Meal Guidelines

Bashor Homeless Men’s Shelter Meal Guidelines

2023-2024

 

General Information

Included on this page is everything you need to know about preparing a meal for the guests of the Central Night Shelter. Look for openings on the Volunteer Local calendars. lf you have questions after reading this information, please contact one of our Food Coordinators by email or phone.

Kathy Masters – 208.kathy.masters@gmail.com  (470) 270-0231

Molly Roberts – mollybdunn@gmail.com  (404) 580-7044

Arrival

If you are making and/or serving a meal, plan on arriving by 6:00 p.m.  Keep in mind the Atlanta metro traffic and leave yourself plenty of time for an on time arrival.  If for some unforeseen reason you are not going to arrive by 6:00 p.m. please call Kathy or Molly.

 

Delivery/Heating Food

The shelter will provide: plates, bowls, flatware, napkins, and cups.

Catholic Shrine Specifics

  • Plan to serve approximately 38 (35 guests + 3 overnight volunteers)

  • When making a main dish in large foil pans anticipate that you will need THREE times the servings of normal servings.

 

Central Presbyterian Specifics

  • Plan to serve approximately 69 (65 guests + 4 overnight volunteers_

  • When making a main dish in large foil pans anticipate that you will need THREE times the servings of normal servings.

 

Facilities and Equipment

Both Kitchens have a convection oven, industrial size stove, icemaker, and plenty of accessible pots and pans.  When lighting the Shrine stove you may need a lighter to ignite some of the burners.  There are two lighters located in the kitchen utensil drawers.  To light the Shrine oven, open the kick plate at the bottom of the stove and follow the instructions.

Available for your use are plates, 8 oz cups, 12 oz bowls, plastic ware knives, forks, spoons, and napkins.  Salt, pepper, hot sauce, decaf coffee, sugar, and creamer. 

Dinner preparation time is very limited (6:00-7:15).  Therefore, it is essential that meals are pre-cooked and that meal preparation is limited to reheating food (with the exception of vegetables and salads, of course!).  There is inadequate time for cooking from scratch. 

In order to keep privileges at both sites we must remember to:

·  Make sure everything is clean before you leave, including countertops, sinks, and floors.  The CleanUp Crew will take care of cleaning the space, but please wipe off the counters before you leave.

·  We suggest you keep serving food until it’s all gone.  If you have an entire pan of food leftover you may leave it in the refrigerator, but please be sure label the food with its contents and the date.

Plan to serve dinner at 7:15 each night except for Wednesdays, when we serve by 7:00 to allow access to the Foot Clinic.  Trainers will be there to offer advice and help.  

Following kitchen clean up, your group is free to leave.  This is usually around 8:15-8:30 p.m.

Meal Hints

1.      A basic meal consists of a salad/vegetables, bread, and a main dish.  Extra vegetables, fruit, and desserts are optional, but dessert is very much appreciated.  Provision of milk/juices is appreciated but optional.  The shelter provides coffee and water for each guest; members of the shelter Clean Up Crew will make the coffee/fill water pitchers.  If you have a large group and would like to take care of these duties on your own please let Molly or Kathy know and we’ll pass the word along.

2.      Consider that you should double or even triple a normal recipe serving to equal a man-size portion.  For example, “Serves 8” will really feed 4 of our guests.

3.      Please note that we have several guests (probably 8-10 at Central and 4 or so at the Shrine) whose religious practices prohibit the eating of pork products.  In addition, we have a few vegetarians.  If your main dish contains pork please add extra portions to your side dishes for these dietary needs.

4.      When bringing fruit remember that hard fruits are difficult for many guests to eat.  Consider bananas, oranges, tangerines, raisins, canned fruit, or even juices.

5.      Large aluminum foil pans are ideal for transporting and heating food.

6.      Plastic trash bags are ideal for transporting salad greens.

7.      Large coolers are ideal for transporting, keeping hot, and serving out soups or chili.  Just clean out the cooler thoroughly, line with foil if you wish, put food in it and cover tightly.  At mealtime, just open, scoop, and serve!

8.      Foods like meatloaf and lasagna must be thawed prior to reheating.  Make sure this is the case if you are preparing food provided by others.

 

*Main Dish Suggestions

Fried Chicken

Macaroni and Cheese

Ham, Greens, Black Eyed Peas (with or without ham or another meat)

BBQ

Sloppy Joes

Turkey with Dressing

Read Beans and Rice (with/without meat)

Hot Dogs and baked beans

Chicken or Turkey potpie

Chicken and Dumplings

Chili, beef stew, or a hearty soup (nave bean, black bean, lentil) with corn bread/muffins

Meatloaf

Spaghetti

Lasagna

*If your main dish contains pork, please consider bringing a small amount of an alternative main dish for our guests who do not consume pork (or add extra amounts of your side dishes)

 

This list is just to get you started.  Anything you can think of that is hearty, filling and plentiful, will work just fine.  Be creative!!

 

*Sack Lunch Guidelines

  • The Central Presbyterian location requires 150 sandwiches. (The 6 guests who serve on the Clean Up crew appreciate extra sandwiches, perhaps 1 extra each or an extra lunch.  This extra effort is not required and you should only provide extras if you wish)

  • The Catholic Shrine location requires 80 sandwiches.  (The 4 guests who serve on the Clean Up crew appreciate extra sandwiches, perhaps 1 extra each or an extra lunch.  This extra effort is not required and you should only provide extras if you wish)

  • The lunches should be delivered to the shelter between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. in the evening.  Bring your lunches on the date for which you’ve signed up; they will be distributed the following morning.

  • A basic lunch consists of 2 sandwiches.  You are encouraged to add other items such as chips, juice, water bottles, soft or canned fruit, etc. to round out the bag. 

  • When preparing the sandwiches for lunch bags, please do not use mayonnaise.  Use mustard or a little bottled dressing so the sandwiches keep better. We provide individual packets of mayo, mustard, and ketchup. Allow two packets of each for each sandwich.  Sandwich hint: Sandwiches made with meat require refrigeration.  Rather than put them in the bags, consider this process.  Make them, put them in sandwich bags, then re-load them in the bread bags.  They are easy to transport and will fit in the refrigerator easier than all of the lunch bags.  The volunteers spending the night will take them out and put them in the bags.

  • Please do not make sandwiches with peanut butter.  Some of our guests have peanut allergies. 

  • If you are making your lunches at the shelter please remember to bring your own brown bags.  The supply at the shelter is for shelter use.

 

*Sack Breakfast Guidelines

  • The Central Presbyterian location requires 70 breakfast bags.  The Shrine location requires 40 breakfast bags.

  • Like sack lunches, breakfast bags should be delivered between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. in the evening.  Bring your breakfast bags on the date for which you’ve signed up; they will be distributed the following morning. 

  • Items that work well in breakfast bags include hard boiled eggs, muffins, doughnuts, breakfast bars, fruit cups, cheese snacks, juice boxes, English muffins, etc.

 

Thank you!  If you have any questions about your commitment, get stuck for ideas on what to make or bring, or want to pass on information about other potential food volunteers, please feel free to call or email on of the Food Coordinators.

*Feel free to combine lunch and breakfast bags into one unit.  The use of plastic grocery bags is especially good for this.  Thanks!