How to Donate

1. Let your hub leader know you’re coming by pre-checking your donation. You’ll find the red donation button on your volunteer dashboard in the Make A Donation section. Select the first box on the left, Loaves & Cookies. It looks like this:

2. You can check your loaves or cookies at any hub or freezer bank that is convenient for you. (Typically, the most convenient is your neighborhood hub.)

3. Heading out of town for the weekend? You can also check your items into one of our freezer banks. Select that radial button, and then from the list, the freezer that is closest to you. Using our freezer banks gives you the ultimate flexibility in your donation timing.

4. You will receive an email confirmation that your items have been pre-checked.

We donate twice a month. The calendar is set a year in advance. Our intent when setting the calendar is to minimize overlapping with holidays, where our food bank partners might be closed, or our volunteer bakers otherwise occupied.

Additionally, when setting dates we intentionally avoid back-to-back donations. Finally, we do not bake and donate in August. For the health of the organization, hub leaders, operations people, bakers, we all need a break, and frankly it is also too hot to bake! That said, for those diehard bakers, those who must bake, it is a great time to freeze your donation and stock up for September.

Speaking of freezers. Using our “freezer banks” is the perfect way to volunteer on your own time. Heading out of town for the weekend? Pre-check your loaves in one of our “freezer banks”. Your donation karma is secured and you don’t have to worry about getting home on time. Learn More Here

Our program calendar is a terrific resource for all dates, you find that on your volunteer dashboard, right at the top. And, for convenience, we’ve included the full 2023 list below as well.

A special donation is a way for us to provide a little extra heart and care to our food bank partners and their clients, specifically around holidays. Baking and donating the special items is fun and adds a little variety and spice to our usual donations. Not your thing, special donations are optional.

We have two scheduled special donations in 2023:

1. The second donation in November, in preparation for the Thanksgiving Meal boxes our food banks often provide their clients, volunteers are encouraged to convert their bread loaves into rolls. You can use the same packaging. See this video for instructions and recommendations on how to make rolls.
   
2. The second donation in December, ‘Tis the Season to extend cheer and best wishes for the New Year! We do this with a signature holiday cookie box. The cookie that is baked is the winner of our annual holiday cookie competition. Click here to see a list of the 2022 winner and all the entries.

One of our favorite questions! Yes, we do provide these hours. You will find them on your volunteer profile page. You receive hours for baking and donating loaves and cookies, packing flour, packing cookie mix, serving as a hub leader, driving and/or organizing supplies, and of course helping out your hub leader. Just about every aspect of the program acknowledges your dedication with a volunteer time credit!

To find, view, and print your “statement”:

1. Login to your volunteer dashboard.
2. Click the yellow “Profile” button.
3. Scroll down, you’ll see some options for viewing your statement. This year, last year and then click to view as a pdf. You can also see all of this year’s donations itemized right ther on the profile page.
4. Donations are calculated as follows – 7 hours for every combination of 3-4 loaves of bread donated and 3 hours for every batch of cookies. These are based on existing averages. 
5. Note our EIN number is on the statement to make it easy for you when you file your annual tax return.
   

We track these efforts intentionally, so young bakers can earn Community Service credit, and working bakers can submit their time with their companies for corporate matching. Those are really valuable dollars for this little non-profit organization.

We are thrilled to participate as a charitable organization in Washington Combined Fund Drive. Here our volunteers can extend their generosity through direct giving.

If you are employed by WA state, including any of our state colleges and institutions and/or at the Port of Olympia, Seattle Housing Authority, and Snohomish County PUD you can participate!

Our OSOS Charity Program # is 1483063

It couldn’t be easier to set up. Click on the banner linked below.