Serve a Hot, Nutritious Meal for Homeless Children during Holiday Class

When: Wednesday, December 11th from 12:00pm-6:00pm

The Actors Theatre Workshop (ATW) is in need of volunteers to help serve a meal to over 40 homeless children and adult volunteers who will attend our Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Being displaced by homelessness does not always allow the children the opportunity to have a traditional family gathering complete with hot, nutritious food, a creative class, and special gifts. Share your love and compassion, and help these precious children reconnect to the dream and essence of the Holiday Season.

This holiday celebration is part of the Builders of the New World Program, ATW's award-winning after-school theater-arts education program, which has been serving homeless and at-risk youth living in NYC's temporary housing facilities since 1995.

Volunteers will do any or all of the following:

• Set up our 5,000 square foot theater facility for the holiday parties before children’s arrival to our theater around 4pm.
• Pick-ups by foot or subway already prepared meals that were generously donated. Volunteers will visit local NYC restaurants or our Supervisor’s nearby apartment in Chelsea by foot primarily, by subway for further locations, to do these pick-ups. All meals will be packaged for easy transport. A dolly will be provided for heavy or multiple items. Pick-ups may be organized in groups of two to four.
• Plate and serve hot, nutritious, home-cooked meals to approximately 40-50 children and mentors. Specific tasks include plating and running plates from our kitchen to our theatre. We serve a multi-course dinner that includes a main, dessert, and beverages. Volunteers who interact directly with children on the day of the event will be provided a set of rules they must sign and have a brief on-site training.
• Help us clean and organize after the food service is complete. Specific tasks may include plate pickup and disposal, trash removal, washing dishes, table breakdown, left-over food packaging, and light general cleaning. Cleaning products used might include Windex, Dirtex, Pine-Sol, Endust/Pledge, Goo Gone, and other similar products with different brand names. Gloves will be provided.

Other possible tasks:

• Moving furniture
• Washing dishes
• Doing last-minute decorations or gift wrapping
• Purchasing supplies, if we run out. (ATW will provide cash or reimburse for this.)

Important Info:

• The day’s events will be videotaped & photographed for our program documentation and communication purposes. Volunteers must be comfortable with this. We will distribute Video Releases to each volunteer when they arrive to review and sign. We cannot accommodate any volunteer who doesn’t wish to be taped.
• This event is extremely fast-paced and operates on a tight schedule. Rooms will be crowded with furniture, children, and people, and be bustling with activity during this volunteer event. Instructions provided by ATW staff will be brief and to the point.
• Participants must dress in business casual or festive holiday attire. We want to look nice and professional for the event, as this is a special Holiday celebration for the kids, but you will want to be comfortable too. We suggest flat shoes and no short skirts.
• Due to the popularity of these events, participants who sign-up should arrive PROMPTLY and stay for the whole event.
• Participants will be split into smaller groups to complete the overall. Please bring a can-do and professional attitude to the day!

Host or Publisher The Actors Theatre Workshop