How To Help

Volunteers

With only two staff members, The Community Table relies on volunteers to help with many tasks. From 1-3:30 on serving days we need help in the kitchen with meal preparation and also with odd jobs around the house such as dating and stocking food, sweeping and mopping, rolling silverware, sorting recycling, and so on.

Comments From Our Guests...

There are days when The Community Table provides me with my first and only meal, and a well-balanced meal, too. The staff and volunteers are always friendly and caring. If The Table wasn’t here I’d be hungry, and lonely, too.
The Community Table has really been a blessing to me and my family. If it wasn’t for The Table and the people of Jackson County , we would not have a meal sometimes.
The Community Table has been a godsend to me and my wife. Since we are out of work, it’s been nice to know you are here to provide meals for us. We look forward to coming here because we know that we will have a good meal in a welcoming environment.

Typically we need 2 or 3 folks to help out from 1-3:30, but some weeks we may need several more. Young woman holding silverware From 3:30 to 6:30 we need folks to help with dinner service to our guests, and occasionally with jobs around the house. We usually need 4 to 6 folks during the second shift to help wait tables, fill drinks, plate food from the steam table, wash dishes, etc. If you are a new volunteer, we ask that you come in prior to the beginning of dinner service at 4 so that you may receive a short training session. Please call or email us to schedule a time to come in. Thank you!

We also have other volunteer opportunities available with special events, Food for Kids, The Community Garden, and we are often in need of maintenance and office help. Please email us at communitytable@verizon.net or call us at 586.6782 for more information.

Donations

It takes quite a bit of money to keep The Community Table running smoothly. We depend upon you to help us serve our neighbors in need. 2009 looks to be a year when our services are needed more than ever and we need your help to accommodate the growing need. Financial contributions may be made safely and securely through the Donate Now button at the top of each page, or by mailing donations to us at: The Community Table, P.O. Box 62, Dillsboro, NC 28725 or, stop by and see us! Directions may be found on the About Us and FAQs pages. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

You can donate to The Community Table in honor of someone as a gift, anytime of year. You choose the amount, and we'll gladly send acknowledgement of your generous gift to your chosen recipients. It's a meaningful idea for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, weddings, or as a special thank you.

A volunteer washing dishes in the kitchen

Food Drives

The Community Table has always depended upon in-kind donations of food. In fact, the majority, over 90%, of our food comes from our community. We need all kinds of food to be used in meal preparation and also to distribute to our clients in food boxes. We have seen a 600% increase in the need for food boxes since summer 2008, and that number is expected to grow throughout 2009. Not only do we need food for The Community Table, but we also need goods for our Food for Kids backpack program. Please see our Wish List for ideas.

GoodShop.com and GoodSearch.com

Go to GoodShop.com, enter The Community Table as your chosen charity, and shop hundreds of well-known and diverse stores online. Each time you make a purchase, a portion of your sale will be donated to The Community Table. Essentially, you can help us for FREE! You can find everything from photo prints to contacts to rental cars- almost anything you can think of- through GoodShop.com. Try it next time you're shopping online!

Just by doing an internet search using GoodSearch.com, powered by Yahoo!, you can help support The Community Table. Again, enter The Community Table as your designated charity and begin searching!

Blue Plate Special and Empty Bowl Fundraisers

Please support us by attending our monthly BPS and our annul Empty Bowl fundraisers. Click on the Events page for more information.