Opportunities From: United Way of King County

Provide dinner for homeless youth! Meal teams consist of five-15 people who provide and serve a hot, nutritious meals to youth at the Teen Meal Program. Meal Team Members provide food, prepare, and serve the meals, and clean the kitchen. Teen Feed serves 60 youth each night, and an average meal costs under $300. Corporate groups looking for team-building activities and social or civic groups make great meal teams!

REQUIREMENTS: Meal Teams Scheduled on a one time or recurring basis, subject to availability. Requirements include a completed Volunteer Orientation and a $10 WA State Food Handlers Permit (Meal Team lead only).

Meal Team Lead must complete:

-meal team application (+ background check)

-in-person volunteer orientation

-at least two shadow shifts in the kitchen with experienced meal teams

-remote training

Enjoy baking? CupcakeUP/BreakfastUP is a service opportunity where volunteers use their imaginations and their kitchen skills to whip up delicious and nutritious desserts for Teen Feed’s dinner, or nutritious and delicious grab-and-go breakfast items (such as muffins) for ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, where many of Teen Feed's guests stay the night and eat breakfast. Use your own kitchen (or bake in ours if our bandwidth allows) to create sweet treats that are sensitive to a variety of diets and lifestyles. Know that you have brightened the day of a young person with your special treat, and enriched their diet with your healthy creations.

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Love cleaning and want to make a difference? Our dinner site kitchens are always in need of a deep clean. Gather your friends, family, and community, roll up your sleeves, and help us keep Teen Feed’s kitchens squeaky clean. Cleaning supply donations greatly appreciated.

For either group service opportunity, please click on the "respond" button and we will follow up with you.

Support Teen Feed by organizing a basic needs drive within your community! Our young people are in need of new and high quality clothing, basic needs items, and toiletries. Click on the "respond" button and we will follow up with you if you'd like more information about how to run a basic needs drive within your friends, family, or neighbors!

STOP (Street Talk Outreach Program) volunteers power the strong relationships at the
core of the Teen Feed mission, and are the passionate, empathetic, and mature
community members often the very first point of contact with Teen Feed’s young people.
Our STOP Program is divided into two different roles: Outreach & In-Reach.

Outreach: Direct service team who work to meet youth and young adults with housing
insecurities in the streets, alleyways, and parks of Seattle's University District and surrounding
Seattle Areas. Meeting youth where they are in order to provide information about services and
basic needs items.

In-Reach: Teen Feed’s version of “drop-in,” In-Reach volunteers help facilitate a welcoming space
for youth to hang out before Teen Feed’s dinner service. Meeting youth “where they are,” this
time and space is for youth to use however they choose, with the support of In-Reach volunteers
to help maintain a safe space. Come hang out and build meaningful relationships by playing
card games and D&D, doing art, watching movies, and creating connections that help lift youth
out of poverty through empathy, not fixing. Weekly commitment for at least 6 months (12
preferred) in order to build consistency for youth.

As a STOP volunteer you have the choice to be involved in either one or both roles, both of
which take place during standard business hours.

STOP volunteers will ideally commit to twelve months with Teen Feed and receive both virtual
and in-person training.

STOP Volunteers Complete:

-in-person volunteer orientation

-remote training

-two shadow shifts

-STOP volunteer application + background check

Ally Volunteers are responsible individuals ages 15 - 17 years who provide consistency, peer modeling, and positive connections to homeless youth guests during the Teen Feed meal. Allies help with program set-up, guest sign in, and distribution of basic needs. They also provide backup kitchen support for nightly meal teams when needed. Allies serve at University District Meal Site locations which rotate throughout the week.

Requirements: Allies commit to a weekly volunteer shift for one year (don't be concerned about the length, we will work with you!). Ally volunteers must complete:
-in-person volunteer orientation

-Ally volunteer application (signed by both youth + guardian)

-remote training

-three shadow shifts with an experienced volunteer

Interested in directly serving Seattle's community of homeless young people? Wanting to make a tangible impact and address hunger and basic needs in your community? Become an advocate!

Advocates are responsible individuals over 18 years of age who provide consistency and positive relationships to youth guests in addition to helping meet basic needs at the Teen Feed dinner program. Advocates are crucial members of our direct service team who remember youth’s names, help meet the basic needs of meals and supplies, conduct entryway health screenings on youth, and join guests in open air environments to engage in conversation. Additionally, advocates help with nightly set up and tear down of the service space and work with staff coordinators to create detailed records of the evening’s activities.

REQUIREMENTS: Advocates are an integral part of the Teen Feed dinner program and act as consistent sources of support for our young people. Having the same people show up on a regular basis creates a sense of community and trust. Advocates commit to 2/2.5 hours (6:00/6:30-8:30pm) one evening per week for a minimum of one year of service. This includes the holiday season, as Teen Feed continues to operate every day of the year. If you know that you will be taking a significant amount of time off during the holiday season, please reach out to us to discuss.

**SUMMER-ONLY volunteer opportunities available**

Advocate volunteers must complete:

-in-person volunteer orientation

-remote training that encompasses topics such as anti-oppression and intro to youth homelessness

-Advocate Application + Washington State Patrol background check.

Teen Feed aims to create a volunteer corps reflective of the diversity of our youth - those who represent diverse identities and/or have lived experience with homelessness/housing insecurity are highly encouraged to apply.

**COVID Safety: At this time, we are recommending that individuals who may be high - risk do not participate in - person at the Teen Feed dinner program. All volunteers are highly encouraged to wear face masks. PPE provided.

Join us in supporting young people in Seattle's University District! Teen Feed works with the community to offer support to meet basic needs, build strong relationships, and ally with homeless youth as they meet their future off the streets. Teen Feed meets youth nightly with a hot, home-cooked, and nutritious dinner along with access to basic needs and caring adults. Street Outreach teams meet young people where they're at, providing resources and access to youth-centered case management. 

Since COVID, Teen Feed has transitioned to hot to-go meal service. Volunteers will help cook or package hot meals in our kitchen, which will be distributed to young people by trained staff. Dinner volunteer opportunities available in the University District from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. 

**Some safety considerations: We are asking that at this time anyone who may fall into a high-risk category does not participate in person at dinner. Please reach out if you need further clarification on what "high risk" might look like. Additionally - we are working to limit our in-person teams to no more than 3 or 4 individuals at a time in order to comply with social distancing. Face masks required at all times, do *not* come in person if you are feeling unwell or have any symptoms of illness. 

The minimum age is 15, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian until age 18. 

Click "respond" and we will follow up with you to schedule a shift!