Christ Church Georgetown Soup Kitchen: Volunteer duties
Cook duties
- Arrive at 5:30 pm. Go to the kitchen on the second
floor in the Parish Hall.
- Prepare sandwiches as determined by the leader, with
150 being the usual number for the warmer months. Use 2
slices of meat and 2 slices of cheese for each sandwich,
but be sure to use up all the meat and cheese designated for that night.
- Place sandwiches in individual plastic bags.
- Fill large clear plastic bins with brown lunch bags.
It is OK to layer these.
- At the leader's discretion, fill brown lunch bags with:
sandwich, spoon, napkin, mayo packet, mustard packet, and
dessert (e.g. fruit). Extra supplies are in the pantry.
- Heat up the soup following any special directions, or
until heated through. If there is a homemade soup, there
may be instructions to add a few last-minute ingredients.
- Pour soup into a large blue plastic serving container
and close lid.
- Gather food items to go out on van: soup, soup ladle,
plastic bag to hold the wet ladle, sandwiches in bags, and
any extra items if available.
- Wash soup pot and other dishes. It's easiest to use
the sink in the back of the kitchen with the disposal; to
turn on disposal, pull down the brass button located under
the sink on the left. Do not run the motor unless the lid
is closed.
- There are recycling bins near the kitchen freezer, if
needed. Corrugated cardboard boxes may be broken down for
recycling also.
- You are free to leave after the kitchen is clean. No
need to sweep the floors. Thank you!
Server duties
- Younger children riding the van must be accompanied by
at least one of their parents or a close adult friend, while
teens should have at least one adult chaperone on the van.
Children must be 12 or older to serve on the van.
- Arrive around 6:30 pm and go upstairs to kitchen.
- Help take food to downstairs foyer or front steps,
including: thermal containers of soup; soup ladle; plastic
bag for ladle; sandwich bags; clipboard; and any extra
non-perishables or fruit, if there are any.
- The Salvation Army/Grate Patrol van should arrive
between 6:45 pm and 7:00. The driver and assistant can carry
the heaviest items, but volunteers help load the truck.
- Be sure you know how to get back into the building.
- When handing out food at each stop, give each person a
cup of soup and paper bag with sandwich. The Salvation
Army/Grate Patrol will give out drinks from the back of the
van (hot chocolate in the winter; punch in the summer). You
can give out second helpings of soup or drinks, but use a
new cup or bowl - don't refill a used cup for reasons of
hygiene. Likewise, always use a new cup for drinks - do not
fill individual water bottles. The Salvation Army/Grate
Patrol will have latex gloves available for servers.
- At the end of the night, the van will return to the Parish Hall.
Bring back the thermal soup container, ladle, and
clipboard to the kitchen.
- Wash the thermal soup container and ladle. It's
easiest to use the sink in the back of the kitchen with the
disposal; to turn on disposal, pull down the brass button
located under the sink on the left. Do not run the motor
unless the lid is closed. Leave dry dishes beside this
sink.
- Count the number of people served at each stop, and
write any comments in the log sheet on the clipboard. Leave
the clipboard in the kitchen, and turn out the lights. The
Salvation Army will also ask for feedback on a form of their
own.
- Be sure the front door locks behind you when you leave.
Thank you!
Leader duties
- Arrive at 5:30 pm. Go to the kitchen on the second
floor in the Parish Hall.
- Greet and introduce new cooks and servers to the
program. Make sure all are comfortable with their duties.
- Help cooks make sandwiches, heat soup, and clean pans.
- Decide how many sandwiches to prepare guided by
instructions from the chef, recent reports from prior
weekends, and instinct. The usual number of meals prepared
in the summer is 150. Leaders can decide whether to pack
brown paper bags or not. Leaders and cooks are free to
suggest a different menu, but they should communicate this
to the chef and food buyer in advance of any changes.
- When servers leave with the truck, make sure they take
with them the clipboard and be sure that someone knows how
to get back into the building.
- Be available in case of staffing questions or last-minute
cancellations. The leader may need to ride with the
van if serving volunteers fail to show up. Try to honor the
preferences of volunteers who were scheduled to serve.
- Before leaving the church building, please make certain
the front door is locked.
- If soup kitchen van does not appear, try to contact
someone at the Salvation Army.
- If the driver is unable to reach Christ Church
after you have prepared food, use your discretion in
deciding what would be best to do.
There is additional information
about shopping for the soup kitchen and preparing the menu,
in case you are interested.
Go back
to the previous page.