good night's rest for our guests. The following information will help you plan, prepare, and serve your meal.
Meal Preparation Guidelines:
- We have a simple prep kitchen at the Night Shelter, so meals must be prepared offsite in advance and ready to serve when you arrive.
- Plan on feeding at least 140 hungry guests. We do see an increase in numbers during inclement weather, so if possible, it’s always good to prepare extra. No food is ever wasted. If it doesn’t get used at dinner, we will freeze the leftovers for emergency meals.
- When preparing a meal, think in terms of nutritious and substantial foods that include the following: Main Dish (example: lasagna, soup, chicken, casserole), Vegetable (example: green beans, carrots, salad, broccoli), Starch (example: dinner rolls, garlic bread, baked potato), Dessert (example: cobbler, brownie, apple pie)-Include a few Vegetarian-Friendly meals (example: black beans and rice, pasta)
- Arrive at 5:30 pm to set up
- Dinner service starts at 6:00 pm
- Plan on at least three to five volunteers to serve your meal.
- When you arrive, check in with the front desk staff.
- We understand that things come up due to inclement weather, sickness, or emergencies, and your group may not be able to serve your scheduled meal as planned. Our guests count on these meals, so we ask that you consider a backup plan if such circumstances arise. Some alternatives would be ordering pizza, or tacos, dropping off dinner with the staff, etc.
- Gloves must be worn during preparation and serving.
- Proper cleaning and sanitation of kitchen surfaces, utensils, and appliances before and after use.
Start with Yes
- While serving dinner, guests may ask you to heat up their personal food in the microwave or request hot water, etc. We like accommodating these requests and saying "Yes!" as much as possible, but when in doubt, you can always direct them to a staff member.
