President and CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego, Phil Landis, told us that the first meal served and the last meal served to the homeless veterans who attend the Stand Down are the most important. The first meal is a way of saying welcome and the last meal at Stand Down is the one most remembered with a heart-felt farewell.

We were honored and humbled to have been invited to serve the final meal. We were told it was the best and healthiest meal ever served at Stand Down. We served grilled fish tacos and topped with chopped cabbage, house made salsa and a lime cream sauce all on a warm corn tortillas. We also served fresh garden salad, spanish rice and beans and dessert.

Special thanks to our generous donors who made the meal possible: Catalina Offshore Products, Specialty Produce, Sysco & Restaurant Depot

Our volunteers were tremendous and we cannot wait to participate in next years Stand Down.

Just Call Us Volunteers After Serving Fish Tacos to 1400 People

Angie Brewer, Chef Kim Moreira, CEO/President VVSD Phil Landis, Chef Julie Darling

Just Call Us Volunteers has been given the honor to serve the final meal of the 3-day Veterans Stand Down event on July 15th, 2012 in San Diego, CA. Thanks to Catalina Offshore Products and Specialty Produce we will serve our now famous grilled fish taco meal to 1400 homeless veterans and Stand Down event volunteers. We will take our grills to the Stand Down tent city and cook the fish on-site, as we serve, so that everything is hot, fresh and delicious! Come help us prep the meal or just come serve - we will need lots of help!

To learn more about Veterans Stand Down and or to see what this amazing 3-day event is like, watch this“60 Minutes” video on Stand Down.

If you would like to volunteer to help us cook or serve food, please click HERE visit our registration.

Volunteer Shift Options (pick one or all) Please register for each shift you want to attend so that we know we have enough volunteers (but not too many as we have limited space.)

(1) Saturday Morning, Kitchen Prep Only, July 14, 9am-1pm Shift (Saturday Prep at the kitchen in Clairemont only)

(2) Saturday Afternoon, Kitchen Prep Only, July 14, 1pm-5pm Shift (Saturday Prep at the kitchen in Clairemont only)

(3) Sunday, Kitchen Prep and Serve Lunch at Stand Down, July 15, 9am-2pm Shift (9am-1030am prep, depart kitchen 1030am to tent city, serve lunch 1200-1:30, return to kitchen, unload)

(4) Sunday, Serve Lunch at Stand Down and Kitchen Clean-up, July 15, 10am-3pm(Check-in 10am, depart kitchen 1030am to tent city, lunch 1200-1:30, return to kitchen for clean-up)

Just Call us Volunteers serves lunch to homeless veterans while they wait for Stand Down to open.

Big thanks to Manchester Grand Hyatt and their generous employees for the 1080 pounds of donated turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce and baking pans. Also, huge thanks to McKean Defense Group, Sentek Global, Specialty Produce and Sprouts Farmers Market for their continued support and significant donations to help Just Call Us Voluteers feed San Diego’s homeless at the San Diego City Winter Shelter, Metro Hotel and residents of the Veterans Village of San Diego. The Thanksgiving and Christmas special holiday meals we will serve are only possible thanks to these corporate donors, their employees and our always amazing and tireless volunteers. Tis the season, as they say and we are excited and ready cook!!!

Last year, KUSI featured Just Call Us Volunteers during Thanksgiving 2011. To see more of what we do, please watch this video from last Thanksgiving.

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In 2009, the Manchester Grand Hyatt also donated the turkeys for Thanksgiving served at the San Diego Winter Shelter. Watch this video below to see Thanksgiving at the San Diego City Winter Shelter and Metro Hotel.

WOW. What a turnout we have had for volunteers. Thanks so much for those who have already signed up. I’m sorry we aren’t able to take anymore volunteers for Thanksgiving. However, we do have lots of spots still available for Christmas. Please consider joining us then. Click here to sign-up to volunteer at Christmas or learn about other events. Thanks!!