Shelter Meal Program
Sign Up Today, to cook or serve–or make desserts!
Vision:
The purpose of the St. Ignatius Shelter Meal Program is to foster community, lift the souls and nourish the spirits of homeless people and volunteers.
Core Values:
- We believe that the poor are special to God and that they deserve our support and compassion.
- We believe that Christ, in his simple request “Feed my lambs,” asks each of us to serve his people without judging and without expectation.
- We believe that a shared meal is one of the most fundamental forms of human interaction and that a fine meal, carefully prepared, is an act of love.
- We recognize that the sharing of a great meal can be healing and transforming for both the body and spirit.
Our goal is not just to feed homeless persons, but to create a temporary oasis from the harsh realities of life on the street-an environment of warmth, hospitality, compassion, and fun where people can find a moment to relax, regain strength, and renew their self-respect and purpose. It is also our goal to build community within the parish, to forge bonds with the broader community, and to develop solidarity and understanding with the community of homeless people. Recognizing that we live in a time and place of extraordinary abundance, as well as a city that sets international standards for excellence in dining, we are committed to “cooking from scratch,” using no prepared foods but only the very best fresh herbs, organic and seasonal produce, meats, and poultry, prepared under the highest standards of cleanliness and professionalism.
Schedule of Volunteer Positions for Shelter Meals
What day is best for you? Do you want to cook or to serve? Cooking takes place in the industrial kitchen in Fromm Hall on the USF Campus. Serving occurs at different sites. Which dates, shifts, and sites still need volunteers? To find out, take a look at our schedule by clicking below on “Sign Up Today”. Updated daily.
Please note that you don’t have to be a master chef to volunteer as a cook. If you’ve ever helped at home in the kitchen, you know that cooking duties range from cutting up fruits and vegetables, buttering bread, and cleaning everything used in preparing the meal to ocassionally standing over the stove and actually cooking something.
In addition to our ongoing volunteer tasks of cooking and serving, we are looking for “a few good dessert chefs”. Help us top off our nutritious, satisfying meals with yummy desserts. Volunteers prepare desserts in their own kitchen at home. As with our entrees, we vary our desserts from one meal to the next. To volunteer, go to our web sign-up form (click on “Sign Up Today” below). Listed below are the contacts for the Shelter Meal Program.
General Questions:
Therese Cannata tcannata@ccolaw.com or by phone at 925-890-9897
Donations and Desserts:
Tiffany Kearney TAKearney705@aol.com or by phone at 415-505-0765
Volunteer Information:
Bill Pisaruck stignatiussheltermeals@gmail.com or by phone at 415-431-5906
Sign Up Today, to cook or serve–or make desserts!
Where we serve:
- Hamilton Family Center (year-round) 260 Golden Gate Ave. San Francisco
- St. Joseph Family Center (year-round) 899 Guerrero St., San Francisco
- Soup Kitchen at St. Anthony of Padua (year round) 3215 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco
- Hospitality House (year-round) 146 Leavenworth St., San Francisco – only delivery
- S.F. Interfaith Council Emergency Shelter Program (winter only)
Teens and Children Can Volunteer
Teens and children are welcome to volunteer to cook and/or serve. Children under 13 years old must be accompanied by an adult. This is a wonderful way to volunteer as a family.