Lunch at Women's Shelter (Downtown LA)

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https://www.meetup.com/help/article/464969

https://www.meetup.com/help/article/2260725

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FAQ

Please read the description for instructions on how to sign up (e.g., email a coordinator/project leader or register on a separate site), and the respective person/agency will provide additional info/details, such as the address, where to park, what to wear/bring, etc.

Q: Why can't I just show up? If I sign up here on Meetup, why do I have to also sign up with another person or on another site?

A: Multiple reasons...for example: Even though this is posted here (weekly or monthly), it's possible it may not actually occur. The project leader may get sick. The venue/location may have a special event (holidays or another event), and this may be canceled. So if you sign up with them, they have a way to contact you in case something changes. Another reason is sometimes they have enough volunteers. Some coordinators/agencies don't mind if extra volunteers just show up, but some may turn unregistered volunteers away. It can happen. I've seen some people get frustrated because of the excess of volunteers, and some people end up standing around with nothing to do, so some project leaders/coordinators and agencies try to limit the number of volunteers so everyone can be productive. So to avoid driving there with good intentions and finding out the event is canceled or they don't have room for more volunteers, please respect & follow their instructions and sign up with them. Thank you.

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http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/pc/General+views+Los+Angeles+Downtown+Women+Center+1zMRwWiaWBCl.jpg

Reminder: Signing up here on Meetup is insufficient. Each person should remember to contact Jill directly. Thank you.

Amma Los Angeles is a separate group (http://amma.org/groups/north-america/ma-center-la) that helps with a vegetarian lunch for women at the Downtown Women's Center (http://www.dwcweb.org/) (usually 2nd Sunday each month).

Volunteers help with prepping, cooking, serving, and cleaning.

The Downtown Women's Center (http://www.dwcweb.org/ourcenter.htm) is a very nice facility that helps many women. If anyone is familiar with Skid Row and the situation & environment of the homeless population there, you might enjoy participating with this.

To help, RSVP by contacting Jill of Mother's Kitchen (http://amma.org/groups/north-america/projects/mothers-kitchen) via jill@ammateam.org

A lunch may not occur every month, so contact Jill in advance to confirm. She will know if additional volunteers are needed and will provide more info & further instructions. And in case the lunch gets canceled, if you emailed her, then she has a way to notify you, so please remember to check with her in advance (at least a few days prior). If you don't hear back from her, then it may mean the monthly lunch is canceled due to insufficient food supplies/donations or volunteers.

Regardless if other members sign up, please do not assume this event is happening for sure. Please contact Jill directly to confirm. She coordinates with other volunteers/groups and therefore they may have enough volunteers already. The kitchen/lunch has limited space/amount of work, so having too many volunteers can make it too crowded. Thank you for cooperating and understanding. Cheers!

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to help in the kitchen. Bringing a hat or hair-tie is recommended. Or use one of their disposable hair nets. Gloves and aprons are available in their kitchen.

The scheduled start time is 10:00am, but arriving a little early is worthwhile (e.g. 9:45 - 9:50am). Arriving early improves one's chance of getting assigned something to do before other volunteers arrive and the kitchen gets crowded. But if anyone arrives later, that's fine...they usually try to get everyone involved.

Note: Skid Row is a very unique area, so please park inside the DWC parking lot.

Look for the building in this photo --> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=462568667186515

Here's another view of their parking lot. (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.044576,-118.2437665,3a,37.5y,113.28h,89.59t/data=%213m6%211e1%213m4%211s5Eni6K0WXgDf7GuSXDNFtw%212e0%217i13312%218i6656%216m1%211e1?hl=en)

https://a248.e.akamai.net/secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/5/8/f/highres_454997807.jpeg

Photos:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.732670476842998

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.619563841486996

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.531154120327969

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.463675220409193

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.462566393853409

Amma Los Angeles & Mother's Kitchen are separate from the Downtown Women's Center. http://amma.org/groups/north-america/ma-center-la/projects/mothers-kitchen

To help directly with DWC, go to http://www.dwcweb.org/volunteer.htm

Reminder: If anyone is unfamiliar with Skid Row and has never gone there before, please keep in mind it's different from the rest of downtown LA. Not everybody may feel comfortable, so please don't feel obligated or pressured. If anyone arrives and doesn't feel safe or has a bad/ominous feeling, totally understandable. Feel free to drive away.

If anyone really wants to help, but doesn't want to go alone, please consider carpooling with other members. If other members sign up, maybe coordinate & communicate with each other in advance and meet at a public place and drive together to Skid Row.