Guildford Food Bank

Food Bank Cafe Listener

Commitment – 2-4 shifts per month, 1-2 hours per shift

Vacancies for –

           2 cafe listeners on Fridays 4:45 – 6:45 pm

Volunteer role – unpaid
Minimum term – 6 months
Location – St Clare’s Church, Park Barn

Summary
As a cafe listener you will support our work of helping those in food crisis in our community. You will provide a warm and friendly welcome for individuals and families (clients) collecting their food parcels from the food bank. Your role will be to offer refreshments, listen without judgement, complete referral forms for fuel support, help signpost clients to relevant support services and to offer prayer.

Key responsibilities

• Greet clients warmly when they arrive to collect their food parcels Offer drinks and a listening ear.
• Provide a non-judgemental listening ear, for those who wish to talk, so clients feel valued.
• Identify the most appropriate fuel support and complete the relevant fuel referral form.
• Provide signposting information, aided by our online signposting tool.
• Bring any queries that you cannot answer to the session team leader.
• Ask clients if they have anything that they would like the team prayer for at the end of the session.
• Maintain client confidentiality within the food bank setting.
• Follow the food bank safeguarding policy at all times.

Essential for the role

• Friendly, approachable and empathetic manner.
• Good listening skills with the ability to communicate respectfully.
• Non-judgemental attitude and awareness of the challenges clients may be facing.
• Reliability and the ability to work as part of a team.
• Willingness to attend training outside of normal food bank hours (no more than once per term).
• Ability to remain calm in sometimes emotionally charged situations.
• Dedicated to working to support our Charity’s mission and Christian values.

If you are interested in this role, please email volunteers@guildfordfoodbank.org with Cafe Listener Vacancies in the subject line.

We support individuals and families in Guildford and nearby villages with food parcels, fuel assistance, a listening ear, and guidance to services that help move people out of crisis. Our work is powered by generous donations from local communities and partners, enabling us to serve with compassion and care.

We provide food parcels, support and advice for electricity and gas bills, a listening ear and signposting.

We couldn’t do any of this work without our amazing donors; local schools, churches, clubs, including Guildford Lions who contribute weekly to our fresh food offering and individuals, who donate food and necessities directly to us or drop off points at local supermarkets. We also receive financial donations and these cover our running costs and parcel contents.