Production Volunteers needed for Award-Winning Children Art Program

Serve a Hot, Nutritious Meal for Homeless Children during ATW’s Annual Spring BNW Children's Classes!  

The Builders of the New World Program (BNW) is The Actors Theatre Workshop (ATW’s) award-winning after-school theater-arts education program, which has been serving homeless and at-risk youth living in NYC's temporary housing facilities since 1995. 

ATW is in need of volunteers to help serve dinner to over 60 homeless children and adult volunteers who will attend our Spring 2024 BNW Children’s classes, rehearsals and final performance. Being displaced by homelessness does not always allow the children the opportunity to have a family-style dinner complete with hot, nutritious food and a delicious meal is a tenet of our education program. To sign-up for this event, please RSVP here.

When: 

• Tuesdays, May 7 - June 11 from 1:00-6:00pm
• Saturdays, June 1 and 8 from 11:00am-2:00pm
• Thursday, June 13 from 1:00-7:00pm
• Thursday, June 13 from 7:00-11:00pm

Volunteers will do any or all of the following:

• Set up our 5,000 square foot theater facility for the event before children’s arrival.
• Pick-up (by foot or subway) already prepared meals that were generously donated. Volunteers will visit local NYC restaurants. All meals will be packaged for easy transport. A dolly will be provided for heavy or multiple items. Pick-ups may be organized in groups of two to four.
• Plate and serve hot, nutritious, home-cooked meals to approximately 60 children and mentors. Specific tasks include plating and running plates from our kitchen to our theatre. We serve a multi-course dinner that includes a main, dessert, and beverages. Volunteers who interact directly with children on the day of the event will be provided a set of rules they must sign and have a brief on-site training.
• Help us clean and organize after the food service is complete. Specific tasks may include plate pickup and disposal, trash removal, washing dishes, table breakdown, left-over food packaging, and light general cleaning. Cleaning products used might include Windex, Dirtex, Pine-Sol, Endust/Pledge, Goo Gone, and other similar products with different brand names. Gloves will be provided.

Other possible tasks:

• Moving furniture
• Washing dishes
• Purchasing supplies, if we run out. (ATW will provide cash or reimburse for this.)
• Other Administration or Production related activities to the program

Important Info:

• Prior skill as a waiter or a server at large events is desired, but not required.
• The day’s events will be videotaped & photographed for our program documentation and communication purposes. Volunteers must be comfortable with this. We will distribute Video Releases to each volunteer when they arrive to review and sign. We cannot accommodate any volunteer who doesn’t wish to be taped.
• This event is extremely fast-paced and operates on a tight schedule. Rooms will be crowded with furniture, children, and people, and be bustling with activity during this volunteer event. Instructions provided by ATW staff will be brief and to the point.
• Participants must dress in business casual to look nice and professional for the event. We suggest flat shoes and no short skirts or workout wear.
• Due to the popularity of these events, participants who sign-up should arrive PROMPTLY and stay for the whole event. If a volunteer knows in advance that s/he cannot come or cannot stay for the whole event, we'd appreciate that s/he release their spot as soon as they know to allow someone who can stay for the whole event the opportunity to sign-up.
• Participants will be split into smaller groups to complete the overall. Please bring a can-do and professional attitude to the day!