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Volunteer With Us

Every meal we serve is cooked, plated, driven, and handed over by a volunteer. Most roles ask for one shift a week, and we train you before your first one.

  1. Pick a role

    Four roles below, with the schedule and time commitment for each.

  2. Send the interest form

    Two minutes. We reply within three business days.

  3. Train, then serve

    One training session on site, then you're on the shift calendar.

A group of Street Life Ministries volunteers standing behind the serving table before a meal service

100+ volunteers make this possible.

Staff, volunteers, and neighbors from the community we serve, the people who show up, week after week, to make it real.

Volunteer opportunities

Volunteer Roles

Open a role for the full duty list, or tell us you're interested and we'll walk you through it.

8:10–9:00 PM

Evening Kitchen Coordinator

Runs the evening meal service: sets the plan, directs the cooks and servers, and closes the kitchen down.

Duties and responsibilities

Report to the kitchen at 8:10 and unload the van (food trays, food shields, utensils, and in warm months any water bottles). Label unserved food with the date and place it in the SLM refrigerator. Wash and dry the drink cambros, food trays, food shields, and utensils, returning each to its bin or cabinet once fully dry. Take the doors off the hot boxes so they air out rather than smelling of stale food. Restock the van for the next day and back it into its labeled SLM spot.

I'm Interested

~5:00–6:45 PM

Cook / Accent Cook

Prepares the main dish or the sides from the day’s menu. No professional experience needed, the coordinator sets the plan.

Duties and responsibilities

Accent Cook: prepare pre-packaged salad, warm bread, the beverage, and pre-cut desserts in the PCC kitchen, then heat other dishes for the meal (sometimes overflow from the previous night). On rare occasions cook something simple like rice or pasta. Cook or Group Cook: scheduled by availability. SLM provides donated ingredients for Open Cook Dates, usually frozen casseroles and canned fruit and vegetables. Groups often prepare a whole meal while individuals contribute a single dish. Fresh fruit, family-size frozen vegetables, restaurant-size cans, already-cooked frozen meat, and takeout are all welcome, and our drivers can collect takeout. The PCC kitchen is fully stocked and open 5–10 PM nightly and most Fridays; if you cook at home or at your church, a driver will come to you.

I'm Interested

6:15–8:00 PM

Driver

Picks up donated food and delivers meals on the local route. Valid license and a clean driving record required.

Duties and responsibilities

Arrive at the van early enough that food is delivered by 7:00. Load and label the food and drink prepared by the accent cook, plus utensils and supplies, and pick up the main dish if it was prepared elsewhere. Drive to the service location, check in with the table captain, and help move food to the service area until the meal is finished. Reload the van afterward, return unused food to storage, coordinate with the Evening Kitchen Coordinator, and complete the driver’s report.

I'm Interested

6:45–8:00 PM

Food Server

Serves the meal, keeps the dining area stocked, and welcomes guests. The best first role if you’re new to us.

Duties and responsibilities

Sites are open 6:30–8:00 PM; arrive by 6:45. After the sermon, meet with the table captain and serve food, utensils, or beverages at their direction.

Claim a Shift

Already trained as a server?

Skip the form, claim your dates

Trained servers go straight to the shift calendar and pick the nights that work. No need to fill anything out again.

Server Sign-ups

New volunteers start here

New Volunteer Interest Form

New to volunteering with us? Tell us which role caught your eye and we'll set up your training.