Meal Provider Information
Summary: Our meal program is a significant part of our services we offer families during their stay at Family Village. We offer three meals a day, snacks, and 24-7 access to pantry food items. Meal Provider volunteers play a critical role in the meal program. You are meeting a tangible need by supplying families with food and you’re relieving staff of cooking time so they can focus on other family priorities. Because meal providers purchase all ingredients, this volunteer position is also a financial contribution.
In 2022, volunteers donated 10,080 meals, saving Path Home $40,320!
Thank you, for your generosity!
The Meal Provider role is a great opportunity to engage family, friends, or coworkers. Duties and expenses can be shared amongst a group. Participating helpers do not need to be registered volunteers.
Volunteers contribute brunch, dinner, and sack lunches. Brunch and dinner have the same procedures, whereas sack lunches are slightly different. We’ll discuss both separately.
Shifts:
Brunch - Saturday, delivery between 9:30-10:30am
Dinner - Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, delivery between 4-6pm
Sack Lunches - Monday-Friday, delivery between 9-11am
The Nitty Gritty - Brunch & Dinner:
Step #1
Prepare a home cooked meal, pick out your favorites at Costco, or have it catered. We request 30 hearty servings. Or, for our ambitious volunteers, you can double that and do 60 servings. The meal is delivered hot and ready to eat on your scheduled day and is accepted by staff to be transported to the kitchen for service.
To sign up for 30 servings, sign up for a single shift on the Meal Provider schedule.
To sign up for 60 servings, sign up for two shifts on the Meal Provider schedule.
Each Meal Provider shift represents 30 servings.
See the Servings section below.
Step #2
After you sign up on your Volunteer Portal, enter your meal plans on the Menu spreadsheet and select the appropriate tab by month. This informs families of what the upcoming meal is, gives you meal ideas, and helps you be aware of the recent meals to hopefully avoid too many repeats.
Step #3
Day of: The fun part! Begin preparing and cooking your food.
Once completed, label each dish with the date and time it was completed. This helps us know the freshness of the food in case there are leftovers that get stored for use in the coming days (By the way, we love leftovers!).
Volunteers do not need to provide any special dish for families who have food allergies or a food lifestyle choice (vegan or vegetarian). It’s delicate to navigate and it’s easier to let staff handle any special food accommodations. Please provide the allergen/ingredient checklist with your meal so families can make informed choices.
Deliver to Path Home, 6220 SE 92nd Avenue. Entrance is on the south side of the main building. You may double park at the doors for a brief drop off. Shelter staff are ready with a cart to accept your food and bring it to the kitchen for service. If you are running late, please call the Family Village to notify staff (971-409-1766).
In-person/On-site Meals:
Are you interested in helping with the meal service for the meal you are providing? You can do so for dinner on Mondays and Wednesdays by signing up for the Kitchen Helper shift, 4:30-7:30pm. Sign up for your Meal Provider shift and sign up for the corresponding Kitchen Helper shift. There is only one Kitchen Helper shift available, but contact Bethany if you would like to have two of you present! On-site volunteers must be registered volunteers. Click here for more information about Kitchen Helper.
The Nitty Gritty - Sack Lunches:
Step #1
Assemble 30 lunches and include the classics: 15 Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and 15 meat and cheese sandwiches. Additional lunch snacks to include are: fruit or a fruit cup, chips or crackers, and/or a cookie or granola bar.
You can choose whether you want to assemble using the paper bags or not. Both are fine!
If you prefer to forgo the brown paper bags, group the same sandwiches together, all the fruit together, and all the same snacks together.
If you prefer to assemble the lunch with the paper bag, label the bags with the date, and which are PB & J, and which are meat and cheese. Kids are welcome to draw or decorate them!
Step #2
The 30 sack lunches are delivered on your scheduled day. Deliver to Path Home, 6220 SE 92nd Avenue. Entrance is on the south side of the main building. You may double park at the doors for a brief drop off. Shelter staff are ready with a cart to accept your food and bring it to the kitchen for service. If you are running late, please call the Family Village to notify staff (971-409-1766).
Tips:
Use JIF or Skippy (instead of Adams or natural peanut butter)
Use white or buttermilk bread (instead of wheat or nutty bread)
Apply mayo and mustard directly on the bread or include individual condiment packets (instead of including a single bottle of mayo and mustard)
Requirements:
Food Handlers cards are required for volunteers who are providing brunch and dinner. You may obtain a Food Handlers card here.
No meals with seafood
No meals with peanuts (Exception: Peanut butter for sack lunches is OK)
Do not prepare a meal if you are sick.
Safety Considerations:
Practice good hand hygiene. Washing hands with soap and water frequently.
Use utensils or gloves if available (Washing hands is still needed before putting on new gloves and if your gloves become contaminated)
Always use a clean counter space.
Be extra careful with cold dishes -- they are more delicate to prepare because there is no “extra protection” to prevent germ transfer, such as cooking food in an oven.
Storing & Transporting your Brunch or Dinner to Path Home:
Deliver your meal in containers that you do not need returned, such as aluminum pans or new plastic containers. Volunteers are always welcome to pick up Path Home’s Cambros or pans before your meal as well.
Heat transfers quickly to cold foods. Even if it’s a brief trip, keep cold and hot foods separate when traveling. For example, you don’t want to accidentally melt shredded cheese into a singular block or wilt the salad because you packed them next to hot potatoes!
If you need to deliver earlier than scheduled, food should still be fully cooked. Ideally, the meal will need no more than a quick reheat - one hour or less. Cooking foods that need a longer oven or prep time can be challenging for staff’s limited time and our single oven.
Swap Outs:
Use Tupperware, aluminum tins, Cambros, or new mason jars (instead of previously used food containers such as a CoolWhip tub - This is because of sanitation and safety reasons)
Use sturdy containers - see above (instead of Ziplock bags)
Servings:
Each Meal Provider shift represents enough food to feed 30 people in shelter. If you sign up for one shift, you are offering to bring 30 servings of food. If you sign up for two shifts, you are offering to bring 60 servings of food.
What does 30 servings look like?
30 servings means 30 complete dinners for hearty appetites (Ex: enough chicken wings for 30 people, 30 servings of mashed potatoes, and 30 servings of green beans)
Think of the food’s weight or volume. If you usually eat 1.5 cups worth of a dish, you need to have 1.5 cups x 30 servings.
Another easy way of thinking about how much food to bring is to consider that a well-rounded meal generally consists of a starch, a protein and a veggie. When these three options are served separately they are usually measured as "1 portion veggies, 2 portions protein and 3 portions starch.”
Meat:
Cook to 165 degrees. When checking the temperature, insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. If you are not using a thermometer, slice open a part of the meat to visually see if the meat is fully cooked. Don’t worry about ruining the presentation!
Families prefer well-done meats, even over-cooked is OK! Why is that?
Families might have a past history of consuming outdated foods and have experienced food poisoning.
Families might have dental problems that make it harder to chew rare or undercooked meats.
Safety Considerations:
Be extra careful with cold dishes -- they are more delicate to prepare because there is no “extra protection” to prevent germ transfer, such as cooking food in an oven.
Always use a clean counter space.
Wash your hands and use utensils or gloves, if available.
We recommend that you wear a mask when preparing and delivering the meal.
FAQs:
What meals are popular? We can provide a lot of ideas here. But here’s a brief list: Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, pizza, burgers and hot dogs (we often grill in the summer!), Swedish meatballs and noodles, spaghetti, Asian-inspired foods such as potstickers, egg rolls, and lo mein noodles, and Mexican dishes.
What meals are not as popular? Unfamiliar, less common dishes. Families during trauma gravitate towards familiarity and often stick with what they know. That’s not to say, that new or unique meals are off the table - It’s just something to consider! Also consider these swap outs:
Use pasta or rice (instead of quinoa)
Use romaine lettuce (instead of kale)
Use __ (instead of raisens -
Make a chicken casserole or beef stroganoff (instead of tuna casserole - We also have a no-seafood policy, so this one shouldn’t be an issue!)
Include a starch, meat, and veggie in your meals (instead of vegetarian-only or vegan-only). Or, consider a vegetarian or vegan meal as a side dish instead of the main course!
Omit raisins in entrees (Raisins as snacks or in desserts are OK)
What meals do you receive a lot of? Soups, stews, and chili in the fall and winter, taco bars, and lasagna. While these are welcomed meals, we tend to receive them frequently.
Where can I find the menu spreadsheet where I enter my meal? Click here! You can also find this on your Volunteer Portal on the Home page.
Will 30 or 60 servings be enough food? We have up to 17 families in shelter (80-90 moms, dads, and kids) and many hearty eaters. We request 30 to 60 servings from volunteers, because that’s already such a big request! Staff are ready to provide supplemental food when needed.
Do I have to accommodate food allergies? No, you do not need to make special dishes for families who have dietary restrictions. Simply include this form to inform us of ingredients, so families can make informed decisions. Staff are prepared to make something for residents who have specific dietary needs.
How and where do I obtain a Food Handlers card? Visit the Multnomah County Official Food Handlers site. The process takes about 1 hour: 40 minutes to read the Food Handlers manual or watch the videos, and 20 minutes to take the test. The test has around 35 yes-no questions. You will need an email to set up your account and a credit card for the $10 fee that you pay at the end (Let Samantha know if you’d like reimbursement! We’re happy to do that). You may print or save your Food Handlers card as a PDF. Once finished, send Bethany a copy of your card so we can update your volunteer account. It is good for 3 years.
If I am working with a group, is everyone required to get a Food handlers card? If you are preparing the meal as a group, only one supervising person needs to have a Food Handlers card. If you are preparing food separately, then individuals need to each have their own card - This is Path Home’s preference. However, we recognize that may be a challenge as a group and we don’t want to prohibit you from contributing. A Food Handlers card is highly encouraged, but would not be required if working individually as a group.
Can I donate food items to stock your fridge and pantry? Absolutely yes! We understand that preparing and donating a meal isn’t the right fit for everyone. If you still want to help, we always welcome new, unopened, and unexpired food items (Ex: Shelf stable foods such as breakfast cereals or snacks, or even frozen items like chicken nuggets and potstickers!). See our food wish list here or contact Bethany regarding our current needs!
Is my meal donation tax deductible? Yes! Because meal providers purchase all ingredients, this volunteer position is also a financial contribution. You may request an in-kind acknowledgement letter from Samantha at any time. Otherwise, we send out acknowledgement letters to all participating Meal Providers in January for the previous year. Your acknowledgement letter can be used as your tax receipt.
Click below to learn about the other volunteer positions: Kitchen Helper, Kids Club, Holiday/Party Support, Grounds Crew, and Turnover Team.