Volunteers are the heart and soul of CGK. Thank you for your willingness to serve others. Together, we can end food insecurity for our neighbors in need.
Minors (17 years of age and younger) who volunteer with the Community Garden Kitchen, in the facility or garden area, must always be in the presence of a parent or supervisor. If the minor is in a volunteer group, such as a scout troop, church group, etc., the group must be accompanied and supervised by a parent, or authorized supervisor. Children must be 12 years old to volunteer.
The Child and Youth Protection Policy Statement also details actions that must be taken to assure appropriate use and protection of minors who act in a volunteer role at the Community Garden Kitchen. To view this policy please click here: CGK Child & Youth Protection Policy
Parents of children under 18 years of age, and adults shall complete and sign a volunteer application before participating in any programs. Confidentiality must be preserved with respect to medical and other sensitive information in the forms.
GROUPS
If you have a group interested in serving at CGK, we’d love to know more about you. Please fill out this form and we will be in touch soon to answer questions and begin working on getting your group scheduled to volunteer at CGK.
INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
Please click the individual application button below to register, select the area(s) you’re interested in serving and sign our waiver. Parents of children under 18 years of age, and adults shall complete and sign a volunteer application before participating in any programs. Once the application is complete, you will be routed to Protect My Ministry, where everyone 18 years and older must complete the background check in order to serve at CGK. The cost is $12.00 per applicant. If you have had a background check in the last year you may submit it to the volunteer manager at volunteercoordinator@communitygardenkitchen.org
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Administrative/Office Help – We do a lot of our work digitally and virtually so it is essential that volunteers in this area have good computer experience, attention to detail, can commit to at least a year, as well as respect confidentiality. Most work can be done from home, or in the new office at the facility.
Advertising/PR – There are so many noteworthy things happening at the Kitchen and we want to make sure the community knows who we are, what we are doing, and how they can help. We rely on a team of volunteers to help us continue to spread the word of our mission and the need. This includes searching and communicating with media outlets, writing and submitting press releases, finding organizations looking for speakers, and working with different organizations at events.
Campus & Building Inspector – Campus & Building Inspector Training Materials
Job summary: The Campus & Building Inspector is responsible for maintaining a safe, clean, and presentable environment in and around the campus building and grounds.
Hours: This is a 1 hour shift from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.
Community Presentations (Outreach) – If you enjoy meeting and talking to people and have a passion to end food insecurity, this role is a great opportunity to spread the news about CGK to churches, businesses, and civic organizations. CGK wants to develop a network of organizations who are enthusiastic in support of our mission through volunteering and financial contributions and we’d love your help to bring them onboard.
Dining Server – Dining Server Training Materials
Job summary: A Dining Server is responsible for providing guests with an enjoyable experience. They provide professional, courteous, compassionate, and timely service. They help deliver drinks and/or food to guests in the dining area. They maintain the dining area environment keeping it clean, inviting, and organized. They stock and clean the dining service areas as needed.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift. Arrive at 5:30pm for training; 6:00 – 8:00pm is dining service; 8:00 – 8:30pm is for clean up and closing.
Dining Service Trainer – Dining Service Trainer Training Materials
Job summary: Trainers are responsible for preparing volunteer Table Server Attendants to properly serve guests. Trainers provide professional, courteous, compassionate instruction. They will oversee the volunteers as they work and assist when required. They are responsible for making sure volunteers maintain the dining area environment clean, inviting and organized. Dining Service Trainers must be prepared to work as a team member in a dynamic workplace, follow all safety procedures, and have an aptitude for training and education.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift. Arrive at 5:30 pm for training; 6:00 – 8:00 pm is dining service; 8:00 – 8:30 pm is for clean up and closing.
Food Receiving Team – Food Receiving Team Training Materials
Job summary: A trainer will meet with each food receiver the day they begin to instruct on the following tasks: Counting, weighing and sorting of all incoming food donations, including stocking of food to the appropriate locations in the kitchen. Instruct volunteers how to handle food deliveries and properly store all food items. Input of all the collected food items into the digital food information register.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
Food Receiving Trainer – Food Receiving Trainer Training Materials
Job summary: Counting, weighing, sorting of incoming food donations, as well as stocking of food to the appropriate location in the kitchen. In addition, volunteers will need to be instructed on how to handle food deliveries and properly store all food items. All information collected on food items shall be correctly entered into the digital food information register.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
Fundraising – We have a lot on our plate over at the Community Garden Kitchen which means we need a steady flow of events and donors to help keep the lights on, food being delivered, and weeknights running smoothly. We need volunteers to help us meet our goals in lots of ways, whether getting sponsors for events, donors for our cause, or helping plan the next big event.
Galas/Special Events – We have a number of events every year to help with our fundraising efforts. Whether being hosted off site, like our annual Kitchen Classic golf tournament, at our kitchen, or a local event (i.e. Empty Bowls), we need volunteers to help prepare, set up, greet, and clean up. We will send out Save the Date emails a couple of months before big events and follow up with sign up opportunities.
Garden Team – As with every garden, our garden at the Community Garden Kitchen will have different volunteer needs on a monthly basis. Whether helping eliminate weeds, plant seeds, gather produce, or clean out beds, we frequently will need the help of volunteers to help our garden flourish.
Grant Writing Team – The grant writing team is one of the main groups working on fundraising for CGK. Grants are researched, prepared and submitted to foundations and institutions that support ending food insecurity. This is mostly computer work done with a virtual community. Team meetings are held with Zoom meetings.
Graphic Art/Website Design – We produce many different types of art material to communicate who we are, who we help and what we do. Printed material as well as digital art is needed to present our mission to the public, so good design skills are an important part of our presentation.
Host/Greeter – Host/Greeter Training Materials
Job summary: The Host/Greeter and guest happiness manager is responsible for welcoming and warmly greeting all guests on arrival to the kitchen restaurant. They are the first and last interaction a guest has as they enter and leave the establishment. The Greeter will hand guests a ticket and direct guests to tables where they will be served.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift. Arrive at 5:30pm for training; 6:00 – 8:00pm is dining service; 8:00 – 8:30pm is for clean up and closing.
Kitchen Cleaning Crew – Kitchen Cleaning Crew Training Materials
Job summary: Proper cleaning of the kitchen at all times, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of guests and volunteers. Follow Kitchen Manager’s instructions for cleaning the kitchen.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
Kitchen Helper – Kitchen Helper Training Materials
Job summary: The Kitchen Helper monitors levels of food and other goods. They assist the chef when needed.
Hours: This is a 2.5 hour shift from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.
Kitchen Prep Trainer – Kitchen Prep Trainer Training Materials
Job summary: As a Prep Cook Trainer you must have an understanding of the prep cook’s job. A prep cook is responsible for preparation of high-quality food in a timely, efficient, sanitary and consistent manner. The prep cook must be prepared to work in a fast paced work environment, while maintaining the organizational ability to identify and act on the job duties quickly and effectively. Prep cooks must be prepared to work as a team member, follow all safety procedures, and have a high threshold for heat in a kitchen environment.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
Line Cook – Line Cook Training Materials
Job summary: The Line Cook is responsible for preparation of high-quality food in a timely, efficient, sanitary, and consistent manner. The Line Cook must be prepared to work in a fast paced environment, while maintaining the organizational ability to identify and act, as needed, quickly and effectively. Line Cooks must be prepared to work as a team member in a dynamic workplace, follow all safety procedures, and have a high threshold for heat in a kitchen environment.
Hours: This is a 4 hour shift from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.
Prayer Ministry – The Prayer Ministry is a group of members of our local community who have a desire to pray over the homeless, hungry, volunteers, and leaders. Every month you will receive 1-2 emails with a scripted out prayer as well as a list of specific items the Community Garden Kitchen team is requesting additional prayers over.
Prep Cook – Prep Cook Training Materials
Job summary: The Prep Cook is responsible for preparing high quality food in a timely, efficient, sanitary and consistent manner. The Prep Cook must be prepared to work in a fast paced work environment, while maintaining the organizational ability to identify and act on the job duties quickly and effectively. Prep Cook must be prepared to work as a team member in a dynamic workplace, follow all safety procedures, and have a high threshold for heat in a kitchen environment.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
Research – Every year new data on food insecurity is revised and updated by different organizations. This information is important for the CGK grants team to include in grant submissions which fund the CGK operations. Researching for new materials concerning food insecurity and updating existing sources of information is an ongoing process and can be done once a month.
Social Media – There are so many noteworthy things happening at the Kitchen and we want to make sure the community knows who we are, what we are doing, and how they can help. We need volunteers who have an in-depth knowledge of social media, understand how to build a global network of followers, develop material and can do regularly scheduled postings.
Sparkle & Shine Crew – Sparkle & Shine Crew Training Materials
Job summary: A Sparkle and Shine volunteer is responsible for making sure all cleaning requirements are met.
Hours: This is a 1.5 hour shift. One shift runs from 5:00pm – 6:30pm while the other is from 7:00pm – 8:30pm.
Sparkle & Shine Trainer – Sparkle & Shine Trainer Training Materials
Job summary: The Sparkle & Shine Trainer is responsible for demonstrating all sanitation actions to new volunteers.
Hours: This is a 3 hour shift from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
We are so thankful for your willingness to help us meet this huge need in our community! If you have any questions please send them to volunteercoordinator@communitygardenkitchen.org
COVID POLICY
To be eligible to volunteer, the following statements must all be true:
- I am not feeling ill nor have possibly been exposed to a communicable disease (regardless of how you feel), and I have not tested positive for COVID-19 whether I am
exhibiting symptoms or not. - I have not been exposed to someone who is sick, tested positive for COVID-19, or been exposed to someone who is self-quarantining.
- If you have had COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for COVID, you can return to
volunteering if all of the following are true:
- It has been 10 days since your symptoms first appeared.
- At least 24 hours have passed since you had a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- All other symptoms are gone.
