Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions about volunteering? We have answers.
Groups may volunteer for Saturday and Sundays throughout the year. Our volunteer schedule fills up quickly, but we’ll do our best to fulfill any requests. Any Saturday or Sunday marked “Open” or blank is available for your group.
Groups should be between 8 and 15 individuals (ideally). Groups over 20 may find themselves tripping over each other (in these cases, perhaps your group can do two Saturdays or Sundays)!
Saturday groups should plan to arrive around 9:30 a.m. and depart around 1 p.m. (serving times are 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). Sunday groups should plan to arrive around 2:30 p.m. and depart around 5:30 p.m. (serving times are 4-5 p.m.).
While your group is volunteering, you’ll of course be preparing the meal, but you will also serve the meal and distribute drinks in the dining room. During the meal, you should feel free to meet our clients, chat with them, and learn their stories. After the meal, you’ll clean the kitchen and dining room. A board member or trusted volunteer will be on-site to help you complete all the items needing to be done as your group volunteers and to answer any questions you may have.
If you’re bringing your own food to serve, bring enough to feed about 150 plates of food. Call 864-968-0323 if you need help determining quantities. If you need food provided, please call us beforehand to arrange.
To sign up your group, send an e-mail to info@greersoupkitchen.com with your group’s name, contact name and phone number, date(s) requested, and number of volunteers.
We have regular daily crews that handle service Monday-Friday. If you’d like to consider volunteering on these days, your best bet is to call 864-968-0323 at least an hour before serving times to see if our daily crew needs help.
Absolutely. Because groups typically take care of weekend activities, your best bet is to call 864-968-0323 at least an hour before serving times to see if the volunteering group needs help.
Yes, but with limits. We generally no longer allow children under 14 to serve in the kitchen itself due to equipment like hot stoves and sharp knives that are typically used in facilities like Greer Soup Kitchen. Children under 14 may volunteer by helping to stock shelves in the pantry, serve drinks in the dining room, and many other ways. Groups of children have found value in taking on service projects with the soup kitchen outside the auspices of serving during normal business hours.
School students who are completing hours for their various school clubs and groups may volunteer, but should call 864-968-0323 at least an hour before serving times to see if the volunteering group needs your help (sometimes the groups are so large, an extra person hinders instead of helps). If you do not call ahead of time, we cannot guarantee volunteer hours.
Individual completing court-ordered community service must be cleared by Martha Bennett, our director of operations, at 864-968-0323. Court-ordered community service volunteers that have not been cleared by Ms. Bennett may not volunteer at the soup kitchen for hours toward their community service.
Sorry about that 🙂 Give us a call at 864-968-0323 or send an e-mail to info@greersoupkitchen.com and we’ll do our best to answer!