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Volunteer

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Our volunteers are our lifeblood. You are the reason our guests feel welcomed, nurtured, and included. Please consider volunteering at our meal service. Our committed volunteers help serve meals to our senior diners. They also maintain connections with our senior diners and make the dining experience for them more welcoming and meaningful. Choose from dining room set up, client registration, hosting, or serving in either our South Palo Alto location at Stevenson House or our Downtown  Palo Alto location at First United Methodist Church. Being a volunteer is a great way to connect with others and give back to your community. La Comida welcomes groups to volunteer. We can accommodate groups up to 8 individuals.

If you would like to be one of our valued volunteers, please review our volunteer requirements and sign up here, or simply email us at lacomidavolunteer@lacomida.org or call (650) 322-3742. Please note that all volunteers must be fully vaccinated. Thank you!!!

VOLUNTEER SIGN UP

View our Volunteer Positions at the bottom of this page
View Volunteer Positions >>

WELCOME VOLUNTEERS!

Heather Esford (she/her) Instrumental Recruiting Team

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Tommy Derrick has been a long time supporter of La Comida. He has been gleaning food in the Palo Alto area for over 20 years with the purpose of helping La Comida and other nonprofits supplement their programs by providing additional food to lower income individuals and help decrease food waste. Though he is not a typical La Comida volunteer, the time and effort he gives to redeploying food from retail sources to non-profit organizations like La Comida are equally valuable to the organization.
 
In a San Jose Mercury News article written by Patty Fisher on March 14, 2007, Tommy makes “the rounds of upscale grocery stores – rescuing fancy chocolate cakes, fresh orange juice and slightly bruised tomatoes from dumpster death. He delivers the food to agencies that feed the needy in Palo Alto: the food closet, La Comida de California senior meals program and the Opportunity Center, a homeless drop-in center run by Innvision.”
 
Further in the article there was one example of how La Comida benefited from Tommy‘s effort, “Mary Ruth Batchelder, who serves 135 seniors each day at the La Comida meals program, was waiting to see what goodies Derrick had for her. His contributions help her stay within her $4,000 monthly budget. But she never knows what he’ll show up with, so she has to be creative. This month, the 24 cases of yams he brought will be served baked, candied and mashed.”
 
The seniors who receive meals through La Comida are indeed fortunate that Tommy supports the organization with his time, effort, generosity and vision of turning one organization’s cast offs into another’s treasures.

 

La Comida welcomes group volunteers of 8 or fewer people at each lunch.

Group volunteering can increase bonding within the company and is a good way to give back to the local community.  If interested, please contact lacomidavolunteer@lacomida.org.

Tommy Derrick

CONNECT

Connect with your community. You may just make a new friend.

FEED YOUR SOUL

Feed your own soul by serving others healthy, delicious meals.

NURTURE SENIORS

Give our seniors the pleasure of inclusion and belonging.

OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

There are many ways to get involved at La Comida. Please consider donating to help us serve even more seniors our warm delicious meal weekdays. For more information on donating, click here. We are looking for more board members and supporters who can help us raise awareness of our services in the Santa Clara County community. And all seniors are welcome to dine with us at one of our two Palo Alto locations. For more information on our locations and hours, click here.  Feel free to reach out to us with any questions on how to get involved: (650) 322-3742 or manager@lacomida.org.

We love our community of volunteers and donors! They help La Comida seniors and further our mission in so many wonderful ways.
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VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Reception desk/ sign in /registration

  • Be the first to greet lunch participants. 
  • Encourage patrons to buy meal tickets

Qualifications:
Enjoy meeting new people. Comfortable asking people questions.  Ability to effectively and cordially sign in/register participants. This position does not require standing. Bilingual a plus. (Mandarin)

DISTRIBUTE MILK / FRUIT

  • Welcome participants as they enter the dining room.
  • Pass out only one milk carton and one item of fruits.

Qualifications:
Enjoy meeting new people. Comfortable asking people questions.  Ability to effectively and cordially sign in/register participants. This position does not require standing. Bilingual a plus. (Mandarin)

HOST / HOSTESS

  •  Greet and direct participants to where to seat.

Qualifications:
Energetic and cheerful personality. 
Able to stand for 90 minutes.

newcomber ambassador

  • provide personal welcome and orientation tonewcomers.
  • offer assistance in completing registration form as necessary. 

Qualifications:
Friendly, cheerful. Good at "reading people" to determine how best to welcome participants. 

SERVER

  • Greet and serve diners. Respond to questions. 
Qualifications:
Physically fit with good balance,  Also able to stand and walk while carrying plates for 60-90 minutes. 
No previous experience needed.
 

special projects

  • help update / maintain website content.
Qualifications:

Please tell us about relevant experience/skills so
that we may offer you a rewarding Volunteer
experience.