Volunteer Information
Volunteer activities include meal preparation, set-up of the dining hall, serving of the food and drinks, and clean-up. Each meal shift lasts 2-2.5 hours. Please sign in when you arrive and you will be assigned tasks and given instructions on what to do. Staff and Volunteer Team Leaders will be on site to answer any questions.
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable "work" clothes and closed-toed shoes (i.e., jeans, walking shorts no shorter than knee length or Capris, tennis shoes, etc.) Please do not wear sandals, halter or tank tops, short shorts, etc. For those with longer hair, please wear your hair up and off your face. You can bring your own hat or use one of our hair nets.
Will a meal be provided for me?
Unfortunately, no. We recommend that you eat a snack before coming to the kitchen to help out.
Who can volunteer to serve breakfast on Saturdays?
Anyone 5 years and older is welcome! However, if you are under the age of 16, please bring a parent, guardian or troop/group leader to supervise during your shift. For groups of minors (5 or more), please contact us to discuss the adult to minor ratio required.
Who can volunteer for Friday Food Prep?
Anyone age 15 and older is welcome! If you are between the ages of 15 to 17 you can use a knife with adult supervision only.
What about Community Service hours?
Please bring any community service paperwork (time cards, log sheets, etc.) to the kitchen when you volunteer. We only sign off on hours the day they are completed. We do not sign off on hours at later dates due to the number of volunteers that help us serve everyday. If your organization uses an online verification, have the verification request sent to volunteers@hopes-corner.org.
Can I take photos?
Please do not take any photos in the Sanctuary where the meal is served in order to protect our guests’ privacy. You can take photos in the Fellowship Hall or Kitchen.
For your information, the California Health code includes the following:
ARTICLE 4. Handwashing
113952. Food employees shall keep their hands and exposed portions of their arms clean.
113961. (a) Food employees shall minimize bare hand and arm contact with nonprepackaged food that is in a ready-to-eat form. (b) Food employees shall use utensils, including scoops, forks, tongs, paper wrappers, gloves, or other implements, to assemble ready-to-eat food or to place ready-to-eat food on tableware or in other containers. However, food employees may assemble or place on tableware or in other containers ready-to-eat food in an approved food preparation area without using utensils if hands are cleaned in accordance with Section 113953.3. (c) Food that has been served to the consumer and then wrapped or prepackaged at the direction of the consumer shall be handled only with utensils. These utensils shall be properly sanitized before reuse.
ARTICLE 5. Personal Cleanliness
113967. No employee shall commit any act that may cause the contamination or adulteration of food, food-contact surfaces, or utensils.
113968. Food employees shall keep their fingernails trimmed, filed, and maintained so the edges and surfaces are cleanable and not rough.
113969. (a) Except as specified in subdivision (b), all food employees preparing, serving, or handling food or utensils shall wear hair restraints, such as hats, hair coverings, or nets, which are designed and worn to effectively keep their hair from contacting nonprepackaged food, clean equipment, utensils, linens, and unwrapped single-use articles. (b) This section does not apply to food employees, such as counter staff who only serve beverages and wrapped or prepackaged foods, hostesses, and wait staff, if they present a minimal risk of contaminating nonprepackaged food, clean equipment, utensils, linens, and unwrapped single-use articles.
113971. Food employees shall wear clean outer clothing to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-use articles
ARTICLE 6. Hygienic Practices
113973. (a) Single-use gloves shall be worn when contacting food and food-contact surfaces if the employee has any cuts, sores, rashes, artificial nails, nail polish, rings (other than a plain ring, such as a wedding band), uncleanable orthopedic support devices, or fingernails that are not clean, smooth, or neatly trimmed. (b) Whenever gloves are worn, they shall be changed, replaced, or washed as often as handwashing is required by this part. Single-use gloves shall not be washed. (c) If used, single-use gloves shall be used for only one task, such as working with ready-to-eat food or with raw food of animal origin, used for no other purpose, and shall be discarded when damaged or soiled, or when interruptions in the food handling occur. (d) Except as specified in subdivision (e), slash-resistant gloves that are used to protect the hands during operations requiring cutting shall be used only with food that is subsequently cooked as specified in Section 114004, such as frozen food or a primal cut of meat. (e) Slash-resistant gloves may be used with ready-to-eat food that will not be subsequently cooked if the slash-resistant gloves have a smooth, durable, and nonabsorbent outer surface or if the slash-resistant gloves are covered with a smooth, durable, nonabsorbent glove, or a single-use glove(f) Cloth gloves may not be used in direct contact with food unless the food is subsequently cooked.
113974. Food employees experiencing, while at work in a food facility, persistent sneezing, coughing, or runny nose that is associated with discharges from the eyes, nose, or mouth, and that cannot be controlled by medication, shall not work with exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, or linens; or unwrapped single-use utensils.
113975. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), an employee who has a wound that is open or draining shall not handle food. (b) A food employee who has a wound is restricted from food handling unless the food employee complies with all of the following: (1) If the wound is located on the hand or wrist, an impermeable cover, such as a finger cot or stall, shall protect the wound. A single-use glove shall be worn over the impermeable cover. (2) If the wound is located on exposed portions of the arms, an impermeable cover shall protect the wound. (3) If the wound is located on other parts of the body, a dry, durable, tight-fitting bandage shall cover the wound. (4) For purposes of this section, a wound also includes a cut, sore, rash, or lesion.