POCATELLO — Aid For Friends is seeking volunteers to help prepare dinner at its homeless shelter for anyone in need of food and a place to stay the night.

Shanon Ansley, a member of the board of directors, said Aid For Friends is looking for any group of four or five people to cook dinner at the shelter located at 209 E. Lewis St.

"We're looking for groups of people from an organization, church, groups of friends or Rotary clubs," Ansley said. "Any kind of group of about four or five. You can have as many people as you want, but the kitchen is kind of small."

Ansley said the volunteers will need to plan a menu. They can purchase the ingredients themselves and bring them to the Aid For Friends shelter to cook. They can also buy meals from a restaurant or grocery store, or they can speak to the manager of Aid For Friends about using the food in the storage area.

"They can cook anything they want," Ansley said. "The food just has to be prepared in a commercial kitchen. We can't serve food that's been prepared in someone's home. We're a licensed commercial kitchen."

Ansley said the volunteers should come to start preparing the food between 4 and 4:30 p.m. on the day they sign up to cook. The food should be ready to serve by 5:30 p.m., and volunteers should plan to feed up to 75 people.

"We have lunch platters that we fill in the kitchen and people come by the service window and pick up a tray," Ansley said.

Once the meal is over, Aid For Friends has a cleanup crew that comes in to clean up the kitchen.

"Whoever is cooking doesn't have to clean up," Ansley said. "You just leave when the crew comes in. We're appreciative of anyone who wants to cook."

Ansley said volunteers can sign up to cook any night of the week. She said there is always food during the day for breakfast or lunch, but dinner is the one meal that needs to be cooked.

"We cook a hot meal for whoever is staying at the shelter and whoever in the community who is on the street and wants to come in for a hot meal," Ansley said.

Ansley said cooking in the Aid For Friends kitchen is a good way to serve the community with friends or colleagues. She said it's also something families can do together, but children have to be ages 12 and older.

"It's a feel-good activity," Ansley said. "I've done it, and (the shelter clients) are very appreciative of people coming and cooking for them."

Anyone interested in signing up to cook a meal for Aid For Friends can sign up online at signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4DAFAB2FA6F5C43-dinner/77868568.