Food @ First Community Meals

Food at First is a food pantry consisting of a Market and Prepared Meals, open to anyone who needs food…no questions asked. 

Food at First is located across from the Ames Police Station and is housed in the basement of the First Christian Church, 611 Clark Ave.  FAF serves daily meals and conducts a three-times-a-week free market. 

Sunday through Friday meals are at 5:45 p.m.  Saturday meal is 11:30.  Free market is Monday, 4:30; Thursday, 4:30; Saturday, 10:00.

Possible volunteer opportunities…Please see the Food at First website to volunteer or call Mary Ellen Wishart, 515-708-1468 for more information.

We could use your help as head cook, food preparer, food server, market helper, gleaner, weekly 3-hour volunteer.

*Head cook  St. Thomas volunteers cook the meal on the fourth Monday of the month and the second Saturday.  It is the job of the head cook to plan the meal and manage volunteers to prepare and serve the meal.  The head cook is helped to learn the job by FAF manager Patty Yoder.

*Food preparer  Six people work from 3-5:30 p.m. on the day of the meal, preparing food under the direction of the head cook.

*Food server  Six people work from 5:30-7:30 p.m. serving the cafeteria-style meal and cleaning up.

*Market helper  Help is needed 3 days a week (3-6 on Monday and Thursday and 8-11 on Saturday) to package fruits/vegetable, get food ready to distribute, and serve clients.

*Gleaner  Many volunteers are needed to pick up surplus food from restaurants, ISU, and grocery stores.  Currently there are 66 routes available, and if you are interested, someone would set you up with about a 2-hour weekly pickup.  It would be helpful if you have an SUV rather than a sedan.  The FAF van can be used instead of your personal vehicle, depending on the amount of food expected and the availability of the van.

Weekly 3-hour volunteer  This person works one day a week from 12-3 to assist manager Patty and allow her time to complete office work.  VERY MISCELLANEOUS tasks, but always interesting.

At this time STA provides about 40 volunteer hours per week.  Please join us!