|
Volunteers are essential to the Food Bank. Each month, volunteers contribute more than 7,000 hours to support the Food Bank's mission by sorting donations, serving clients, teaching classes, as ambassadors, at special events and a variety of other opportunities. Youth are welcome to volunteer at the Food Bank! We accept volunteers as young as 8. Any individual youth volunteer between 8 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older. Youth groups must provide one adult chaperone for every 5 youth under 18.  |
First time volunteering? |
Sorting donations in our Product Recovery warehouse gives you a "behind-the-scenes" look at how donations from the community get to hungry Central Texans. Volunteers inspect, clean, sort, box and make donations ready for distribution to Partner Agencies and their clients.
Volunteer shifts
Youth and Family Night
Youth ages 8 to 17 and their families are invited to volunteer on the first Tuesday of the month from 6 - 8 p.m.
Visit the online registration site to get scheduled.
Workplace and corporate groups are welcome to volunteer at the Food bank. By working together on a community focused project, employees reap the benefits of community involvement, pride and a sense of accomplishment. Workplace and corporate volunteer groups gain a sense of cooperation, respect, productivity, dependability, motivation and communication that can be transferred to the corporate environment.
Double or triple your impact with corporate matching gifts. Contact your human resources representative to find out how to turn your volunteer hours into financial gifts to feed hungry Central Texans. If your company offers this option, or if you need to confirm eligibility for corporate matching, email Mark Jackson at mjackson@austinfoodbank.org to get started.
To schedule your workplace group to volunteer, contact Emily DeMaria at edemaria@austinfoodbank.org.
Non-violent offenders with a minimum of 20 service hours if under 18, or a minimum of 60 service hours if 18 and older, can complete their assignment at the Food Bank. Individuals under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over 21. Please call 512-684-2140 to get scheduled for a mandatory orientation.
The Food Bank has a variety of administrative opportunities such as stuffing envelopes, data entry and web-based projects.
CAFB's two “Wheels of Sharing” Mobile Food Pantries travel to fill geographic and service gaps in emergency food assistance. Mobile Food Pantry volunteers help unload trucks and distribute food to clients. To sign up for a shift, register online.
Distributions occur in multiple locations throughout CAFB's 21-county service area including: Austin, Lexington, Bartlett, Lott, Cedar Park, Mustang Ridge, Fredericksburg, San Saba, Johnson City, Uhland and Kosse. To view a calendar and a list of distribution sites, please visit the "Wheels of Sharing" Mobile Food Pantry webpage.
The St. John Community Food Center is a model food pantry operated by the Food Bank. It features a client choice model and walk-in refrigerator and freezer. Volunteers stock the shelves on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon in preparation for Wednesday distributions and assist with weekly distributions each Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. There is also a special distribution for our Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (HOPE) every fourth Monday of the month from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Sign up to volunteer.
The St. John Community Food Center is located in the For the City Center building at 500 East St. Johns Avenue, Austin, TX 78752.
CHOICES
Help individuals and families make smart choices at mealtime! The CHOICES nutrition education program provides free classes to qualified individuals. The program provides classes on several topics including:
Each series runs 4-6 weeks, meets once a week, and may be offered during weekday business hours, in the evening, or on the weekend. As an assistant, CAFB is looking for nutrition students, culinary students, or anyone interested in nutrition or cooking. As an assistant, you will support the dietitian or nutrition educators as they prepare materials and food samples before class and with various activities during class.
Help the Food Bank engage and provide information to our community at fairs, speaking engagements, festivals, concerts, Food and Fund Drive events and various other activities that take place during regular business hours, at night, or on the weekends.
Ambassadors must attend a one-hour training session. Sessions take place every few months – contact us to learn more.
