Volunteer Opportunities: great chefs in great homes

Foodies, unite! If you have a passion for the finer things in life - gourmet cuisine, fine wines, splendid architecture, and exquisite interior design - do we have an event for you! Our largest fundraiser of the year, Great Chefs in Great Homes, relies solely on volunteers to bring the event to the table. So make your reservation to join our Great Chef's volunteer team today!

Volunteer opportunities for Great Chefs in Great Homes include:

•  Chef Recruiter

•  Dinner Coordinator

•  Dinner Manager

•  Dinner Server

•  Home Solicitor

•  Planning Committee Member

•  Wine Solicitor

Great Chefs in Great Homes: This elegant event consists of a series of black-tie dinners prepared by renowned Bay Area chefs in some of Marin County's finest private homes.

Chef Recruiter

 A Chef Recruiter's responsibilities include:

• Working with the Event Coordinator to recruit chefs for each dinner.

• Making chef recruitment telephone calls.

• Coordinating chef activities.

Helpful skills include:

• Excellent telephone etiquette

• Chef connections in the Bay Area restaurant industry  

Dinner Coordinator

A Dinner Coordinator's responsibilities include:

• Assisting the Event Coordinator in recruiting Dinner Managers for all dinners.

• Recruiting volunteer servers.

• Procuring all required services for each dinner (valet parking, rental equipment, table arrangements, etc.).

Helpful skills include:

• Interest in event planning and organization

• Ability to coordinate and direct dinner managers, servers, and services needed for each dinner

Dinner Manager

A Dinner Manager's responsibilities include:

• Acting as the host for one or more specific dinners.
• Meeting in advance of the dinner with the Dinner Coordinator and/or Event Coordinator, the designated chef, and the homeowner to determine set-up, organization, and execution of the event.
• Making small purchases if need be (to be reimbursed by Marin Ballet) on the day of the dinner (coffee, creamer, etc...).
• Transporting items from Marin Ballet to the home site (coffee urns, bottled water, etc...)
• Managing a team of volunteer Dinner Servers and overseeing the Chef/Chef Team.  
• Coordinating set-up and breakdown on event day.
• Managing the dinner's timeline.

Helpful skills include:

• Interest in event planning and organization
• Ability to direct dinner managers, servers, and to coordinate other services needed for each dinner

Note: If you are interested in being a Dinner Manager and have never done it before, it is advised that you shadow a more experienced Manager during one of their dinners to get an idea of what is involved with the job.  

Dinner Server (8-10 servers required per dinner)

A Dinner Server's responsibilities include:

• Arriving approximately one hour prior to the dinner's cocktail hour to check in with the Dinner Manager and be prepped by the dinner Chef/Chef Team.
• Acting as a waitperson during the dinner, including passing appetizers, pouring drinks (water and wine), serving plates, and clearing the courses, etc...
• Helping with breakdown of the settings at the end of the evening.

Helpful skills include:

• Restaurant server experience (helpful, but not required)
• The ability to be on your feet for up to six hours at a time
• Following directions and completing tasks in a highly organized manner

Dinner Servers are asked to wear the following:

• Nice black pants

• White shirt

• Comfortable shoes (preferably black)

• Bring an apron for clean-up

Home Solicitor

A Home Solicitor's responsibilities include:

• Working with the Event Coordinator to procure homes for each dinner.
• Making home solicitation telephone calls.
• Coordinating homeowner activities.

Helpful skills include:

• Excellent telephone etiquette
• Marin County real estate/architecture/interior design connections  

Planning Committee Member

A Planning Committee Member's responsibilities include:

• Assisting the Event Coordinator with planning the event, including set-up and design of dinners.

Helpful skills include:

• Bay Area restaurant connections/experience

• Winery connections/experience

• Interest in event planning and organizing

Wine Solicitor

 A Wine Solicitor's responsibilities include:

• Working with the Event Coordinator to procure wines for each dinner.

• Making wine solicitation telephone calls.

• Coordinating wine deliveries/pick-ups.

Helpful skills include:

• Excellent telephone etiquette

• California wine industry connections (Napa, Sonoma)  

For Great Chefs in Great Homes volunteer opportunities, please contact Event Coordinator, Kyra Kuhn, Ms. Kuhn , (415) 453-6705 ext. 24.