Summer 2025 Volunteer Sign Ups start May 16!
Program Dates: Monday to Friday, June 23 - August 29 2025
Food 4 Kids partners with community-sponsored recreation and education programs across the Lower and Outer Cape, from Harwich to Provincetown. Together, we distribute free meals and books to 500+ children each summer weekday while school is out. We make, pack and deliver these meals with a very small paid staff and the generous efforts of volunteers like you.
During the 2024 season, 135+ volunteers gave over 2,200 hours - thats equivalent to 5 full-time employees over a 10 week period! Each of you contribute to the positive, laughter-filled, community-building experience that is Food 4 Kids volunteering. Come join us!
Operation headquarters: The Church of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal) | 204 Monument Road | Orleans, MA 02653
2025 Volunteer Opportunities:
7:30 - 9:30 AM MEAL PREPARATION: Work in the kitchen preparing fresh-made lunches under the supervision of the Kitchen Manager. This is a fairly fast-paced, production line making nearly 900 lunches every morning!
9:30 - 11:00 AM PACKING LINE + FOOD PREPARATION: Work in assembly line fashion to pack lunch bags and load them into coolers. If you are only able to stay for one hour, you will do the Packing Line only. Then, support meal preparation for the next day under the supervision of the Kitchen and Operations Manager. You can combine with a driving or dump run for a full day.
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM FOOD PREPARATION: Work in the kitchen helping prepare ingredients for the following day under the supervision of the Kitchen Manager. A more relaxed pace compared to the early food preparation, tasks may include cooking, washing/cutting fresh fruit, dividing bulk packs into single-serve, breaking down boxes, etc.
Start time varies - DELIVER MEALS: Pick up and deliver coolers full of meals, juice, milk, and bags of snacks to meal sites across the Lower and Outer Cape. Pick ups range from 10:00 am - 11:30 am depending on the destination. Consistency is key to get familiar the routine at each particular site, so we encourage you to sign up for the same site for an entire week or on a particular day each week.
DAILY RECYCLE RUN to your local dump any time after 11:00 am.
NEW FOR 2025 - HYDROPONICS AGRICULTURE Help us pilot the use of Nauset School Systems hydroponic units at our meal site locations. You will spend 1-3 hours a week helping plant, grow, and take care of the lettuces and fruiting vegetables as well as maintain the units themselves under the supervision of our Hydroponics Agriculture Lead. Training is required so consistent availability for 10 weeks is critical.
Have questions or Need Help Signing Up?
Send an email to: info@food4kidscapecod.org with the Subject: Volunteer help! and someone from the team will get back to you.
Food 4 Kids Could Use Other Help, Too
Are you interested in getting more involved with Food 4 Kids? Please share your talents with us! Opportunities include Public Relations, Communication, Photography, and more. Please contact F4K at info@food4kidscapecod.org if you would like to discuss volunteering for us in a new way.
“I was more than happy to help out with Food 4Kids a couple of times. It helped me learn about support to families that I never knew was there. What a wonderful organization!”
“The tool for volunteering is great and all the descriptions of what is required of us as volunteers are very direct and explicit, and the reminder emails too. Excellent work! ”
“I had so much fun volunteering !!! GREAT cause with great people!! I look forward to returning.”
“You orchestrated a phenomenal successful effort! The whole experience blew me away! Kudos to you!!! -”
“First of all I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve at the food4kids summer program. I met some wonderful, caring people, and I look forward to being part of the program again next year.”
“Thank you for coordinating this program that benefits so many families in our Cape community. As an educator it was comforting knowing that my students had access to two meals a day with the help of this program. I look forward to working with you again next summer.”