Fall/Winter Volunteering
Harvest Noon is always in need of new volunteers! If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please read on and find the role that best suits you. Specific sign-up instructions are included under each role.
VOLUNTEER ROLES
Food Preparation and Cooking
Cashier
Bread and Hummus Makers
Menu Planning
Volunteer Outreach and Events
Graphic Design, Web, and Content Creation
Board Members
Food Preparation and Cooking
The food preparation and cooking team has the potential to gain hands-on experience in the daily operations of a professional kitchen. Kitchen appropriate attire is required for this position, including closed shoes with rubber soles. A general comfort with food preparation is appreciated but we will provide training and supervision. Extra points if you are good at multi-tasking, have clear communication, and handle yourself well in a fast-paced environment. If you have your food handlers certification, we love you even more. Shifts are typically 2 hours/week and training is provided.
The cafe is open from Monday to Friday. If you are looking to volunteer in the kitchen doing food preparation/cooking, there are three volunteer shifts each day:
9:30-11:30, 11:30-1:30, and 1:30-3:30
Please send an email to our volunteer coordinator at volunteers AT harvestnoon DOT com, and let them know a few shifts that you would be available to volunteer, in order of preference. Also note how often you would like to volunteer. For example:
Monday 11:30, Tuesday 1:30, Friday 11:30
1 shift per week
You should then be added to our volunteer schedule for the following week, based on your preferences and our need. You will receive an email toward the end of each week informing you of your schedule shift.
Cashier
Our cashiers are the face of the café itself. The cashier role involves a great deal of interaction with the public and requires a basic comfort with making change, working a fairly simple cash register and fielding customer inquiries. Commitment is generally 2 hours/week and training is provided.
The cafe is open from Monday to Friday, and there is one cashier shift each day:
11:30-1:30
If you would like to volunteer as a cashier, please send an email to our volunteer coordinator at volunteers AT harvestnoon DOT com, and let them know which days you would be available to volunteer, in order of preference. Also note how often you would like to volunteer. For example:
Monday, Tuesday, Friday
1 shift per week
You should then be added to our volunteer schedule for the following week, based on your preferences and our need. You will receive an email toward the end of each week informing you of your schedule shift.
Bread and Hummus Makers
Harvest Noon makes all our own bread and hummus in house, and most of this baking and hummus making happens once a week during our special bread baking evening shifts. Currently, these are scheduled on:
Monday evenings, 6:00-9:00
The bread baking evening shift is a nice change of pace for those turned off by the sometimes hectic atmosphere of café lunch service. There’s a lot of downtime, and volunteers often share a dinner together from the week’s leftovers. Even if you’ve never kneaded a dough in your life, come join our team and get some serious bread skills! If you’re interested, email our volunteer coordinator at volunteers AT harvestnoon DOT com and let them know (or just show up Monday at 6—the more the merrier!).
Menu Planning
As a subcommittee of Harvest Noon, the menu planning committee decides upon the weekly menu of the café as well as being responsible for weekly food orders. Knowledge of local, organic food systems and vegan diets are major pluses for this position. Commitment is variable.
Currently, our weekly menu planning meetings are scheduled for:
Thursday evenings, 6:00-7:00
If you’re interested, simply show up at one of these meetings! And if you can’t make it at this time, email our volunteer coordinator at volunteers AT harvestnoon DOT com and let them know of your interest; they will then put you in contact with our menu coordinator. Several of our menu planners participate from afar!
Volunteer Outreach and Events
A subcommittee of Harvest Noon, Outreach and Events volunteers have their choice of a variety of positions. Roles vary in scope and level of commitment from events planning to postering, volunteer coordination, and front of house. Being an active part in this committee makes up a big part of the programming happening at the café and is a good opportunity for anyone interested in gaining experience in fundraising or event planning. If you’re interested, email our volunteer coordinator at volunteers AT harvestnoon DOT com and they’ll put you in touch with our outreach coordinator.
Graphic Design, Web and Content Creation
Depending on your level of expertise and interest, these positions have a great deal of flexibility as to the scope and level of commitment. We appreciate help in developing promotional materials, web development and communications, including our Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as our newsletter. Volunteers will have a great deal of creative control and are expected to be self-motivated and directed. If you’re interested, email our volunteer coordinator at volunteers AT harvestnoon DOT com and they’ll put you in touch with our outreach coordinator.
Board Members
In the fall of every year, a board of directors is voted in by members of the café. The board is responsible for managing the long-term financial and organizational integrity of the café, as well as any other affairs which affect the organization as a whole. If you are interested in being on the Board of Directors, it would be a good idea to volunteer in order to learn as much as possible about the operations of the café. More information about elections will be available closer to the beginning of the fall semester.