They do wonderful work. Rescuing food and at the same time feeing those in need and simultaneously providing training in the service industry for individuals who could benefit from it. I call that a perfect trifecta. All the folks here are just really friendly and upbeat. I have never encountered a rude employee/volunteer here. Got leftovers from a company catering, or bought too much groceries, or run a business that may generate food waste? Bring what you cannot use to Second Helpings. No donation is too small or too big. Rest assured no food goes to waste. What they cannot use, they will pass on to other organizations. They do have guest speakers available if you want to do a food drive for them or inspire others. I try to attend their events like the Souper Bowl... Be prepared, this event is a mad house, but so much fun... Soup stations all around the building, try one, try all and then vote for your favorite. Some soups are also available for purchase. Non-alcoholic drinks are usually provided. So next time you don't know what to do with food, your time or money, consider donating or volunteering for this organization. Well worth it. read more

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It provides so much for Indianapolis and beyond. Food at no cost to over 200 agencies plus at many parks. The training program is valued at over $8,000 free of charge. Anyone completing the program can get an excellent paying job in the culinary industry. Second Helpings has an employment specialist on site. There are so many perks! Everyone there is happy! Anyone over the age of 18 can volunteer for as little or as much as they want to with very few exceptions. read more

Finding a nonprofit to do group volunteering can be tricky as many organizations require orientation and background checks. Not Second Helpings! I highly recommend group volunteering for the ease and professionalism they provide. Truly top notch! I submitted an online volunteer request and got an email the next day confirming my date and next steps. From there every participant had to submit a volunteer waiver and proof of covid vaccine. I worked with a few staff people and they were all helpful! When we arrived for our shift we got to tour the facility and ask any questions. It was heart warming to see the dozens of organizations Second Helpings serves. Then we got to work! We spent our time making and wrapping up sandwiches. We made hundreds in our few hours. My group had a wonderful experience. We especially enjoyed our time with Carl, one of the Kitchen Managers. We'll be back! read more

Second Helpings - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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This week is National Volunteer Week so I wanted to take a moment to highlight one of my favorite places to volunteer: Second Helpings! This nonprofit is really a shining example of food rescue operations in a large metropolitan area. Their Hunger Relief Kitchen intakes produce and ingredients from grocery stores and restaurants in the area and puts them to use by cooking up delicious, complete meals for people of all ages in need, from young children to older adults, and delivers them as well. It's a great volunteer option any time of year as well since it's all done inside air conditioning/heated kitchen so no worries about the weather (unless you're volunteering to be a pickup/delivery driver). It's also not your typical food pantry so instead of packing boxes of dry goods, you are actually helping chop, cook, and assemble sandwiches, pastas, casseroles, and meals of all sorts! It's a great atmosphere to meet people from all walks of life that are interested in helping others. The third Tuesday evening of every month is dedicated to First Course, their young professionals group, so you can get to meet people in your age group if you're interested. One review stated there was no orientation or background check necessary -- I had to do both and there was a wait from the time I first applied. So just FYI, they might just waive that for groups who visit once versus individuals who plan to return regularly. Proof of COVID vaccination is also required. Beyond helping Indy reduce the amount of wasted food sent to landfill, they also serve as workforce development by training justice-involved individuals to be cooks and chefs in kitchens. Folks learn the skills and earn certifications needed for a career in the field. It's really amazing. read more

A fantastic organization with wonderful staff and volunteers! Last night, some coworkers and I volunteered to help with food prep. We were given a detailed tour of the facility as well some history and background of the organization. Then we were tasked with food prep, specifically sorting burger patties into trays, dicing ham, and finally clean up. It was a good time; reminded me of working part time in my college days! The facility and equipment are very well kept. The mission of not letting food go to waste and supporting those in need is highly admirable. While Second Helpings appears well supported, hopefully other restaurants and retailers become aware and contribute to the cause when possible. A great way to volunteer! read more

Second Helpings does a great job at bringing in local community groups, so there's a good chance you've worked with them before in some capacity. For me, it was through my church when I was younger. It rocked my world and definitely opened my eyes up to how I can be helping the people around me. I knew that Second Helpings brings in volunteers to make hot meals for thousands of community members in need each year. However, I recently learned that they are getting this food by "rescuing prepared and perishable food from wholesalers, retailers and restaurants." Now that is cool. Not only are they minimizing waste, but also putting it to a good use. Top two ways you can help: donate food or volunteer to help cook the food (no prior cooking experience needed). Bonus: host your own food drive or gather a group of your colleagues or friends to join you one evening. read more

Second Helpings - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I can't imagine volunteering anywhere else! I've been here now for four years and each time I walk in, it is with a joyous heart. I was drawn to it for the mission: Transforming lives through the power of food. From rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, to preparing delicious and nutritious meals for our community, to offering job skill training and employment placement to those in need, Second Helpings serves the entire Indianapolis community! The staff is so welcoming and not only help to run the organization, but offer their time as well with the volunteer efforts. They never forget to thank each and every one of us on a daily basis when we are in for our shifts! That genuine sense of feeling valued and welcomed is such a powerful support! I've done everything from riding to rescue food (thank you to all of the locations who give from their hearts!); prepping food for meals (the kitchen is always alive with chatter and music as volunteers chop and dice!); preparing the meals (love cooking on those massive tilts, knowing that 500 people will be satisfied!); delivering meals (and seeing the smiling faces of the agencies who are serving the meals later that day); leading youth groups and other volunteer groups who come in (yes, even the youngest at 3 years old can help to make a difference!); and assisting with the charity events (Tonic Ball; Corks and Forks; Souper Bowls; Ice Cream Social)! Every day is different, and yet every task is so important to the big picture of helping to feed our community and reduce food waste. I have always left with a sense of fulfillment and a smile on my face for so many reasons! Truly an inspirational organization. read more

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Love everything about this agency's mission. They take in and "upcycle" food donations from local businesses that would have been throwing them away. They then use this to help educate and train a variety of individuals that are looking into the culinary industry for work. They also host a variety of events around Indy that are innovative, creative, and fun! If you're looking to volunteer, Second Helpings would be a great option! read more

I love the trifold mission of: Hunger Relief for those in need, Food Rescue from local restaurants and grocers to reduce waste, and Culinary Job Training to improve the lives of members of our community and set them up for future success. Second Helpings is one of those non-profits that is both extremely efficient and transparent with where their donations are going and how they directly impact their mission. It's a wonderful place to volunteer - making it easy to sign up for, swap, or reschedule shifts to best fit your schedule. read more

This is a fantastic charity! They do so much to help people lift themselves up! There are a couple of things that makes them different from a soup kitchen. First- they have a culinary job training program that prepares individuals for work as a line chef or prep cook. Class are free, students learn the skills they need not only to work in a restaurant but also for life; interviewing skills, time management, etc. when they graduate from the program they also get placement help finding a good job. The next thing that makes second helpings different is their extensive food rescue program. They have trucks and people to go all over Indy and relationships with lots of area businesses to rescue perfectly good food from becoming waste. And what they do with the food is amazing and what makes them different from other wonderful food rescue programs. Second helpings uses the rescued food in two ways. One way is by supplying the culinary job training program. Can't learn to cook without food right? So each day, the culinary students prepare food which is served to the volunteers! Students get to learn and you get to eat when you volunteer. Having lunch together establishes community within the different groups and is so fun! The other thing that Second helpings does with rescued food is to make meals for other organizations. They serve all over Indy by providing prepared meals daily to places like women's shelters, homeless shelters, pre and after school care centers for children. So while they don't serve meals to the general public they do provide meals daily all over Indy. And there are so many ways for people to volunteer; you can drive to rescue food, you can drive and deliver meals to partner organizations, you can help in the kitchen making meals to go out the next day, you can donate food or money. And their annual fundraisers are all food oriented; Souper Bowls - buy a bowl and try out soup creations from chefs all over Indy, Corks and Forks- beer/wine and small plates from chefs all over Indy held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. And everyone is so nice! I volunteer once or twice a month and really always enjoy myself! read more

An amazing charity that truly provides for the city. Love when my organization partners with them!

Wow, no reviews for this awesome local organization?! We stopped in recently for their "Souper Bowl" event, featuring soups made by great local chefs like Regina Mehallick and Greg Hardesty. For $5 bucks, we got to try some fantastic eats and help out a great cause. The next time you are at a local food event such as Dig In, look for the Second Helpings tent and give them a shot! read more

Second Helpings is a fantastic organization - truly a win/win/win. They salvage/rescue unused food from local grocery stores and restaurants (first win -- avoiding food waste), rely on a small number of staff and a huge number of dedicated volunteers to turn those salvaged ingredients into hundreds of meals, which they distribute to local community partners (second win -- providing food to hungry people while freeing up the funds of those community partners to focus on programming instead of feeding their clients), and they also run an intensive, three-week, felony-friendly culinary training program (at no cost to participants) to help people get jobs in the food services industry (third win -- helping give people job training). I've volunteered with Second Helpings a handful of times now. You have to attend a simple training, and then can sign up to help as much or as little as you like, including as little as one four-hour shift per week. Most shifts are during the day during the week, though they also have a Thursday night shift and a Saturday morning shift. Most volunteers help as kitchen assistants, preparing whatever needs to be done (chopping, cooking, etc. -- it will be different every time.) Other volunteers make deliveries to partner organizations as drivers or driver companions, or help with picking up the rescued food. As a volunteer, you can control your own schedule easily from their website. Oh, and you're fed a fantastic meal at every volunteer shift! (And they always check to see if people have special dietary needs, and will make sure that there's something vegan/vegetarian if need be.) During the week, the culinary students feed the volunteers; at night, you might get food prepared by them, or by staff, or leftover prepared food that has been donated. Volunteering is fun and low-stress, and I've already met some cool and interesting people, even just going a few times and only once a month. I'd recommend Second Helpings as a great volunteering opportunity to everyone! read more

Second Helpings serves many needs in our community. They prepare and distribute donated foods to organizations who then deliver and again distribute the meals those in need. They also offer a top notch Culinary Arts Program that is free to those who qualify! The training is so well known in our great city of Indianapolis, that many restaurants and hotels anxiously await graduates from the program for employment opportunities. Second Helpings is a wonderful organization that also offers anyone the chance to make a difference by donating their time to help prepare the donated foods to make life better for many people. read more

This is a truly great organization that helps on so many fronts! From education, job training, to doing what they do best - feeding the hungry. The staff is passionate and volunteers wonderful! read more

Absolutely incredible service this nonprofit provides Indianapolis area. Second Helpings offers multiple-level service for community. Food rescue and community meal prep with delivery are amazing - 80,000+ meals per month are served throughout various locations in Indianapolis community centers. Great culinary course for unemployed and underemployed qualified students in area. Wonderful themed community fundraisers - Corks'n'Forks, Souper Bowl, and Tonic Ball are very well worth the financial donation to attend. Beyond all this, the staff and incredibly extensive group of volunteers is what sets this non-profit organizations apart. The staff all are very committed to their admirable endeavor - each person I've met is truly working there to serve a purpose and do a good job. Very thoughtful, community service oriented, and honest folks. Thanks, Second Helpings for all the great services you so unassumingly provide Indianapolis area! read more