A Day in the Life of a Food Bank Volunteer
Interested in volunteering at your local food bank but don’t know where to do so or how to get involved? Then you’ve come to the right place. Food banks are always looking for help, which means there are plenty of opportunities for you. Here are some of the things you can expect from your volunteering experience.
What Do Volunteers Do At a Food Bank in Illinois?
Have you ever wondered what volunteers do at food banks? Once you sign up to be a food bank or soup kitchen volunteer, you can expect to help with various tasks depending on what is needed. Serving so many people in the Northern Illinois community leaves plenty of work to get done. You could be part of the team that sorts food, delivers, distributes, or another similar key role. Each role gets us one step closer to fulfilling our neighbor’s needs.
Getting Started as a Food Bank Volunteer
Before you sign up for volunteering opportunities, you’ll need to pick a location and ensure you can fit the hours and role requirements. All of this information can be found here. As you’ll see, there are plenty of roles to be filled, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t immediately see one you want to fulfill. At some points of the year, there may be more roles available. This is especially true near the end of the year. Once you’ve found a role, you’ll need to call that location to get started.
Volunteer Roles You Could Fill
As a volunteer, you could find yourself doing one of several roles. But no matter what you’re doing, we prioritize your health and safety at all times. We follow all CDC protocols and local guidance on sanitation and hygiene. This keeps our volunteers safe and ensures the food they come in contact with is safe for families.
Want to help keep shelves stocked? Food sorters will assemble food boxes and categorize donated food items for distribution.
In this role, you can expect to help with packing food boxes and loading them into vehicles at a drive-through pantry or mobile pantry. You may also be involved in check-ins and answering questions.
You can be a major help to your neighbors in need by delivering ready-made meal kits and plates. Volunteer delivery drivers will be given a route and also conduct wellness checks for seniors and others who may have disabilities or chronic illnesses.
Do you have community service hours that must be fulfilled? You can accomplish some hours at your local food bank. If approved, you can choose to complete your hours at our Centers in Geneva, Joliet, Lake Forest, or Rockford. Learn more here.
Building Awareness – Can’t make it to one of our locations but still want to contribute from home? There may be virtual volunteering opportunities for you. You could help spread the word on social media, make phone calls, or assist in other ways. Ask your local food bank about these kinds of volunteering opportunities.
Looking for another way to volunteer virtually? Try fundraising. It’s another great way to volunteer for a good cause and help your local food bank acquire resources. You could assist with a food drive fundraiser that is completely online, helping food banks put funds toward bettering their communities.
