A WARM WELCOME TO HEART OF DINNER'S DECORATED BAG PROJECT!
Decorated bags and handwritten notes are at the heart of our mission to reduce food insecurity and isolation among Asian American Elders living in significantly under-resourced and underinvested communities. Through our signature care packages, we create moments of joy, emotional connection, and nourishment that honor our Elders' physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

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We currently serve our community through two vital programs:

• Our foundational NYC program, home-delivering 700+ weekly care packages to Elders year-round

• Our LA emergency relief effort providing 1,000 emergency care packages to Elders affected by the wildfires

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WHY DECORATED BAGS MATTER
Each bag you create becomes part of a holistic care package that nurtures both body and spirit. Your artistic expression transforms a simple delivery into a meaningful exchange of love between generations and cultures. 

 

NYC: Your decorated bags are essential to our weekly care packages reaching 700+ Elders. Every week brings new opportunities to strengthen these cherished community bonds through art and heart.

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LA Emergency Relief: As we provide 1,000 emergency care packages to Elders affected by the wildfires, your decorated bags help maintain dignity and human connection during challenging times. Any surplus bags will join our NYC weekly deliveries, ensuring every artistic contribution helps strengthen our community ties.

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ABOUT DECORATED BAGS & NOTES 

You can choose how you'd like to contribute:

• Focus solely on decorating bags - our team will attach handwritten notes during operations

• Or if you'd like to write notes too, click here for note-writing guidelines

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⚠️ BEFORE YOU BEGIN: IMPORTANT FIRST STEPS

1. Read through ALL sections below

2. Choose your volunteer path (Individual, Corporate, or Student) - this information is listed below the submission addresses.

3. Follow your path's specific toolkit instructions carefully

4. Only then begin decorating bags

5. Use the submission addresses listed below when ready

Each path has its own essential guidelines that must be followed to create bags that will bring joy to our Elders. Please do not start decorating until you've reviewed your path's specific toolkit.

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WHERE TO SEND YOUR COMPLETED DECORATED BAGS

For LA Wildfire Emergency Relief mail-in address:

2020 Columbia St, #286

San Diego, CA 92101

Important:

• Please mark packages "Heart of Dinner Emergency Relief"

• Include completed submission slip

• Questions? Email us here

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For NYC Weekly Care Packages:

Mail-in Option:

Heart of Dinner

31 Howard Street, #404

New York, NY 10013

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Drop-off Option:

Partybus Bakeshop

31 Essex Street

New York, NY 10002

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Before You Drop Off:

1. Print and fill out this submission slip before arriving. Be sure that the batching instructions included in the submission slip are followed and completed prior to drop-off.

2. Drop-off your bags during Partybus Bakeshop’s business hours. No need to schedule or call about your drop-off. Simply walk in during their open hours.

3. Pass off decorated bags at the counter with the completed submission slip.

 

Important drop-off notes:

• Partybus team cannot sign volunteer hour verification forms. All hour verification requests must be pre-arranged directly with Heart of Dinner before beginning your project.

• Do you have further questions about NYC drop-offs? Please do not contact Partybus Bakeshop regarding drop-offs, instead, contact Heart of Dinner directly by clicking here. Thank you! 

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CHOOSE YOUR PATH TO CONTRIBUTE

A.) Individual Volunteers: Perfect for solo creators or those gathering friends and family

B.) Corporate Groups: For workplace volunteering and team activities

Please read the appropriate section below that matches your situation. Each path has specific guidelines to help you create meaningful contributions for our Elders.

C.) Student Volunteers: For students seeking service hour verification

 
A) INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS
This toolkit is designed for solo participants and individuals who want to gather friends, family, classmates, and neighbors to decorate bags for our mission. Click here to access Heart of Dinner's Community Guide Toolkit: Decorated Bag Project. 

This step-by-step toolkit includes:

• Where to gather art materials and supplies

• How to obtain our brown bags

• Decorating instructions and do's & don'ts

• How to mail in or drop off the completed bags

• And more!

Whether you're looking to make a difference in your community, seeking a creative outlet, or both, this toolkit will guide you every step of the way in contributing decorated bags for our home deliveries of Heart of Dinner care packages.

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B) CORPORATIONS & BUSINESSESLooking to organize a bag decorating event at your workplace? Reach out to us at this email using your work email address to obtain Heart of Dinner's specially crafted Corporate Decorated Bag Project Toolkit. This toolkit is tailored for our corporate allies and includes comprehensive instructions specifically designed to align with the needs and setup of corporate/business environments. 

 

C) STUDENT VOLUNTEERS & HOUR VERIFICATION

A Note About Service Hour Documentation: We cherish our student volunteers and want to help you create meaningful contributions while fulfilling your service requirements. To make this experience rewarding for everyone:

 

Before You Begin:

Please click here to email us if you need volunteer hour verification. This allows us to:

• Welcome you properly to our volunteer community

• Share our detailed quality standards

• Provide our hour verification process and paperwork requirements

• Guide you toward creating contributions our Elders will treasure

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Important Notes:

• We can only verify hours for pre-approved student volunteers who have completed our onboarding process

• Hour verification requests must be submitted before starting your bag decoration project

• Our drop-off location partner, Partybus Bakeshop, operates independently and cannot process hour verification paperwork

• Each bag must meet our quality standards to count toward service hours

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Why This Process Matters: Our Elders keep these decorated bags as precious reminders they're not alone. By connecting with us first, you'll learn how to create meaningful contributions that truly brighten their days and provide the emotional uplifting we aim for. We want to support your service journey while honoring our commitment to providing our Elders with the highest quality care.

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Ready to Start? Email us here to begin your volunteer journey with Heart of Dinner. We look forward to welcoming you to our community!