For the participants at On The Rise, a home-cooked and hearty meal enjoyed in a safe home is invaluable. We rely on the kind hearts and culinary talents of volunteers to cook a meal in their kitchen and deliver to ours.

 

This volunteer opportunity is available five days a week and fills one of our greatest needs by being able to offer a home-cooked meal to dozens of participants who walk through our doors. It is one of the many things that makes On The Rise feel like home; a comfortable kitchen that offers warm, nutritious food.

We serve donated lunches family-style in our Safe Haven kitchen–a long-standing On The Rise transition. These meals allow participants to exercise self-determination by entering our kitchen and serving themselves, and to further embrace the qualities and challenges that come with community-focused mealtimes.

Lunch Preparation Instructions

  •  A family-style lunch donation should contain at minimum three dishes to form a well-balanced and hearty meal–a starch, a protein and a vegetable (for example, this could include trays of chicken curry, trays of rice, and trays of broccoli). There should be enough food to feed 20 adults.

  • Please provide an ingredients list so participants can make informed choices based on their preferences and dietary needs/allergies.

  • A salad can also be provided as the vegetable, and we are happy to assemble the salad on site so it does not get soggy. If you are providing a salad, please pre-cut/prepare any necessary items as we do not have the capacity to do "food prep".

  • Remember, this should not be a “light” (low-calorie, low-fat, etc.) meal–it should be enough to sustain someone for the whole day in case it is the only meal they get. 

  • Other sides like cookies, chips, cut fruit, and drinks like seltzer or juice are not required but are always appreciated!


Delivery

We ask that lunches be delivered between 8:30-10:30am on the day you have signed up for. Lunches can be delivered to our Safe Haven at 341 Broadway, Cambridge MA 02139. There is temporary parking in front of the house. Upon arrival, ring the front doorbell and staff will be able to assist you.


Signing Up

If you are interested in learning more, or signing up for a date, please visit our Meal Train page.

 
 

View some examples of lunches our participants have loved!

 
 
 

Lunch FAQs:

I want to cook a lunch! How do I sign up?

  • Volunteers self schedule for a lunch on Meal Train. Dates in blue mean a person has already signed up to cook a lunch for that day. Dates in green are available for lunch! Simply click on the day and register! You'll get a reminder email one week before your scheduled date as well as a one day before reminder.

Am I cooking at On The Rise?

  • No. Volunteer lunch cooks prepare lunch in their homes and deliver the meal to On The Rise.

What should I make? How much?

  • Current favorites of the participants are hearty soups, meat & veggie stews, chowder, chicken & rice, pork loin, beef chili, stir fry, pasta (lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs), shepherd's pie, and chili.

  • We are still feeding 17-20 people each day, so you should plan on bringing around two 9 x 13 inch pans of each dish (see the image below).

 
 

When do I drop off lunch?

  • Lunch drop-off is between 8:30-10:30am to 341 Broadway, Cambridge, MA on the day of your assigned lunch day. We have limited parking in our back lot which can be accessed via Inman St. When you arrive, you can pull into the back lot and give our office a call at 617-497-7968 or you can come around front and ring the door bell and one of our amazing advocates will assist you with carrying lunch inside. The dishes can be delivered to us hot or cold, as we have ovens to heat or reheat the food before serving it.

What if I’m running late?

  • If you are running late and unable to deliver lunch by 10:30am, please reach out to our main office at 617-497-7968

Can I drop my lunch off a day early?

  • If you need to adjust your delivery to the day before, please call us at 617-497-7968 and we will try to work something out!

What if I want my containers back?

  • We do not have the capacity to wash and return reusable containers. Please use disposable packaging.

Anything I shouldn't do?

  • To protect the privacy of the individuals we serve, we ask that you kindly deliver the lunch to one of our amazing staff members and refrain from entering our home at 341 Broadway.

  • Please do not bring uncooked, undercooked, or raw (meats, pasta, etc.) food. Please do not bring frozen food.

  • Please refrain from cooking with alcohol.

Should I include an ingredients list?

  • Yes! Please label ingredients so participants can make a healthy choice for themselves, especially if a participant has an allergy or dietary restriction.

Is there anything other than food I should bring?

  • Nope! At On The Rise, we have a fully equipped kitchen with an oven, microwave, fridge, utensils — the works! No need to supply anything additional for lunch (unless you want to!) If you’d like to bring breakfast items for the next day in addition to lunch, we are happy to accept them.