Frequently asked questions

A group of like minded individuals seeking a volunteer opportunity to serve those in need within our community.

Pancakes originated as a student-led initiative at University of San Diego and it continues to grow and expand its outreach with the support of the Changemaker Hub, a campus-wide initiative providing opportunities for students to engage in social change. Learn more about changemaking at USD here (sandiego.edu/changemaker).

We build relationships and trust with the folks downtown on K and 14th street every Saturday. We are a hub for people looking to volunteer and we allow resource agencies that exist to provide their services to the community of people that trust us.

YES! But due to the social distancing measures, we must severely limit the amount of volunteers that we have each week. We are also not able to prepare food the same as we were before the pandemic. Instead, we are using our donations to purchase pre-made food from grocery stores and fast food restaurants to deliver to those experiencing food insecurity in the downtown San Diego community.

During the Pandemic:

• We are accepting all donations including food and packaged goods or hygiene packs.
  • Food donations include: Granola Bars, Bags of Chips, Water Bottles, Bananas, etc. Think of a bagged lunch and what you would want in yours!
  • Hygiene donations include: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, soap, hand sanitizer, wipes, razor, tampons/pads, chapstick, etc. 
• Please use our links to donate (here) or contact us to see how you can help! 
• Join our mailing list to stay informed and updated.

Once things are back to normal:

• ​Volunteer - Mix, flip pancakes, toppings table, play music, talk to folks, assist in setting up and taking down, trash removal, etc.
• Behind the Scenes Support - Website, fundraising, social media, partnerships, etc.

We normally meet every Saturday morning, rain or shine at 9:00 AM at the University of San Diego or 9:45 downtown.

At the moment, with COVID-19, please reach out to us for meeting times and locations.