How to Help: Volunteer
We need volunteers in every aspect of this project.
On Wednesday, we need people to prep and pre-cook food. On Thursday, we have an early shift for cooking and prep. A noonish shift to serve. A late afternoon shift to serve and clean up. And a small Friday shift for final cleanup.
We try to have enough volunteers so that nobody has to volunteer for more than 2 or 3 hours, so that you have time to spend with your family as well.
No training required. You'll know what to do. Just make sure to wash your hands a lot.
If you are interested in volunteering, please call Cathey Sawyer at (304) 645-5401, or email catheycsawyer@gmail.com and she will get you on the schedule. Thanks!
(Scroll down for more detailed information.)
"Kellen and Mike, You two and all your volunteers are awesome." Happ
Volunteer Opportunities
There are lots of ways that you can volunteer to help. If you are interested, please call Cathey Sawyer at (304) 645-5401 , or email catheycsawyer@gmail.com and she will get you on the schedule. We try to time things so that you can volunteer for a few hours, and still have some holiday time for your family and friends.
In order to reduce everybody's confusion, we are dividing up volunteers into teams for 2024. Please take a minute to look over the list below so you can let Cathey know what you'd like to do.
PREP and COOKING TEAM: Led by Kellen Leef. The prep team is perfect for those who can't be there on Thursday afternoon. It consists of opening, chopping, washing, pre-cooking, and otherwise preparing the food and the dining room for the meal. We do as much as possible on Tuesday and Wednesday, but there are some tasks that must be done at the last minute, so big part of this team will be cooking and manning the serving tables on Thursday as well.
SERVING TEAM: Led by Cathey Sawyer and Cindy Rowlands: This team works in the dining room to wait tables, welcoming guests, taking orders, and delivering food and drinks to table. the early shift works from 11:00 to 2:30 or so. The late shift works from 2:00 to about 5:00pm, and is responsible for serving late-arriving diners, and also cleaning up the dining room at the end of the day. Cathey and Cindy will serve as hostesses, and assign you to specific tasks and tables as we go along.
GO TEAM: This team is led by Julie Samples. The group is responsible for taking to-go and delivery orders over the telephone, organizing and filling those orders, and getting them to the "customers." This includes both carry-out orders, and delivery drivers, who are part of this team.
CLEANUP TEAM: This very important team comes in on Friday to clean and organize equipment, load it up, and help haul it back to whoever we borrowed it from. The team also hauls the trash to the dumpster, divides up any leftover food and delivers it to a local charity, and leaves the West Virginia Building and grounds in ship-shape for return to the Fairgrounds.
Prefer to make a donation of food or money? Please click the button.
Meanwhile, here is a list of last year's donors:
A quick note on bringing the kids...
We love children, and hope you will bring yours to help out. Our customers love seeing them even more than we do. But, please note that young volunteers, while welcome, are here to help YOU with your volunteer job. You are responsible for them and they must be under your supervision at all times.
This is not a "drop off and pick up later" experience for children, nor are children generally equipped to help out with training and supervision. We're expecting to serve 1000 meals in a brief window of time, and everybody will be very busy, so no one will be available to keep watch over the little ones.
So, please bring 'em! But watch 'em!
