Hope's Corner Newsletter: February 2025


Heating food for those without a conventional heating source While volunteering at the Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos (CSA), Yokuyo noticed a lot of community members were selecting pantry items that did not require a microwave or other heat source because they didn’t have a way to heat their food. Seeing a need in his community, he developed a warming pot that allows people to warm food without needing a kettle, microwave, or other heat source.


Yokuyo’s invention involves a reusable 3D printed frame, 1 large Ziploc bag for water (with a hole near top for venting), a water-activated heating pack, and 1 small Ziplock for putting the food in. Enjoying hot food using Yokuyo’s warming method takes about 10 – 15 minutes to complete.


Yokuyo has handed out more than 300 Self-Heating Instant Pot packages to people in our community. This means that 300 unhoused individuals in Mountain View have easier access to warm food and can broaden their food options. He will continue distributing these pots each week to help even more people. The Self-Heating Instant Pot can help people in Mountain View, and has the potential to help people worldwide! Content Contributor: Christina

Hope's Corner Newsletter: January 2025


In the Spotlight Volunteer Spotlight: Serge


What a great stroke of luck for Hope’s Corner that Serge loves cooking for other people. Serge tells us “What can be more fun than cooking 400 meals? Adding spices to improve a basic nutritious meal adds spice to my life!”


When Serge is not volunteering at Hope’s Corner, he likes to fix things, and practice Tai Chi and other sports. Serge also enjoys meditation and spends as much time as possible in the beautiful California outdoors. Serge likes to cook even in his spare time when he is not volunteering at Hope’s Corner!


We are lucky to have Serge volunteering for Hope's Corner. We’d like to thank all our volunteers; without you, we wouldn’t be able to provide vital services or accomplish our mission.


Content contributor: Christina W