Welfare Avenue
Volunteer
Be part of the engine connecting people to the help they need. Build leadership skills while creating measurable impact.
Why volunteer
Join a youth-powered movement
Volunteering with Welfare Avenue is more than giving back: it is belonging to something bigger. No experience needed; our team leads show you the ropes on the day.
- Build real connections in your community
- Learn new skills in a supportive, welcoming team
- See the difference you make at every serving
Three ways to volunteer
Montreal
Sunday servings
Every second Sunday in downtown Montreal. Cook, drive, serve or take photos, and pick the Sundays that suit you.
How it works in MontrealToronto
Community cooking
Once a month, volunteers meet at a community centre to cook meals that go to shelters, non-profits and community organizations.
How it works in TorontoGroups
Collaborate with us
Schools, clubs, companies and community groups can serve, cook or run a drive together, in Montreal or Toronto.
Sign up your group
Volunteer in Montreal
Every second Sunday, our volunteers cook, drive and serve home-cooked meals in downtown Montreal. Pick a role, then the Sundays that work for you.
Serve
Set up, serve home-cooked meals with care and a smile, and pack up together. Servers arrive by noon.
- Every second Sunday
- About 2 hours
Apply for this roleWhat you’ll do
- Meet the team at the serving spot downtown and help set up the tables.
- Grab a pinny from the team leaders, wash your hands, put on gloves and serve.
- Help pack up at the end. Afterwards we text you a two-minute survey, so we keep getting better.
Bring: clothes for outside and the weather, and water for yourself. Clothes or toiletries to donate are welcome too; just let us know.
Cook
Cook one dish at home from our recipes, so every meal is balanced.
- Every second Sunday
- At home, ready by noon
Apply for this roleWhat you’ll do
- Choose a dish from our recipes with your team leader before the Sunday.
- If you live in one of our pickup areas, a driver collects it at your door and texts you about 10 minutes before. Otherwise, drop it off at the serving by noon, and stay to serve if you like.
- Need containers? Tell us and we will bring some.
Bring: your dish, packed, with a note of what is in it (allergens).
Drive
Bring the food and supplies to the serving, and everything back after. You need a car and a licence.
- Every second Sunday
- About 3½ hours
Apply for this roleWhat you’ll do
- Main driver: meet the team leader at our storage unit and load up for the serving.
- Pickup driver: follow a route to each cook’s door, and text each one about 10 minutes before you arrive.
- Help bring everything back after the serving. Gas is reimbursed (up to $15).
Bring: your licence, a charged phone and a clean trunk.
Take photos
Capture the day for our stories, with care for everyone’s privacy.
- Every second Sunday
- About 2 hours
Apply for this roleWhat you’ll do
- Read our short content guide before the Sunday: what we like to capture and how.
- Photograph the team, the food and the setup. No close-ups of the people we serve, and always ask before photographing anyone.
- Send us everything you captured within 24 hours.
Bring: your camera or phone, charged.
Community lead
Be the team’s link with the people we serve: welcome them, listen, and share what you heard.
- Every second Sunday
- About 2½ hours
- After 2 servings
Apply for this roleWhat you’ll do
- One spot per serving, for volunteers who have served with us at least twice. We confirm it with you before the Sunday.
- Arrive about 15 minutes early and check in with the team leader.
- Welcome people in the line and talk with them while they wait and eat: how they are doing, what they need, what they thought of the meal.
- After the serving, run the short community debrief with the team leader, and fill in a short form the same day about who we served.
Bring: your phone, charged.
How to join
Sign up
Tell us how you would like to help and pick the Sundays that work for you.
Get confirmed
We confirm each date by text the week of the serving.
Show up and serve
Servers arrive by noon. Dress for the weather; the rest is teamwork.
Sign up to volunteer
Ready to make a difference?
Pick the Sundays that work for you. We confirm each date by text the week of the serving.
- 600+volunteers since 2020
- 250+servings since April 2020, in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa
Next servings in Montreal
Sign up to serve
Sign-ups open here soon. In the meantime, write to us at info@welfareavenue.com.
Toronto
Volunteer in Toronto
In Toronto, our volunteers meet at a community centre each month to cook free meals that are donated to shelters, non-profits and community organizations across the city.
- One cooking event a month, as a team
- Register on our Toronto page, as a volunteer or as a student
- Questions? Write to the Toronto team at toronto@welfareavenue.com
“Being part of the Welfare Avenue’s project gives me a sense of accomplishment. I have learned how important [it] is for those in need to be seen, to be acknowledged and to feel that we all are part of the same community.”
Want to do more? Join our team
Our team runs Welfare Avenue behind the servings: operations, marketing, fundraising, HR and more, a few hours a week. See the open roles and apply with your CV.
Collaborate with us
Volunteer with your group
Schools, clubs, companies and community groups can volunteer together. Tell us about your group and we will plan the day with you.
- In Montreal: serve a Sunday meal with our team, 10 to 15 people at a time
- In Toronto: cook with the team at our monthly community event
- Anywhere: run a food or essentials drive, host a fundraiser or help with the Holiday Gift Basket Drive
Please write at least four weeks ahead. We can provide letters for volunteer and community service hours.
Sign up your group
Write to us at info@welfareavenue.com and we will plan it with you.