Is the “Volunteer” section of your resumé blank? Do you have a service-learning requirement for a class? Are you looking for a fun, food-filled, way to give back to your community? If you answered yes to any of those questions then these organizations are perfect for you (and your friends) to volunteer at.
1. The Women’s Lunch Place
Photo courtesy of Ed Wonsek Art Works Inc
If you love to be hands-on in the kitchen then this place is for you. Volunteers assist the Executive Chef (yes, you heard right they have an Executive Chef, so they have lunches like this) to prepare breakfast or lunch for the guests. At lunch, you even get to serve the guests their meal as if they were at a restaurant. This is a great place for you to go with your friends and family to have a fun time together while also making a difference in people’s lives.
2. The Greater Boston Food Bank
Photo courtesy of @Gr8BosFoodBank on Twitter
If you have ever driven or walked past the Greater Boston Food Bank, you know how freaking huge it is. Just the thought that all of that food is going to people who need it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (come to think of it, so does this). While the majority of people who volunteer here are in groups, you can also volunteer by yourself (and maybe even make some new friends along the way). Volunteers inspect, sort, and pack all of the donations that arrive at the food bank each day.
3. Haley House
Photo courtesy of haleyhouse.org
Similar to the Women’s Lunch Place, Haley House provides breakfast and lunch to homeless or food-insecure men. They also provide meals-on-wheels services to the elderly and even have a food pantry. Volunteers assist in preparing and serving the meals.
An added bonus of Haley House is that they also have two other restaurants, Dudley Dough and Haley House Bakery Cafe, which aim to not only provide healthy, affordable food to the community but also provide jobs to people who would normally face difficulty finding employment. (Also, check out that fancy AF deconstructed apple pie that they serve at the Bakery Cafe).
4. Community Servings
Photo courtesy of @communityserv on Twitter
This is definitely not your typical meals-on-wheels delivery service. Community Servings aims to provide nutritious meals to persons, and their families, who are battling chronic illness and are also at, or below, the poverty line. From cancer, HIV/AIDS, lupus, MS and more, Community Servings is dedicated to helping combat these illnesses through food (like their red pepper fennel soup… healthy never looked so good). Volunteers can either assist in the kitchen prepping all the meals, or can hand-deliver meals to the clients and their families.
5. The Food Project
Photo courtesy of thefoodproject.org
If you’ve got a green thumb and love getting down and dirty then The Food Project is for you. This community garden not only provides food to local food pantries and soup kitchens across Boston but it also has programs for urban school children to learn about growing their own food. What’s not to love about experiencing the great outdoors while helping your community?