Volunteer at a holiday food drive

Food banks are busy all year, and the weeks around the holidays are often the busiest, when more food comes in and more families need it. If you want to be a food bank volunteer, a single shift with a friend is a good place to start. It is free, it takes about a half-day, and you finish with a clear sense of what you did.

Sign up early

Holiday shifts tend to fill early, so don’t leave this until the last week of December. Search for food banks and pantries near you, then look for a volunteer page. Many have an online calendar where you pick a shift and sign up. Some also ask you to fill in a short form or attend a quick orientation.

Check before you book:

• The date, start time and length of the shift
• Whether there’s a minimum age or any rule for groups. These vary by place, so ask.
• Whether you can sign up with a friend on the same shift
• What the job is, such as sorting, packing or helping with distribution
• Where to park or how to get there by bus or train

Book a shift you can actually keep. If your plans change, tell the coordinator as early as you can, so someone can take your place.

What to wear and bring

Beyond the closed-toe shoes on your list, dress for standing and lifting. Wear comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting dusty, tie back long hair, and avoid dangling jewellery or loose sleeves. Warehouses can be cold, so layers help. Bring a water bottle and a snack for after, unless the food bank says otherwise. Leave valuables at home, and keep your phone in a pocket.

What a shift is like

Every place runs it differently, but a normal shift looks like this:

1. You arrive, check in and meet the volunteer coordinator.
2. They explain the job, show you where things go and tell you about any safety rules.
3. You work in a team, often at a table or a long line. Common jobs are sorting donated food by type, checking dates and packing boxes.
4. Someone gives you a break and a thank-you, and the shift ends with a clean-up.

You don’t need experience. The staff and regular volunteers expect new faces and will teach you. It is fine to ask questions.

Work safely

• Lift with your legs, and ask for help with heavy boxes.
• Wash your hands before handling food, and follow any rules about gloves or hairnets.
• Do not eat while you sort, and do not take food home unless you’re told you can.
• Follow the coordinator’s instructions about what to put aside. Food that is damaged, open or past its date may be set aside by trained staff, so ask rather than guessing.
• Tell someone if you feel dizzy, hurt or unwell.

What goes wrong

• Your shift is full. Ask to join a waitlist, or look for another day or a nearby pantry.
• It’s more physical than you expected. Take breaks and ask for a seated job if there’s one.
• You don’t know what to do. Ask. Nobody expects you to know.
• Your friend cancels. Go anyway. Teams are friendly, and you’ll meet new people.
• It feels awkward. That’s normal for a first time, and it usually passes after twenty minutes of work.

After the shift

Think about whether you’d like to come back. Many food banks welcome regular volunteers and have steady jobs that need a repeat team. If you’d like to give more, ask what the food bank needs most, and consider donating money if you can, because food banks often buy in bulk. Don’t clean out your cupboard of old tins, and check the food hasn’t expired before you give it.

Why December, and why not only December

Food banks see more donations and more demand around the holidays, so extra hands are welcome. But the need doesn’t end in January. Many food banks say the quieter months are just as hard, so a shift in February or March can help as much as one in December. If you enjoyed your first one, put a reminder in your calendar for a few months later.

Make it a winter day

Plan something warm for afterwards. Meet your friend for hot chocolate, and talk about what you did. If you’d like another winter thing that’s about people, a cookie swap is an easy evening to organise.