Due to the nature of our work all volunteers must be over 18.
We ask that you attend an induction before volunteering.
We hold inductions on the first Saturday of every month at 2 pm. They take place at our Solidarity Hub, 48 Seven Sisters Road, N7 6AA.
Please book an induction on our Eventbrite page.
If you are unable to use Eventbrite please email getinvolved@streetskitchen.org or call 07899 631666.
Had an induction? Check out the locations where you can volunteer on our Locations page.
Streets Kitchen is organised and run by volunteers, many of whom have been homeless and used a Streets Kitchen service themselves. We very much appreciate all our volunteers who help the homeless in many different ways.
- We provide hot food and drinks, clothing, and community outreach at around twelve locations across London. Working in partnership with other groups, our volunteers are on the street daily.
Becoming a volunteer with Streets Kitchen is not only about providing hot food and drinks, it is much more than this:
- Being able to listen, sometimes to a very sad and upsetting story.
- Being able to give help to someone who has a history, which may include crime or severe addiction issues.
- Understanding that everyone has a past, some may be quite bad, some not so much, it is essential that you can talk, listen and be non-judgmental.
- Being able to deal with people who are at the very end of their tether, who may be suicidal, who may be angry at the system and try to take their frustration out on you.
- Having patience and strong willpower is essential.
- Understanding that when people decide to tell you their story, what they are doing is placing a lot of trust in you and hope that you can keep it confidential.
- Understanding that everyone who visits Street Kitchen and uses its services are people just like you and I, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect no matter how hard it may be.
- Most of all, just being able to listen and smile can make someones day.
- As a volunteer you may be required to liaise with other agencies in order to help someone, this in itself can be a frustrating duty as you try to find the correct agency and then try to get that agency to help.
- What we ask is that you treat everyone with dignity, respect and as human beings.