Drivers
Drivers are the final, important link in The Food Chain’s Meal Service. You will be the one providing the means for getting the meals from the kitchen to the Service Users. You’ll also be one of the few Food Chain volunteers who directly, and regularly, meets our Service Users - which can be an incredibly rewarding experience.
How does this role help our Service Users?
By volunteering as a Driver you are ensuring that the carefully prepared and nutritious meals are delivered to the service users in good time – while they are still hot – and in good condition!
What do I need to volunteer as a Driver?
Firstly you’ll need your own car (or access to a car) – which should be reliable and have room for a large ‘hot box’ and a cold box (either on the back seat or in the boot). You must have a valid driving licence and, of course, up-to-date car insurance. While the ability to read a map would be useful, we will provide a volunteer Navigator to help you find your way.
What does the role involve?
You’ll be using your own car, and together with a Navigator, you’ll follow a carefully planned route that takes in eight to ten drops and ensures meal deliveries are made in good time (within two hours of departure from the kitchen to ensure they arrive hot) in the order set out on the delivery sheet.
You’ll need to:
• prepare your car in advance so that it’s clean and there’s good room for the hot and cold boxes
• be prepared to spend some time, before going out, to familiarise yourself with your designated route
• watch when the meals for your route are ready to be packed into the hot box, to ensure you have the right
meals and that you understand any special meal requirements
• drive carefully – to protect you and your Navigator and your precious cargo. Excessive speed and bumping
rarely improves the presentation of the meals!
• work as a team with the Navigator, particularly in ensuring that meals are delivered in accordance with the
delivery instructions.
How often do I need to volunteer?
Our drivers tend to volunteer once every four to six weeks.
How much time do I need to give?
A typical shift will last around four hours and you will need to arrive at the kitchen around 11.00am, to give you time to go over your allocated route. The food is usually ready by 11.45am, and you should be finished and back at the kitchen no later than 3pm – notwithstanding traffic problems.
Important things to remember as a Driver
To help protect our Service Users' confidentiality don’t wear Food Chain T-shirts, or anything associated with HIV/AIDS, such as red ribbons, or badges or T-shirts with provocative, sexual or political slogans when delivering.
Also please don’t mention The Food Chain, as the person who answers the door might not be the Service User, or know the Service User’s HIV status. A cheerful “Here’s your meal … ” usually does the trick.
If a Service User doesn’t answer the door and you have tried several times, follow any special delivery instructions on the delivery sheet. If you’re still unable to deliver the meal, complete a non-delivery card and put it through the letterbox, provided it is not a communal door. Make a note on the delivery sheet. Never leave the food outside, as this presents a food hygiene hazard.
After you have finished your route, go straight back to the kitchen, as the Supervisor cannot leave until everyone has returned.
Navigators
As a navigator, you’re the one who gets to experience possibly the most rewarding link in The Food Chain – delivering hot, nutritious food to people who really need it. You are the smiling and courteous face of The Food Chain!
How does my role help our Service Users?
By volunteering as a Navigator, you’re delivering good, healthy food to men, women and children who are living with HIV.
What does this role involve?
Working in a pair with a Driver, your job includes:
• delivering meals to up to ten Service Users in your area
• making the deliveries in the order they are set out on the delivery sheet - they may not always seem logical but
they’ve been specially designed to ensure service users get their food at the right time
• marking the delivery sheet so that The Food Chain head office can monitor who was in, who was out, and
any special requests or instructions for next time
• returning the empty cool and hot boxes to the kitchen before you head off home.
What are my responsibilities?
As well as delivering the meals speedily and safely so that our Service Users can enjoy some good hot food, you’re responsible for:
• being aware of food hygiene: keep hot and cold food separate and replace lids between deliveries
• familiarising yourself with your route before you set off so that you have a fair idea of where you’re going and
how to get there
• leaving non-delivery cards for Service Users who don’t come to the door
• keeping things confidential – don’t wear Food Chain t-shirts or clothes/accessories associated with HIV/AIDS.
• Don’t mention The Food Chain when you ring the doorbell; a cheerful ‘Lunch delivery!’ does the trick.
How often do I need to volunteer?
Ideally you’ll commit to one Sunday every four to six weeks.
How much time do I need to give?
You should try to arrive at your kitchen at 11am so that you’ve got plenty of time to meet your Driver and look over the maps. You should be all done by around 3pm.
What training and support will I get?
We’ll help to support and develop you in your role as a navigator as much as we can.
• Your Supervisor will always be on hand at your shifts to answer any of your questions. There are usually at
least one or two very experienced volunteers around who will be more than happy help to help
• We offer various training sessions to our volunteers such as Hygiene and HIV and AIDS awareness.
How can I be a really good Navigator?
First things first, you’ll need to be reliable, calm, friendly and a good team player. And then there are a few things to remember that will help you to excel in your role:
• Familiarise yourself with the menu so you’re less likely to make mistakes when packing the bags and you’ll be
able to confidently answer any questions from Service Users about their meals.
• Give yourself enough time before you set off to check for any special details about the Service Users. For
example, some like to be called on the phone as you approach their home; others prefer their meals to be
delivered in supermarket shopping bags. These little details really make a big difference to their Food Chain
experience.
• Remember that some Service Users will take a good few minutes to get to the door. Be patient – don’t work
that doorbell too hard!
• The kitchen team try to make the meals as enticing as possible, so don’t ruin all their hard work! Encourage
your driver to take those pesky speed bumps gently and walk rather than run up stairs.
• If you get lost or have a problem, don’t panic - call your Supervisor. Their number is on the top of your delivery
sheet.
• Maps can be confusing. If you’re lacking in confidence, you can always borrow your kitchen’s SatNav until
you find your feet.
• Though routes change, it’s a good idea to get to know one fairly well by doing it two or three times before
moving on to another. That way you’ll end up with a strong overview of each of your kitchen’s routes.
• Please remember that many of our Service Users are very ill and may be having a particularly bad day. While
you will often be greeted by a smiling face, don’t take it personally if the person you deliver to is not in high
spirits. I’m sure we can all remember times when we have been feeling under the weather and a smile has
been a struggle!
• Good luck – and enjoy! Delivering meals for The Food Chain really is a rewarding role and a great way to
spend a few hours of your Sunday.
