Dining Hall

Frank Bragg Dining Hall:

One of our objectives is to feed our homeless residents as well as the indigent a good wholesome meal once a day. That totals more than 35,000 free meals annually to both residents and non-residents at a cost of approximately $2.00 per meal.

Serving free meals to our neighbors in need who are not homeless allows them to save on food expenses. This is an effective preventive measure for them to avoid becoming homeless.
Meals are prepared for and served every weekday evening at 6 PM and every Saturday and Sunday at 3 PM.

Each mealtime, one of our more than 100 volunteer organizations prepares and serves the food. The organizations take great pride in their food preparation and prepare meals with as much care as they would at home for their loved ones.

Each October, we have our annual sign-up dinner, where all of the participating organizations pick their dates for serving the meal for the following year.
The residents of the shelter take this night to serve the people who serve them throughout the year.

It is heartwarming to see people standing in line to serve others.

We are used to seeing lines at the bank, the grocery store, at concert sales, and other types of events. This is the line that actually serves others.

We are a proud partner with The Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia.

Wherever two or more are gathered in my name...

Dining Hall Serving Tips

More than 100 volunteer organizations take turns preparing and serving the food for every meal at JCOC…all year long. That amounts to over 35,000 meals a year, and it couldn’t be possible without hundreds of dedicated individuals.

To make your time here as joyful as possible, here are some helpful tips:   

• Our kitchen managers are on duty from 9-1 and then again from 4-7. If you wish to come during those hours to prepare some of your meal just let them know what you need and they will make every effort to accommodate you.
• If you are coming in during the off hours just let us know so we can make sure the facility is open and ready for you.
• We will always have a staff person at the evening meal to assist with anything you might need. For the evening meal see the manager when you arrive so we can coordinate the preparation activity.
• Always wear comfortable shoes and layer your clothes as the kitchen does get hot.
• We are a Food Bank facility and get deliveries daily, so we can provide many food items, just let us know what you are thinking in regard to your menu and we might be able to help. We only ask you give us one day notice.
• We will provide the salads and deserts unless you have a specialty in those areas.
• The equipment we have available consists of:
• 1 convection oven
• 2 gas ovens
• 1 Grill
• 6 eye burners
• Pots and Pans
• Sheet Pans
• We are also a Court Certified Community Service Provider so when you come to the evening meal you may see some extra folks. We don’t want to interfere with your regular crew so let us know what help you might need and we’ll put our Community Service workers on it.
• We do offer seconds on food, but we want the diners to save their utensils and cups for refills.
• We do not provide items to-go; plastic bags, zip lock bags, cups, plastic containers etc.
• In addition to the evening meal, we also serve breakfast and lunch for our residents and staff.

 

Our Dining Hall Wish List:

• Plastic forks, spoons, knives, napkins, and paper towels
• Plastic cups (12 oz.for dinner and 16 oz. for other occasions)
• Styrofoam plates 10 &12 in.
• Styrofoam bowls Sectional Styrofoam containers.
• Food items: Eggs, bacon, cheese (sliced), regular coffee, coffee creamer

 

WE THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR PARTNERS IN SERVING
THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED HELP