Volunteering at the Burlington Food Bank - Please Read Carefully
The Burlington Food Bank is a great place to volunteer and serve your community! We have a fantastic group of dedicated volunteers; however, we are at times in need of new volunteers to fill staffing gaps or extra volunteers for special events. To volunteer within the Food Bank, you must complete an application from through My Impact.
Once you have completed the application form, you are added to our volunteer database and an account is automatically created for you in My Impact. Through this account, you can register for an volunteer information session. During this session, you will learn more about the Food Bank, the role of volunteers, and current volunteer opportunities. These information sessions typically happen twice a month during the day.
Please note: no volunteer information sessions will be scheduled until the New Year. All new volunteers will be contacted in January to schedule an information session.
Once you have completed an information session, you will be able to sign up for additional hands on training. Depending on the role, these sessions may take place in the morning or in the afternoon. After you have been fully trained, and met with the Volunteer Coordinator, you may sign up for open volunteer opportunities on My Impact.
The Burlington Food Bank is honoured that so many people within the Burlington Community wish to volunteer with us. We are humbled by the outpouring of generosity that is directed towards us every day.
We wish we could take every volunteer into the Food Bank. Unfortunately, due to space and time restrictions this is not possible. We would also like to encourage individuals to consider offering their time to Feed Halon. This organization supports with Burlington Food Bank through distribution of free essential personal products, and both perishable and non-perishable food.
Student Volunteers
The Burlington Food Bank welcomes student volunteers who are 16 years of age or older who would like to give back to their community while completing their mandatory volunteer hours for secondary school graduation. Most student hours are available over the summer.
If you are a student, please complete the student application form or email us volunteer@burlingtonfoodbank.ca.
Client Support Volunteers work with clients in a variety of ways.
Client Shoppers assist clients while they shop by getting their perishable items, answering questions, and filling special requests.
Welcome Desk volunteers welcome our clients and check them in using our software system. in getting the store ready for open.
Afternoon Client Support Volunteers make phone calls to clients and fill orders for delivery.
All of our Client Support Volunteers help with stocking shelves and keeping the Food Bank clean and tidy as they serve the community.
Warehouse Support Volunteers work behind the scenes in a variety of roles, including:
Sorters: sort and assess all donations; package donations for storage; help with deliveries and preparing items to be sent to other organizations. Help to manage inventory.
Produce: manage all fresh produce. Create custom bags of vegetables and fruits for clients. Help staff with ordering.
Bread: sort and package all donations of Cobs bread.
Hampers: build client food hampers for delivery.
Stocker: restock the store and get it ready for the next day.
Working in pairs, Food Bank Drivers and Assistant Drivers will use the Food Bank van and/or truck to collect donations from various locations around the region.
Volunteer must have:
Volunteer Drivers will receive regular training and testing to ensure safety for everyone.
Using their own vehicles, Delivery Drivers and Assistants deliver food to clients that are unable to come into the Food Bank.
Volunteers must have:
Driver's may also deliver on their own if they wish.
The Burlington Food Bank has access to four community gardens across Burlington. Volunteers are needed to help upkeep the gardens as well as harvest.
The weather is starting to cool, but there is still work to be done! We are actively looking for volunteers to help out in the gardens until the end of October.
Special Events are any events that happen outside of the Food Bank. These can include festivals, corporate events, food drives, and more. These events normally take place on the weekends and are a great way to get involved.
We are actively looking for volunteers to help out at Special Events.
Typical tasks include:
FAQ About Special Events
Q. I have never been to the Food Bank - can I still help out?
A. Yes! While we do recommend that everyone who volunteers for the Burlington Food Bank attend one of orientation sessions, it is not mandatory for this role.
Q. Can I bring my children to help? I would like them to learn more about giving back to the community.
A. We love having families volunteer together! For most special events, everyone is welcomed to help (children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult). Some events may have age restrictions due to the nature of the event or the tasks involved.
To provide nutritious food to the hungry of our community in a dignified and timely manner.
Our Food Bank is committed to feeding the hungry in our community. Our clients are treated with dignity and respect. We welcome all clients without judgement.
Our Food Bank relies on the dedicated staff and volunteers to help receive food, inspect for expiry dates, sort, and distribute to our clients.
