Home Cook Volunteers Needed for Sonoma Family Meal in Petaluma — Food Prep Shifts Saturdays Noon to 4pm

 

One of the most vital and effective grassroots efforts to emerge in the rally call to help Sonoma County neighbors rebuild their lives after October's devastating wildfires, is undoubtedly the Sonoma Family Meal Program, still going strong in its fifth month of feeding those most in need after losing their homes.  

Volunteer Coordinator for Sonoma Family Meal, Heidi Hansen reached out this week for help in outreach to our community in the south county. If you, or anyone in your family or friend group (over 18) has Saturday afternoons available to volunteer in the East Petaluma kitchen, Sonoma Family Meal would be so grateful to get you signed up.  

The ongoing purpose of Sonoma Family Meal is to activate and connect the local food community with families impacted by physical or economic displacement and in need of nourishment.

Born from the wildfires of 2017, the program’s initial success was in its rapid activation of a network of chefs, food professionals, farmers and producers to take in large amounts of donated food, prepare it safely and quickly, utilize all available food sources and avoid waste, creating an efficient program that served between 2,000 and 3,000 portions of restaurant-quality food for families of 4-6, served to-go for anyone in need of a meal.

Based on the fledgling  program's experiences over in its first five weeks of service, Sonoma Family Meal has put into practice a second phase of its ongoing program that more closely targets families most affected by the disaster that can best be served by ongoing prepared and semi-prepared meals.

Sonoma Family Meal has worked with more than 1,000 volunteers since October 2017. That’s a lot of folks who have cooked, cleaned, handed out meals, hugged, laughed, cried and wanted to help their fellow Sonoma County neighbors — and many of them are still at it. 

Founder and Executive Director, tireless Heather Irwin  is the dining editor for Sonoma Magazine and the Press Democrat and the founder of BiteClub. With more than 12 years of experience covering local restaurants, chefs and food purveyors, she is uniquely qualified to lead a local effort to feed fire victims during the 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County.

The concept for SFM came together in the darkest hours of the wildfires when Heather's own family was evacuated and found themselves in an unfamiliar home struggling to find a way to feed 10 people.

 

In the first five weeks of SFM, 80,000 meals were served, and the program — now a 501c3 non-profit–will continue as long as there is a need.

 

Sonoma Family Meal is currently adding 5 new families per week to its pilot program.  An intake coordinator contacts families who may best be served by Sonoma Family Meal. Families who have lost a home are prioritized. Documentation is required.

 

Click here to find out more about Sonoma Family Meal program and to volunteer. 

and here to donate. A $10 donation pays for two meals.