Nonprofit
Published 8/14/25 8:00PM
Done in a Day

Cook, package, and distribute meals for food-insecure New Yorkers

On-site, Volunteer must be in or near New York, NY
I Want to Volunteer


  • Details

    Available Times:
    Weekdays (daytime), Weekends (daytime)
    Recurrence:
    Recurring
    Volunteers Needed:
    12
    Cause Areas:
    Community Development, Disaster Relief, Hunger, Food Security
    Good For:
    Age 55+
    Age Requirement:
    18+
    Other Requirements:
    Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and must be fully vaccinated.

    Description

    Cook, package, and distribute meals for food-insecure New Yorkers

    EVLovesNYC (https://www.evloves.nyc/) is a scrappy non-profit organization that serves our food-insecure neighbors. We cook and package meals every week to distribute to groups around the city. Lots of meals. Upwards of 2000 meals every Sunday. We are always looking for volunteers to join our team.

    Working here seems to appeal to a wide variety of people - students, artists, musicians, writers, bankers, and lawyers. There are lots of East Village locals but people travel from all over the city to work with us every week. It's fun, noisy (we often have a DJ!), and rewarding.

    Each Sunday morning, we get together and make food happen.

    • The teams who do prep and cooking arrive at 9
    • The team that packages and boxes meals start at 12
    • Our distribution teams meets around 12pm at two downtown distribution points to hand out meals to neighbors in need
    • The clean-up team arrives around 2 and sets things back in order

    Throughout the day, bikes, cars, and trucks arrive to pick up the boxes of meals and distribute our free, nutriticious, and tasty food to people, organizaitons, and community refrigerators throughout the boroughs, focusing on the neighborhoods most underserved by food banks. It's pretty cool and very volunteer-dependent.

    Recently, we've also begun providing support and advocacy for the asylum seekers and their families.

    All volunteers must be at least 18 years old and must be fully vaccinated.

    Health department requirements for people working with hot food include wearing closed-toe shoes (no sandals), a hat or scarf to cover your hair, long pants, and a shirt with sleeves. Thanks!

    3 shifts available:

    • With a fun team of regulars, you'll be prepping food for the kitchen: chopping + peeling, making rice, cutting meat: 09:30 to 12:00 EST
    • With our regular team, you'll be assembling meals + packaging them in cartons, loading them into boxes for pickup by distribution partners.: 12:00 to 15:30 EST
    • You'll be helping with cleanup, washing dishes, wiping down work areas, moving boxes with a fun and organized crew of regulars.: 14:00 to 16:00 EST

    Location

    On-site
    281 East 7th Street, New York, New York, US

    Express Your Interest in This Opportunity

    I acknowledge that use of the Idealist Applicant Tracking System is subject to Idealist's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
    Illustration

    Discover Your Calling

    Find opportunities to change the world with the latest social-impact job, internship, and volunteer listings. Plus, explore resources for taking action in your community.
    Already a user? Log in