FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Hospitality House Shelter Seeks Cook Group and Meal Prep Volunteers
Grass Valley, Calif. (Aug. 22, 2025) – Hospitality House is currently on a quest for dedicated volunteers to join its mission and help address hunger and food insecurity at its 24/7 emergency homeless shelter, Utah’s Place.
Currently, Hospitality House’s greatest need is to secure additional cooking groups to prepare meals at the shelter. A Cook Group typically involves 3-5 people who take the lead to prepare a meal at the shelter and then help serve. Shifts generally start at 2:00 PM and end at 6:00 PM. If you are not part of a group, individual volunteers are also needed for daily shifts from 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM. Hospitality House is currently seeking individuals and groups who can volunteer consistently: such as once a month, once a week, or as mutually agreed upon.
No prior professional kitchen, cooking, or serving experience is required as training will be provided. Food groups can be arranged through local businesses, churches, and service groups, or any other organization who would like to get involved. The primary goal of the Cook Groups, however, is consistency and being able to commit to a regular schedule – weekly or monthly.
By joining a Cook Group, volunteers provide more than just nutrition at dinnertime. Sitting down for a meal brings normalcy and a sense of belonging for folks experiencing a lack of connection to a stable home. And home cooked meals like those prepared in the shelter kitchen are extra special. The guests at Utah’s Place appreciate how volunteers give of their time and hearts, and often remark feeling seen and cared for when community members choose to spend their free time helping others in need.
The number of Nevada County residents experiencing food and housing insecurity is greater than ever. Last fiscal year alone, the small but mighty kitchen at Hospitality House served 80,970 nutritious meals to low-income individuals and families. For many, these meals are the only food they will eat in a day. Funding is becoming increasingly difficult to secure. With the cost of food steadily rising, coupled with great economic uncertainty and instability at the state and federal levels, everyone is feeling the pressure, including Hospitality House. Even with a resourceful kitchen manager and creative menu planning, the per-person meal cost has increased 29%, so more innovative solutions are needed.
By joining the mission of Hospitality House, volunteer Cook Groups can help prepare and serve meals on days when staff members need to take necessary days off to rest and recuperate, allowing them to continue serving at the high levels that they do. The ingredients for the meals volunteers prepare are more affordable than prepared foods that become necessary when fewer staff are on shift. Just a few hours of time weekly or monthly help ensure that Hospitality House can continue to provide essential nutrition to those in need in Nevada County and help sustain the services that those struggling through homelessness depend on.
If you are interested in joining the team at Hospitality House as a volunteer, please call 530-615-0852 or email info@hhshelter.org. If you are unable to volunteer and would like to make a donation to support those in need in Nevada County, please visit www.hhshelter.org. If you are a local farm or business that would like to donate food items to Hospitality House to help provide sustenance to Nevada County residents, please contact us at the number above.
About Hospitality House
The mission of Hospitality House is to bring homeless people in Nevada County into a circle of community caring that offers shelter, sustenance, advocacy, opportunity, dignity, and hope as they transition from homelessness to housing. For more information about Hospitality House, visit hhshelter.org.
Media Contact:
Leah Farkas
Hospitality House
Ph: 530-615-0803
lfarkas@hhshelter.org