Volunteering
We are fortunate at Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen to have many wonderful, dedicated volunteers. Without them, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. We invite you to join us in our service to the community. Whether you come as a "regular" or on a one-time basis, your time and service are invaluable to our agency.
Current Needs
Thanks to our community, we are fortunate enough to have filled our Christmas serving schedule.Thanks to all our wonderful volunteers.
Spaces are filled on a first come, first serve basis and pre-sign up is required. To request volunteer date(s), please complete the request form to the right, or contact Volunteer Manager, Melissa Holland, at volunteer@loavesfishes.org or 408-439-0915. In your request, please include the day(s) and location(s) you would like to volunteer, your first and last name, your contact number, and if you have one, your email address. We will then confirm if your desired spots are available. If you are signing up for more than one person, you must include the above information for each volunteer. For a group larger than 5, please contact Melissa for more details. At this time, no Saturday or Sunday opportunities are available.
| MONDAY | Volunteer Hours 3:30 - 6:00 |
Eastside Neighborhood Center InnVision's Montgomery Street Inn |
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| TUESDAY | Volunteer Hours 3:30 - 6:00 |
Eastside Neighborhood Center InnVision's Montgomery Street Inn |
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| WEDNESDAY | Volunteer Hours 3:30 - 6:00 |
Eastside Neighborhood Center St. Maria Goretti Kitchen |
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| THURSDAY | Volunteer Hours 3:30 - 6:00 |
Eastside Neighborhood Center InnVision's Montgomery Street Inn |
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| FRIDAY | Volunteer Hours 3:30 - 6:00 |
Eastside Neighborhood Center St. Maria Goretti Kitchen |
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| SAT & SUN | Sunday |
Anniversary BBQ Downtown San Jose - shifts available to set-up, serve, and tear down - from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
Meal Program
Because our staff is small, we depend largely on our volunteers to help with our meal program. As a volunteer at Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen, you may be asked to help with all aspects of the meals, including setting up our dining room for dinner, preparing the meal, serving and clean up. Volunteers must be able to help for the entire shift – we cannot do partial shifts.
Grocery Bag Program
As a volunteer with the Grocery Bag Program, you will help set up, distribute grocery bags to families, and put away food following the program.
3rd Wednesday of the month 8:45am to 12pm (see calendar above for openings listed as GBP)
St. Maria Goretti Kitchen,
2980 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95111
Holiday Programs
Special holiday programs include Easter dinner the week prior to Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and Parent Shopping Day in December. All Holiday meals are scheduled within our regular meal times of Monday - Friday. We cannot accommodate groups for holiday meals, and sign-up dates are posted in the fall.
Volunteer Guidelines
The following guidelines have been developed to answer the questions many of our volunteers have. If your question is not addressed here, please feel free to contact our Volunteer Coordinator by phone (408) 439-0915 or email at volunteer@loavesfishes.org.
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable "work" clothes and closed-toed shoes (i.e., jeans, walking shorts, tennis shoes, etc.) Please do not wear sandals, halter or tank tops, short shorts, etc. Wear your hair off of your face.
What will I do?
Volunteer activities include meal preparation, set-up of the dining hall, serving of the food and drinks, and clean-up. A typical meal takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours from beginning to end. Please sign in when you arrive and you will be given instructions as to what to do.
What should I bring?
We will supply you with disposable gloves and aprons, but feel free to bring your own. Also, if you are a new volunteer, please bring a Volunteer Information Form (sent to you with your confirmation and/or reminders emails).
Will a meal be provided for me?
Unfortunately, no. We recommend that you eat a snack before coming to the kitchen to help out.
Who can volunteer?
We accept volunteers from age 14 years and older.
Can an entire group volunteer?
We are happy to have volunteer groups. Please only bring the number of people originally indicated. If you cannot fulfill your commitment (or if there will be fewer participants than expected), please let us know a least a week in advance. We will need to make other arrangements.
We are fortunate at Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen to have many wonderful, dedicated volunteers. Without them, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. We invite you to join us in our service to the community. Whether you come as a "regular" or on a one-time basis, your time and service are invaluable to our agency.