Bring-A-Meal (BAM)
A life-changing experience for groups
Our Bring-A-Meal (BAM) program provides meals for men, women, and children — while providing a life-changing volunteer experience for community groups. We partner with volunteer groups of all sizes, including churches, restaurants, families, and corporations.
Get started by organizing groups of up to 8 volunteers to bring a meal. Our trained kitchen staff members are available to help you cook your meal, too!
Our guests love special meals themed for a holiday or just for fun! Put on a luau or Mexican fiesta, or bring in music and dessert. With personalized help from the BAM Specialist, your group can be involved in the entire creative process of the dining experience for our guests! Use your own menu or, take all of the guess work out of your event and use one of our premade menu's.
How BAM works
1. Complete our BAM Interest Form to connect with us.
2. Shop, purchase, prepare, and serve your meal from one of our shelter's commercial kitchens.
3. Enjoy your delicious meal with our guests!
Do you have questions? Get in touch with Lori — lschupbach@ugm.org or (206) 556-5912.
BAM Opportunities and Locations
Number of meals varies depending on occupancy. Contact the BAM specialist to learn the actual number of occupancies for meals needed at the time of your event.
Hope Place, Women and Children's Shelter
Rainier Valley, serving up to 80 guests
KentHOPE Day Center
Kent, serving up to 25 guests
Men’s Shelter
Downtown Seattle, serving up to 200 guests
Riverton Place
Burien, serving up to 65 guests
Search + Rescue
Downtown Seattle, Serving up to 400 guests
Graduations
Rainier Valley, serving up to 120 guests
Downtown Seattle, serving up to 400
Capitol Hill
Rainier Valley, serving up to 35 guests
BAM Q&A
Q: How many meals does Seattle Union Gospel Mission serve per year?
A: The Mission currently serves thousands of meals per year.
Q: Who gets these meals?
A: These meals serve our neighbors living on the streets, as well as our guests at Hope Place, KentHOPE the Downtown Men’s Shelter, Capitol Hill, and Riverton Place.
Q: Where are your shelters and how many people live in each one?
A: Hope Place houses our recovery program for women (as well as their children). The number of guests varies, but can house up to 80 people. Our Men’s Downtown Shelter is located in Pioneer Square. The number of guests changes often, but can house up to 90 people. Riverton Place houses our Men’s Recovery Program. The number of guests varies, but it but can house up to 50 people. Capitol Hill is in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and can house up to 35 people.
Q: What is the Outreach team?
A: The Outreach team works closely with the city government and other area organizations to give care that is specific to each person in need, including, but not limited to, helping people move, delivering food and other essentials, and transporting people to shelters. The Outreach team works daytime hours and coordinates with Search + Rescue.
Q: What is Search + Rescue?
A: Search + Rescue teams go out each night to hand out lifesaving supplies and care to men and women living without shelter. They hand out wool blankets, food, water, and other supplies, and invite people to come inside for a night of safe, and warm, shelter at the Mission.
Q: How can I provide a full hot meal to one of the shelters?
A: There are 3 ways to provide a full hot meal. You can: (A) order food from a local restaurant and have it delivered to one of our shelters; (B) cook a meal with your friends and/or family in a donor kitchen and deliver it to one of our shelters; (C) order a complete menu online and deliver the ingredients to one of our shelters for the staff to prepare; or (D) purchase, prepare and serve a meal in one of our shelter kitchens with our staff.
Q: If I choose Option (A), who should I order from?
A: You can order from any local restaurant. You’re welcome to order fast food, something fancy, or anything in between.
Q: If I choose Option (B), how do I know what to do?
A: If you have access to a donor kitchen (in a church, community center, or other), you can use one of our selected menus or you can choose your own menu. These meals should be delivered in disposable buffet-style sheet pans.
Q: What classifies a kitchen as a donor kitchen?
A: A DONOR KITCHEN is a publicly available kitchen in a faith-based organization, community center, or another location site. The DONOR KITCHEN does not need to have a health permit, but must have basic facilities such as adequate handwashing, dishwashing, refrigeration, and cooking equipment. It must have a safe water supply, be protected from weather and animals, and be cleaned before food preparation starts.
Q: If I choose Option (C), how will I know what to order?
A: We have selected menus on our website for you to choose from. There are instructions on what to order and a link to order online.
Q: Under Option (C), how much does it cost to feed 100 people?
A: The cost to provide enough food to feed 100 people from one of our selected menus is approximately $250.
Q: If I choose Option (D) what are the steps I take?
A: You will contact the BAM Specialist for the details. The process has been simplified for you.
Q: Can I cook food in my home kitchen?
A: You can make baked goods such as bread, cookies, pastries, and pies in a home kitchen. Hot meals, sandwiches, and sack lunches must be prepared in a donor kitchen.
Q: How often do the Search + Rescue teams go out to bring food and other resources to our neighbors living in the streets?
A: The Search + Rescue teams go out 5 nights a week. They serve 800 sandwiches a day, 7 days a week. Any amount of support toward these efforts to provide lifesaving help to our neighbors is not only appreciated, but greatly needed.
Q: How can I support the Search + Rescue efforts that go out to our neighbors on the streets?
A: You can support Search + Rescue efforts by making PB&J sandwiches and/or sack lunches. You can also learn about volunteering to go out as part of one of our Search + Rescue teams by clicking here.
Q: How many sandwiches or sack lunches should we make?
A: Please prepare anywhere from 100 to 800 sandwiches and/or sack lunches.
Q: Do you have any tips on how to make such a large volume of sandwiches?
A: Please refer to our sandwich-making details sheet, which gives the shopping list, as well as preparation, packing, and delivery instructions. NOTE: the details sheet explains how to make 400 sandwiches, but you can adjust the shopping list to make anywhere from 100 to 800 sandwiches.
Do you have questions about BAM? Get in touch with Lori — lschupbach@ugm.org or (206) 556-5912.
Help the lost become found
Your gift today helps those who've lost their way find the love and support they need for a new life.
