Guides

How much do you actually need?

The question every volunteer organizer starts with, answered in real numbers and in the package sizes a supermarket actually sells — not catering sizes, not "one serving per person".

How much chili do you need for 100 people? 3 gallons as a main dish. The whole table — cheese, sour cream, cornbread, bowls — with supermarket package sizes. Read How much pulled pork do you need for 100 people? 27.5 lb cooked, so about 55 lb raw: six pork butts. Buns, sauce, coleslaw and chips, with supermarket package sizes. Read Baked potato bar for 100: the whole list 55 lb of russets, every topping by the package, and how to bake 110 potatoes in a home oven. Read Taco bar for 75 people: how much of everything? 31 lb of raw ground beef and about 250 shells, plus cheese, lettuce, salsa and the rest. Read How many pizzas do you need for 50 teenagers? 21 large pizzas, or 28 for a sports team. The topping split, drinks and plates. Read

For PTAs

How to run classroom party sign-ups for every class with one link One sign-up for the whole school, a row per class, set up once. What one class party of 25 needs. Read Teacher appreciation lunch for 75 staff: how much of everything? A sandwich bar that lasts every lunch period: 15.5 lb of deli meat, 83 rolls, and the rest by the package. Read How much to bake for a school bake sale 330 items from 14 bakers for a school of 400, the mix, the prices, and the change to start with. Read How many volunteers does a school book fair need? 58 two-hour shifts, about 40 people, for a week-long fair. The shift grid, day by day. Read

Being written

If one of these is what you are planning this month, say so and it moves up the list.

Breakfast for 60 staff: what to actually buy
Coffee and pastries for a 200-person morning
How much salad for 100 people
Snack schedule for a 9-game season

Or describe your event and have the numbers worked out for it.

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