Our volunteers are the life of our organization. They serve in our kitchen, assemble hundreds of boxed lunches, and are our “boots” taking meals out into the flood zones. We couldn’t do what we do without them. Getting involved isn’t difficult and there is a place for everyone. Visit our online SignUp Sheet to find an open slot for your next volunteering opportunity.
Location Scouts
We rely heavily on volunteers driving into the flood zones to take a census of communities in need. These individuals are our ears and eyes to what is happening in the hardest hit areas. They take their 4WD trucks and drive to the end of the pavement, then put on their boots, and walk into areas that need us. Our scouts help us plan meal drops into areas that need us most. Right now our meals are going into Waterloo, NE, Valley, NE, and Arlington, NE. To become a scout we recommend a all wheel drive vehicle, an adventurous spirit, a tetanus shot, a good pair of waterproof/work boots, and a phone to snap photos and map your location via Google Maps.
Kitchen Crew
Our kitchen volunteers are the ones who help Carrie and Kip prepare food for our hot meals program and do the majority of the baking for items that go into our boxed lunches and snack/breakfast bags. To volunteer in the kitchen, we recommend adults only due to the potential dangers to small children. It’s also great if you have some kitchen experience to be part of our kitchen staff. Volunteers should have a firm understanding of kitchen basics, be able to follow a recipe, have knife skills, and know how to run kitchen appliances.
Boxed Lunch Assembly Team
Our boxed lunch team does a great job for us. Each weekend this group of regular volunteers helps assemble hundreds of prepared lunches to take out into the flood zone to feed hungry families and cleanup volunteers. Our team performs several assembly tasks each weekend to get our lunches out and ready. They put together condiment baggies with a message of hope, plastic dinnerware, and disposable gloves. Another team assembles hundreds of ham, turkey and beef sandwiches and bags each sandwich for delivery. The remaining volunteers fill each box with a piece of fresh fruit, a bag of chips, add those sandwiches, and a dessert baked by our kitchen staff. This is a great place to volunteer for seniors, younger children and families and is an enclosed meeting room within Bethany Lutheran Church.
Delivery Team: AKA the “Boots of the Operation”
Our “Boots Crew” is the lifeblood of our organization. They are the volunteers who brave the weather, the extreme conditions and challenges of the flood zone communities to deliver our hot meals and boxed lunches to our neighbors in need. They aren’t afraid to get their feet muddy and their hands dirty and deliver each meal with a warm smile and often greet our community victims and volunteers with a hug and listen with compassion. To become a member of our distribution team it is absolutely necessary you and any of your family members receive a current tetanus shot, you will need a good pair of waterproof boots (with a strong sole if you have them), and the ability to walk to deliver meals door-to-door. All our volunteers who serve in the field with us are paired into team units. Members are not allowed to venture off alone or without another team member present. There are limited bathroom facilities in the field and we always recommend using the toilets at the church before we leave. You will also want to bring your own bottle of water or Camelback (if you have one). As the weather changes, you will also want to bring a light jacket, sunscreen and mosquito spray. Each of our team captains carry a first aid medical kit in their vehicle and you will exchange phone numbers with your captain before you disperse. Never walk through standing water or green-colored stale water in the field. Due to the dangers of the flood zones, we do not take underage children with us to disperse meals.