Meal train
Meal train sign-up sheet for a family going through a hard time
After surgery, an illness or a loss, a hot dinner on the porch means a great deal. Friends pick a night and the family just eats.
Free. No ads, no account, one link to share.
Make it easy to give and easy to receive
A meal train is one dinner per night, so the sheet is a calendar: pick the start date, the number of nights and the days the family wants meals. Each friend claims a night and writes what they plan to bring, so the family does not get five lasagnas in a week. Put the dietary needs and dislikes in the details, along with the number of people being fed.
The drop-off notes matter more than anything else. Say whether to ring the bell or leave the food in a cooler on the porch, what time the family eats and whether to text first. Many families prefer that nobody come in. The organizer sees everything from the private manage link. Reminders go out the day before each meal.
Ideas for your sheet
The builder sets up the dates or shifts for you. These are ideas for the lines and the details, and you can change all of it.
Meals that travel and reheat well
- A casserole or baked pasta in a disposable pan
- Soup with bread
- A rotisserie chicken with sides
- Breakfast for the next morning
- A freezer meal for later in the week
- Fruit and snacks for the kids
Worth putting in the details
- Allergies and foods to avoid
- How many people are eating
- Drop-off time and where to leave it
- Whether to text first
- Whether to bring disposable containers
Quick answers
Can I organize a meal train for someone else?
Yes. Set up the sheet, share the link with friends and neighbors, and keep the manage link yourself. The family does not need to do anything.
What if someone has to cancel their night?
Edit the sheet from your manage link so another friend can take it, and let the family know.
Do guests need to make an account?
No. They open the link, type their name and claim a spot. An email address is optional and only used if they want a reminder.
Why Potlucky
No ads, ever
Not on the page guests see, and not on any plan.
No accounts
Guests type a name. You get a private link to manage the sheet.
Free
Custom questions, dietary tags, waitlist, hide names, reminders, QR, print and export cost nothing.