• Generally, it is good to have a volunteer group of 6 – 10 people serving at the meal-site.

• The meal you bring can be whatever you want it to be:  a variety of casseroles, salad, dessert, and beverages; one main dish (like American Chop Suey or Shepherd’s Pie) with salad, dessert and beverages; or sandwiches and salads with dessert and beverages in summer.  You decide!  For planning purposes, a 9 x 13 pan will feed 12 – 15 people for a main dish, or can be cut into 24 pieces for dessert.
  
  

• Coffee is provided at the meal-site.

• You should plan on feeding 60 – 70 people early in the month; 70 – 90 people at the end of the month.

• Doors Open by 5 p.m., so people can come early to have a cup of coffee and visit before the meal.  The meal is served at 5:30 p.m.

Things to know the day you serve:

• Volunteers should plan on arriving before 5 p.m. 
  
  

• Tasks include preparing salads, buttering bread, cutting desserts and putting them on platters.  Robin will have the coffee made and the tables set. Volunteers have the option of using disposable plates or using our real dishes and washing them all in the dishwasher.  Please tell Robin which you prefer.

• Temperature of hot dishes should be checked using a thermometer prior to serving; safe temperatures are listed on the refrigerator.
  
  

•  At 5:25, start bringing hot dishes out to the dining area.  Robin will ask for announcements and a guest or volunteer will offer a blessing.  Volunteers will serve from two lines ~ don’t forget clean gloves! ~ with a volunteer at the middle table to serve beverages. Guests need to take a clean plate for seconds.

• Generally we combine food on one serving side for seconds. When everyone has had seconds, volunteers are invited to help themselves and sit and visit with guests if there are seats available.  Desserts can be either passed around to tables or handed out at the serving table.
  
  

• When everyone has had dessert, we give away any remaining food, either in containers brought by guests or in containers stored in the back storage area.  If there is food left over after that, we deliver it to the Family Inn.

• A number of our guests need to catch the bus in front of Town Hall just after 6 p.m., so we encourage you to keep that time in mind as you serve the meal.  We generally expect that serving groups should be able to finish cleaning up and head home before 6:30 p.m.
  
  

• If real dishes were used for the meal, they should be run through the dishwasher along with the silverware, dried, and put away.  Dishes or silverware used to eat and then washed by hand should soak in the disinfectant for one minute following rinsing.  Denny Fisk will let you know if he needs help wiping down tables in dining area; usually guests help him with that.

• On Wednesday evenings, we send guests home with an additional Bag Lunch so they will have a meal over the week-end. The Community Meals Program fills those Bag Lunches ahead of time and leaves them on the stage in the dining area.
  
  

• Reminder:  Per the Board of Health, any volunteer or staff member touching food needs to wear gloves, whether in the kitchen or serving food to guests.  Guests should take a clean plate for seconds.   
  

• As a safety precaution … we know we have a wide variety of folks who eat with us, including some who have spent time in jail, are recovering drug or alcohol addicts, etc.  As vigilant as Denny and Robin are, they can’t always know if someone has left the parish hall and gone elsewhere in the building. For this reason, we ask that no children ever be allowed to go downstairs to the bathroom alone, whether they are part of a serving group or are guests at the meal.  We have never had a problem, and we want to keep it that way!

You are wonderful to help feed those less fortunate in our community!  Enjoy the good company of a Community Meal!
Thank you all!!

Robin Hamilton:  775-9435
Amy Clarke:  772-6994