Volunteer - Bridges San Diego

Why Volunteer with Bridges San Diego?

San Diego is host to one of the largest populations of international students in the world, so it’s no surprise that we often need to call on a few extra people to serve and love them well.

By signing up to volunteer, you are expressing interest in helping international students feel more welcome in San Diego. From airport pickups and carpooling students to events to helping plan events and even discipling some students. Our volunteers are a vital part of what God is doing in San Diego. Join the team!

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Cook for Bridges International Dinner @ UCSD

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Choose a date on the left and click the time on the right

Every other Thursday at UCSD we have Bridges Dinner. This event is a great place for international students to find and grow in community together. This involves a hangout time, a home-cooked meal, a Bible study time, and dessert. For dessert, the cooks will either provide that for the students or invite everyone to walk to get dessert at a local shop together.

For each event, we need a small group to bring a meal to share with these amazing students.

Here are some important details to know for Bridges Dinner:

SCHEDULE (Every Thursday Night)
- 5:30 PM – Set up (You can arrive earlier if your meal requires more preparation)
- 6:00 PM – Dinner
- 7:00 PM – Cleanup (Bridges staff will be starting the Bible studies during this time)
- 8:00 PM – Dessert (if brought)
ATTENDANCE
- We expect an average of around 25-30 students to be at each event
- Attendance can vary at these events. At the beginning of the school year, the numbers can be above average. It’s a good idea to ask a Bridges staff person when thinking of how many to shop and cook for.
DIET
- The main meal portion is usually something with chicken, as it fits into most students’ dietary restrictions, but we like to also have a vegetarian option.
- We want to have some vegetables, either in the main dish or as a side, to make it a well-rounded meal.
- For many of our students, rice is a staple in a full meal. Bridges can provide plain white rice cooked for the meal, but if you also want to add some other starch (or even another type of rice) that also works.
- If you have different ideas to these, please let us know so we can help you troubleshoot
SHOPPING
- Try to plan for $10 per person. Try to make this your maximum when purchasing ingredients.
- Make sure to keep all of your receipts to give to us on the day. We will then reimburse you for your purchases.
- Also see “Attendance” section above.
GET A TEAM
- It’s good to have some help. We suggest at least a team of 3 or more. Make it fun!
LOCATION & PARKING
- We will be meeting on campus at UCSD. The room/location can vary from week to week right now, but we will send you the location with parking information after you have signed up for dates to cook.
- Parking in and around UCSD is notoriously tough, but they often have plenty of parking spaces in the evening in nearby lots.
COOKING
- There might not always be a place to cook on-site for each room/location, so this can vary.
- For those times when we have a cooking area on-site, bring the items to cook at the location.
- For those times when there is no cooking area on-site, you can cook it at your location and bring it with you, or cook at Torrey Pines Church (inquire with us before going to TPC, as we need to reserve kitchen space for this). TPC is only a 5 minute drive from UCSD campus.

If you have any questions or thoughts, contact Sam Davis – samuel.davis@bridgesinternational.com

Another great opportunity to volunteer with Bridges is…

Friends For Dinner: Thanksgiving

Friends for Dinner is a hospitality initiative taken by churches and Christian ministries that brings International Students into the homes of local Christian hosts for a tasty meal during a traditional holiday. During these meals, friendships are created and opportunities to share the love of Christ are born.

Hosting an international student through Friends for Dinner is a great way to apply what you have learned on EveryInternational. Especially if you have not yet taken the first step to build a relationship with an international. For this specific event, you can invite 1 or more international students into your home for your Thanksgiving meal that you are already having, so they can experience a warm, home-cooked meal in a family environment while they are away from home.

Read more here or sign up by clicking the button above.

bridges San Diego

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Why Volunteer with Bridges San Diego?

Cook for Bridges International Dinner @ UCSD

Sign up by choosing a date below

Friends For Dinner: Thanksgiving

Bridges San Diego