Volunteering in The Kitchen

January 19, 2024

If you've ever attended a class at The Kitchen, chances are you've encountered at least one of our fantastic volunteers. These dedicated individuals are the backbone of our programs, contributing to the seamless execution of our classes and deeply caring about our clients as well as being dedicated to Second Harvest's mission.

Our volunteers go above and beyond to ensure the success of our classes. From the initial setup of the room to cleaning up at the end of class, their commitment shines through. Behind the scenes, they carefully prepare for each session, washing and cutting produce, measuring spices, and organizing dry ingredients. All of this preparation not only streamlines our classes but also creates an ideal cooking environment for our participants. Clients often express their gratitude for the seamless experience – arriving to find everything laid out, making their recipes, savoring the food in a community setting, and leaving without the burden of washing a single dish. We wouldn’t be able to provide this experience without our dedicated Nutrition Ambassadors.  While a significant portion of our programming revolves around on-site classes, our volunteers also extend their support outside of the walls of our warehouse. They actively participate in off-site classes at local schools and community centers, which allows us to extend the impact of our nutrition education programming.

We have been able to see an overview of the impact of Nutrition Ambassadors, yet to truly grasp the impact of our volunteers, let's delve into the numbers from 2023. Volunteers dedicated over 1,000 hours to The Kitchen alone, a figure equivalent to what some part-time employees work in an entire year. While that may just seem like a number to some people; to us, it highlights the very tangible impact they have on our organization.  

We are immensely fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers, and we're always looking to expand our team of Nutrition Ambassadors. If you have a passion for food and a desire to share that enthusiasm with others, please register for our upcoming orientation on February 5th from 5:30-7 pm. Discover the fulfilling experience of becoming a Nutrition Ambassador and take part in sharing the joy of food and nutrition with so many of our wonderful community members. 

Find out more about volunteering in The Kitchen here and register here for our next volunteer orientation, February 5th.