Volunteer Documentation

This page documents the process for taking on various specific roles within our regular activities.

Bottomlining

Bottomliners take responsibility for ensuring a cook or other event goes smoothly. This role does not confer any authority and is taken on on a rotating basis.

Saturday evening cooks

Saturday evening bottomliners have the following responsibilities:

Before the cook

• show up early (3:30PM) to open up the space
• provide orientation to newcomers
• flush the water

During the cook

• lead the "circle up" time:
  • Put out a call for the next week's bottomliner
  • coordinate roles among distribution at RTS, food stands; cleanup and other tasks.
  • Ensure announcements are communicated
• Ensure thing generally run and keep watch on time

This is just an outline. While it may be expanded to include more information, it's generally understood that someone taking on the role of bottomlining is familiar with the role by example.

Wednesday morning coffee

Before the day of the distribution, gather all supplies

• coffee beans
• Cups
• Lids which fit the cups
• Stirrers or straws
• Sugar shaker w/vegan sugar
• Tea & hot cocoa mix
• Airpots (at least 4)
• coffee makers (at least two twelve-cup drip machines)
• Table
• Napkins
• Plastic silverware
• Wegman's Extra Creamy Oat Milk (or Oatly or donated plant milk)
• Milk crate (for airpots)
• Large plastic tote
• Umbrella or other rain gear
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Bread
• Tupperware to protect foods from rain
• Some baked goods

The day of the distribution:

Begin brewing the first pots at 5AM. This gives you half an hour each for 3 batches of two pots of coffee, which fills slightly more than 3 Airpots of coffee. The 4th airpot is for hot water in case someone wants hot chocolate or tea, I just boil one large teapot and pour it in, usually it goes largely unused.

Then just load up and get to RTS and set up. I usually just park my car directly on the street right next to where we do the distribution for the 30 seconds it takes to unload and load, then park the car in the street parking spot just north of the entrance to the bus station after setting up.

Besides that, just enjoy the company of your neighbors.

Wednesday evening cooks

TODO

Flower City Pickers

We receive produce from Flower City Pickers at the Rochester Public Market before each Saturday Cook. Flower City Pickers sets up in the parking lot near the Pennsylvania Ave entrance to the Market. Pick up around 3:30-3:45 and bring the produce to the Squirrel.

Working Agreements

Working agreements are how we agree to treat each other, agreements that are in place to try to prevent conflict 

Working Agreements for Meetings

• · Respecting your own limitations and others limitations, voice your limitations
• · One diva one mic (don’t talk over others)
• · Be concise
• · all contributions are good information
• · Assume positive intent

Working Agreements for Cooks

· Assume positive intent · Food safety is important!!!!!! · Find something you can contribute · Proactivity over permission · Ask for help and respect autonomy · Try to make it fun · Respect your own limits and others limits. Voice your limits · Be aware of your surroundings, sharp and hot objects will be in use and in motion during cooks · Use it up, wear it out, be thrifty · If you are here you are as responsible as anyone else · Create a balance between making new folks not feel burdened with an overwhelming amount of responsibilities and have people who have been involved in the community longer take on responsibilities that alleviate the workload of the bottomliner

Working Agreements for Serves

· Pre-conference before serves · Discuss things such as who feels or does not feel comfortable talking to security or cops, whether or not you are comfortable with confrontation and de-escalating conflict, if you would like support from others in the group if something makes you uncomfortable during a serve. · Try to make it fun · Keep each other safe · Make sure everyone is safe when moving between their cars and the serve site · Use the buddy system at serve · It’s not mandatory to have four or more people at the serve but the suggested minimum serve group size is four · Be aware of your surroundings · debrief afterwards- Serve group will discuss whether or not the serve went well. If people feel there were problems during the serve, the group can discuss ways to handle similar situations in the future.