What to Know Before Your First Volunteer Shift
March 10, 2026 · Seed to Serve LA Team
If you’re thinking about volunteering with Seed to Serve LA, here’s what you need to know. No experience required — just a willingness to show up and help.
Two Ways to Help
Every feeding event needs two types of volunteers:
Cook
Join us in a commercial kitchen to prepare wholesome meals. You don’t need to be a chef — we handle the recipes and prep lists. You’ll be chopping, stirring, portioning, and working alongside other volunteers in an assembly-line setup.
What to bring: Comfortable closed-toe shoes, hair tie if needed, and a positive attitude.
Serve
Be the friendly face that hands meals to families at our serving locations. This role is about more than distribution — it’s about dignity, warmth, and human connection.
What to bring: A smile and an open heart. We’ll brief you on respectful engagement practices before the event.
What to Expect
Each event follows our six-stage operations model:
- Ingredients are sourced from partner grocery stores and farms
- Menus are planned around available ingredients and nutritional balance
- Volunteers cook meals in a commercial kitchen
- Meals are packaged in eco-friendly containers
- Meals are transported to serving locations
- Serving teams distribute meals to families with care
The whole process takes about 4-6 hours from start to finish, though you don’t have to be there for the entire event.
Food Safety
We take food safety seriously. Every volunteer receives a brief training on:
- Safe food handling and hygiene practices
- Allergen awareness
- Temperature monitoring
- Proper hand washing and glove use
Ready to Sign Up?
Our first event is April 4, 2026. Sign up on our Get Involved page or email us at contact@seedtoservela.com.
Every pair of hands makes a difference. We’d love to have you.