Volunteering with Hope Clinic
Stocking, cleaning and organizing
This volunteer shift exists to do the odd assortment of jobs needed to keep the food program organized and well stocked. Needed tasks will vary week to week. Below are a list of regular tasks, however feel free to take initiative when you see a need and check in with a staff person to help you identify unmet or unusual needs. Often, tasks are written on the white board in the dining room.
Arrival:
Check in – When you arrive for your shift, please report to Hope’s main entrance at the back of the parking lot.
The door will be locked, so ring the doorbell when you arrive. If there is no one at the front desk to let you in, please call 734-484-2989.
Make sure you log your hours on the volunteer sign in sheet.
Stock Donations – Donations are sometimes stored in the “loading dock” and sometimes on tables in the Hope dining room. These can be sorted and put away in the pantry.
o Make sure no food is ever stored on the floor. Chemicals or cleaning items should not be stored on top of food.
o Wash your hands, then stock the pantry shelves with donated items.
o Organize donated plastic and paper bags under the windows.
Organize Food Pantry
o Break down bulk toilet paper to 2 rolls per plastic bag.
o Black produce crates in the pantry should washed or wiped down, folded down and stacked, cardboard should be broken down and taken to the loading dock. Banana boxes do not need to be broken down. We give those back to our local food bank, Food Gatherers.
o If bulk produce is out and you have time, bag it into individual bags (wash hands first).
Pack Emergency Bags – Wash your hands in the pantry sink, then grab the emergency bags on the wall by the freezer.
o Take a cart and fill with a few paper bags, then follow the list of items on the shelving unit to fill each bag using the items in the pantry.
o We will also need a few ready-to-go meal bags as well, so replace any items that require cooking (i.e. rice, pasta) with prepared items (cereal, canned chili, etc.).
Pack Brown Bag Meals – Put bags together to hand out at our hot meals for clients to take home. Items are located in a closet to the left of the bathrooms.
o For each bag, make sure you fill out a label, checking off what you put in the bag and staple to the front.
o There are two types of bags, cooked and non-cooked bags; use supplies from the pantry and silverware from the dining room.
No cooking required: 1 Main Entrée (ready-to-eat, i.e. canned ravioli) + 1 set of silverware + 1 fruit cup/fruit + 1 granola bar and snack item
Cooking required: 1 Main Entrée (i.e. ramen noodles, microwave meals) + 1 set of silverware + 1 fruit cup/fruit + 1 granola bar and snack item
o Do not put any canned item in the bag that is closer than six months to the expiration date.
Clean-up - Extra cleaning supplies are in the kitchen in the utility closet or the supply closets, towels/wash-clothes are in the bins to the left of the walk-in fridge (disinfecting wipes are for the bathroom only).
o Check that all trash cans have bags in them, including the kitchen. More bags are in the kitchen under the serving counter or in the supply closet.
o Check that handwashing sinks have paper towels (two in the kitchen, one in the pantry, and the two bathrooms). Refills are in the supply closet next to the bathrooms.
o Sweep and mop the kitchen and pantry as needed.
o In the kitchen, check sinks, counter tops, dish washer, etc. for areas that need to be cleaned.
o Make sure all used towels are put in the dirty bin by the back kitchen door.