Serving begins at five. The first 15 minutes or so can be a real rush to seat everyone and serve them all with food and drink.  The service window can often be very busy at the same time as people come and go getting their bags of sandwiches.

On “cheque days” numbers may be as low as 80 total, but in the days preceding the arrival of the cheques near the end of the month numbers can exceed 160.  On those kinds of evenings everyone will feel rushed.

Dividing and assigning the jobs to be done can make the task easier and keep people from bumping into one another or duplicating the work.  However everyone should know how to do “everything”— just in case.

Clean up begins around 6:15, and, if everyone lends a hand, can be finished in approximately 20 – 25 minutes.

Getting it all together can be a rush and can be exhausting, but, with good teamwork, the evening can move along with little or no confusion.  When all volunteers are aware of the job they are to do, serving the guests goes smoothly and the evening is enjoyable for all involved.

While conversing with the guests is encouraged and promotes a warm ambience, lengthy conversations are not possible because they prevent serving meals quickly and effectively, which can frustrate both guests and volunteers.

“A proclaiming community which is a living witness to Christ in the inner city and, in partnership with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, proclaims the Good News to the Poor.”