Meal Calendar

Volunteer Update – June 18, 2020

Beginning Monday, June 29th, we will allow volunteers to prepare meals in the kitchen for our families! We appreciate your patience as we know you have been eager to enter the House and support our families again!

As safety remains a top priority for everyone who enters the Children’s Hope House, we are implementing the following rules and procedures. These MUST be followed in order to volunteer at this time.

Volunteer hours for the Lutheran House:
10:00am-3:00pm Monday-Friday only (meal ready by 4:00pm latest)
12:00-3:00pm Saturday & Sunday(meal ready by 4:00pm latest)Volunteer hours for the Dupont House:
4:00-6:00pm Monday-Friday (meal ready by 7:00pm latest)
12:00-3:00pm Saturday & Sunday(meal ready by 4:00pm latest)
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Volunteer groups are limited to 2 people at this time.
All volunteers must sign an annual waiver before volunteering after June 29.
All volunteers will be screened at the Hope House regarding recent exposure and symptoms.
Volunteers are asked to take their temperature at home before arriving to the Hope House.
Volunteers must wear a mask and gloves while inside the Hope House. Gloves will be provided.
Meals will be prepared and divided into personal containers for each guest. At this time, we are not serving buffet style or allowing self-service.
Volunteers must thoroughly clean the entire space and products used once the food is packed away. We will provide all cleaning materials.

We want to thank you all for your support for families in this challenging time. Because of our amazing donors and volunteers, we have been able to provide over 75 meals to the Pediatric and NICU units and over 70 nights of lodging at hotels for parents with hospitalized children! We are so grateful for your continued support to our mission and families.

If you are currently scheduled to be a volunteer on or after June 29th: I will be reaching out to you to confirm if you would still like to volunteer that day and confirm that you have signed the new volunteer waiver.

If you were previously scheduled to volunteer while the House was closed: In the coming weeks, I will be reaching out to you to see if you would like to reschedule. You are welcome to sign up again by filling out the form below for either hospital. I will then connect with you to confirm the details.

I look forward to seeing you back in the kitchen soon!

Sara Binkley,
sara@childrenshopefw.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I/we have to prepare the meal at Children’s Hope House?

If the meal is not prepared in our kitchen, then it must be catered by a restaurant, come prepackage from a grocery store (i.e. Gordons, Costco, Kroger, etc), or prepared in a commercial kitchen. These are the guidelines from the Allen County Department of Health that we are required to follow.

We have a beautiful kitchen that is perfect for meal preparation. We have all the equipment needed to help you and your group prepare a wonderful meal. We also have a fully stocked pantry and we welcome the use of any of the items in our community pantry.

Can I utilize items in the Children’s Hope House pantry?

Yes! We welcome our Hometown Chef’s to get creative and utilize items we have on site. Often our Chef’s utilize a combination of items in our pantry and purchase the remaining items needed to prepare a complete meal. It’s basically like being an Iron Chef…well pretty much.

How many people do I need to cook for?

We recommend preparing a meal for at least 10 to 12 individuals. We have found that this amount of food is always enough and helps us reduce waste.

Can we eat with the families?

At this time, there will be no communal dining taking place. Guests are asked to eat outside while maintaining social distance or take the food back to their room. If a guest comes through the kitchen as you are preparing, you are welcome to converse as long as social distance is maintained and masks are worn.

What time should we arrive with the meal?

Volunteer hours for the Lutheran House:

10:00am-3:00pm Monday-Friday only (meal ready by 4:00pm latest)

12:00-3:00pm Saturday & Sunday(meal ready by 4:00pm latest)

Volunteer hours for the Dupont House:

4:00-6:00pm Monday-Friday (meal ready by 7:00pm latest)

12:00-3:00pm Saturday & Sunday(meal ready by 4:00pm latest)

What about dietary restrictions?

Don’t sweat it. Our families know their needs best, they will regulate their own dietary needs.

What if I arrive and the door is locked?

We are sorry we missed you. You’ll see staff phone numbers posted at the front door.

What about cleaning up?

It’s a messy job, but someone has to do it. If you cook in our kitchen, please clean utensils and other equipment needed during the cooking process. Please wipe down materials using the products provided. You do not need to clean up after our families.

Is it OK to leave food out?

At this time, we ask that volunteers divide the food into the provided personal containers.