Volunteers & Fresh Food Needed for Holiday Meal 2019

Mia Stein, Chief of Service, and her committee are organizing the winter Holiday Meal to prepare for this amazing event where 300-400 meals are served for the local unsheltered community There is a preparation and set-up shift on Friday, December 13th while the actual meal will be served on Saturday, December 14th from 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm. Our focus this year will be to gather as much warm clothing as possible for our attendees to choose from. In addition, we are hoping to raise enough funds to secure on-site laundry and shower services from a local non-profit!

Here is how you can help:

We have raised over $500 for our goal to reach $4,000 for the event. These funds offset staff costs, ingredients, supplies, decorations, and entertainment among other items. We are deeply appreciative of the many supporting donors who make the Holiday Meal possible. We accept CASH or CHECKS payable to “BHS ASB”.

Checks can be dropped off to Mr. Villavicencio’s mailbox or mailed directly to:

Berkeley High School

c/o Mr. Villavicencio BHS Holiday Meal  

1980 Allston Way

Berkeley, CA 94704

Fresh Food Drive

Please sign-up here to bring fresh food donations for the meal.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOOD CONTRIBUTION LIST

  • Turkeys (at least 12 needed)
  • Hams (at least 10 needed)
  • Alternative meat options
  • Desserts (Pumpkin and assorted pies, cookies)
  • Bread (Rolls, loaves, Corn bread)
  • Salads (Various salads w or w/o cheese, nuts, dressing) Yams/Sweet Potatoes/Mashed
  • Potatoes
  • Cheese
  • Butter (3 pounds needed)
  • Onions, Garlic, Spices, Herbs, and other assorted seasonings
  • Any Fresh hot or cold dish that you can lovingly donate Fresh food donations can be delivered between 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm on Friday, December 13 or 8:00 am-12:00 pm of Saturday, December 14 to the main doors of the school at Milvia and Allston. There is a loading zone located here. Please indicate what time you would like deliver your donation.

Canned Foods Needed:

Please bring in amount of the following types of canned foods. Any extra Thanksgiving ingredients lying in your cabinets would make a great contribution to the meal. Please consider sending your student to school with a few cans to drop off at the bins located outside of the leadership office in the main building. The food is donated to the Alameda County Food Bank.

*If you have any questions please ask Mr. Villavicencio or Mia S. in the Leadership Office.

  • Beans (Kidney, garbanzo, black, green, baked, refried) Corn
  • Chili (Vegetarian, beef)
  • Soup (Chicken Noodle)
  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Pumpkin Pie filling
  • Tomato Sauce or Diced Tomatoes
  • Pasta, Macaroni Noodles
  • Cooking Oil (Olive oil or vegetable oil)
  • Coffee, juice, tea, or other beverages

Warm Clothing & Toiletry drive will take place from now until December 15. With the winter season on it’s way we want to help the homeless community stay warm. We will have bins for donations placed throughout Berkeley High including near the Leadership Office and in the C-Gallery. We are asking people to donate new or gently used blankets and new toiletries including:

  • Warm Clothing such as coats, jackets, socks or blankets
  • Backpacks
  • Toiletry (toothbrushes/toothpaste, soap, shampoo/conditioner, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, kleenex, disposable razors, lotion, shaving cream, and/or other similar products)

Volunteer Info

The volunteer list will be on SignUp Genius and be made available to volunteers in mid-November.

CLICK HERE FOR THE VOLUNTEER SIGN UP LIST

Here is an example of the shifts:

  • FRIDAY FUNSTERS 4:00 – 8:00 pm. Please arrive at 4:00 pm and wait in the cafeteria for the orientation meeting.
  • EARLY BIRDS 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.  Please arrive at 9:00 am and wait in the cafeteria for the orientation meeting. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.
  • SUPER SERVERS: 12:00 – 2:00 pm & 2:00 – 4:00 pm.  Please arrive at 12:00 pm and wait in the by staircase to the Library for the orientation meeting. Please keep large bags and valuable items at home. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.
  • TERRIFIC TRANSLATORS: When you arrive, please check in with Mr. V. He will provide further instructions and/or direct you to places of need. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.
  • HOMESTRETCH HEROES: 3:00 – 5:00 pm Please arrive at 3:00 pm and check in with Mr. V or Mia S. We will assign clean up areas from there with most of the help being needed in the kitchen and moving stuff back to normal in the cafeteria. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.
  • All volunteers should enter through the main doors at Milvia and Allston. There will be a sign-in sheet in the Leadership Office/Conference Room B which is important for students wishing to track their service hours. Once you sign-in, please wait in the cafeteria area until the volunteer orientation meeting begins. We will provide a snack for each shift, but please bring anything else you may need to feel comfortable. For Saturday, there may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.

Thank you so much for considering a contribution or for volunteering at the event.

Have a great day!

Berkeley Organizations that focus on Homelessness

Dorothy Day House

Berkeley Food and Housing Project

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Bonita House

Women’s Daytime Drop In

Project Night by Night*

B.O.S.S.

The following video and photo links demonstrate the magnitude and impact of the meal, if you have not been a part of it before.