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Food-related Volunteer Opportunities

If you have a heart for feeding the hungry, Hope Ministries definitely has a volunteer opportunity for you! Whether you wish to prepare and serve a full meal, donate food or help during a holiday meal, you are welcome to serve alongside us in the following ways:

Meals for Hope
Dairy Donors
Sunday Night Sandwich Club
Breakfast Club
Casserole Club
Holiday Meals

Meals for Hope
Our Meals for Hope volunteer opportunities are a way for individuals and groups to help with both serving and preparing meals.

Hope Café is connected to our Bethel Mission facility. At Hope Café , we serve both Bethel Mission shelter and recovery residents as well as the hundreds of men, women and children from the community who come to us for three free meals each day of the week all year long. Volunteers, including individuals or groups of up to 10 people, can be involved in Meals for Hope at Hope Café in several ways, either on a one-time or regular basis. We've divided these opportunities by time commitment:

  • The full experience: Volunteers who sign up for this opportunity agree to prepare, deliver and serve a full noon or evening meal (for 120+ people) at Hope Café , generally on a regular basis. We provide details on what food items are needed and will help find a time that works for you to come to our facility to deliver and/or serve a meal.
  • Serve and supplement: Perhaps preparing and serving an entire meal is not feasible for you. If so, you might consider signing up to serve a noon or evening meal at Hope Café . This option includes serving a meal and cleaning up following the meal. Volunteers are also asked to supplement the meal by bringing a side dish (baked beans, mashed potatoes, casserole, etc).

For more information about Meals for Hope at Hope Café, please feel free to contact our volunteer coordinator at (515) 265-7272 or info@hopeiowa.org, or complete a volunteer application online.


Dairy Donors
Like your refrigerator at home, dairy products are a staple here at Hope Ministries as we seek to provide well-rounded, healthy meals for our residents and guests. By participating in this "shop and drop" volunteer opportunity for either our Hope Café or Hope Family Center, you help us supplement our kitchens with milk, cheese and other ongoing dairy needs.

We welcome you to become a Dairy Donor at our Hope Café on either a one-time or regular basis. For more information on this option, please feel free to contact our volunteer coordinator at (515) 265-7272 or info@hopeiowa.org, or complete a volunteer application.

At our Hope Family Center, we are looking for regularly committed Dairy Donors who bring designated dairy products once a month on Mondays and Thursdays. For more details about our Dairy Donor program at Hope Family Center, including dairy item lists and a calendar, please click here. .

Sunday Night Sandwich Club

This group from Valley E-Free Church delivered 200 sandwiches and 200 bars and cookies to our Hope Café on a Sunday evening in May.

Our Sunday Night Sandwich Club is a great opportunity for families, small groups and church groups to bless our homeless shelter residents on Sunday evenings by providing 200 sandwiches. Join the Sunday Night Sandwich Club and provide sandwiches on a monthly or quarterly basis. Feel free to fill out a volunteer application online and check your interest in this option.

Breakfast Club

St. James Lutheran Church provided breakfast casseroles for our Hope Café in October 2009. The project was sponsored by the church’s Global Missions & Social Ministries Team.

Are you looking for an opportunity to bless others, but don't have the time to spare to volunteer on-site? Then our Breakfast Club might be the perfect “bake and take” option for you. We provide recipes and guidelines, you provide the ingredients and cooking expertise! This opportunity can be a one-time or ongoing partnership for our Hope Café. For your convenience, we’ve provided three recipes, along with Breakfast Club guidelines, including Ultimate Breakfast Casserole, Cheesy Hash Brown Bake, and French Toast Casserole. Contact us for details or check the Breakfast Club option on your online volunteer application.


Casserole Club
Maybe you aren't a morning person and the Breakfast Club isn't for you . . . but you could help to provide a nutritious casserole for residents of our facilities. Suggested large-group recipes (enough to serve 120+) are available for this opportunity. If interested, check this option on your online volunteer application.

Holiday Meals
Are you interested specifically in bringing joy to our residents and guests on holidays? If so, you may want to check available volunteer opportunities for our Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meals. We seek to offer the community an extra helping of hope on these joyful holidays as we serve meals both on- and off-site. Click here to learn more about holiday-related volunteer opportunities.

For more information about any of these food-related volunteer opportunities, feel free to call (515) 265-7272 or email info@hopeiowa.org, or indicate you interest on your online volunteer application.