For more information or for service verification requests, contact Food Bank’s Volunteer Engagement Team at volunteer@foodbanknyc.org.
Volunteer
Volunteers play a central role in powering Food Bank’s mission. Whether filing tax returns for low-income New Yorkers, distributing groceries to our pantry clients, or advocating through social media, you can make an impact in many ways with Food Bank For New York City!
To view a schedule of current volunteer opportunities and create your account, please visit our Volunteer Portal.
Meal Service
Food Bank For New York City’s Community Kitchen distributes nutritious hot meals to hundreds of guests each week. During our Community Meal Service and Senior Lunch Service, our neighbors are invited to come to the Community Kitchen to sit down and enjoy a hot meal. Volunteers are needed to welcome guests and serve these meals in an elevated dining experience.
Volunteers must register on the Food Bank Volunteer Portal in advance – walk-in volunteers will not be accepted. Volunteers must be 18 years or older to participate. Small groups of up to 6 volunteers are welcome at our Community Meal Service opportunity.
Pantry Distribution
Food Bank’s Pantry Distribution shifts take place on weekdays and Saturdays at our Community Kitchen and Pantry in West Harlem. Volunteers will help pack and distribute grocery bags with fresh produce and shelf-stable goods for community members. We rely on volunteers to help us serve hundreds of community members each month!
Volunteers must be at least 14 years old to participate and all volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian. Small groups of up to 9 volunteers (18+) are welcome.
Pantry Support
Volunteers are needed at our Community Kitchen & Pantry on Mondays and Fridays to help prepare for our weekly distributions, load in deliveries, and assist in general pantry upkeep. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to participate in this activity.
Meal Service
Food Bank For New York City’s Community Kitchen distributes nutritious hot meals to hundreds of guests each week. During our Community Meal Service and Senior Lunch Service, our neighbors are invited to come to the Community Kitchen to sit down and enjoy a hot meal. Volunteers are needed to welcome guests and serve these meals in an elevated dining experience.
Volunteers must be 18 years or older to participate. Small groups of up to 6 volunteers are welcome at our Community Meal Service opportunity.
Warehouse Repack
Food Bank’s Warehouse and Food Distribution Center in The Bronx distributes food to member charity agencies throughout the five boroughs, supplying over 70 million meals per year to New Yorkers in need! Volunteers at our warehouse help our staff with our highest-impact initiative by sorting and repacking bulk shipped food and goods for redistribution around the city.
Repack shifts are primarily available for groups of 10-25 volunteers (10 years or older, additional restrictions apply to youth groups) on weekday mornings and afternoons. Please email volunteer@foodbanknyc.org for more information.
For corporate groups, we recommend a sponsorship of $2,000. Individual volunteers may check our Volunteer Portal for available public Repack shifts, which are offered about once a month.
VITA
Food Bank’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program has put more than $1 billion back into the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, and we rely on hundreds of dedicated volunteers each tax season to support this impactful anti-poverty work.
This Tax Season, Food Bank will be offering three models of tax filing services: In-Person VITA Тax Preparer (working alongside Food Bank tax staff at various community-based locations across NYC to assist tax clients on-site), In-Person Back End VITA Tax Preparer (working alongside tax staff at Food Bank’s Back End tax preparation centers to complete returns submitted electronically from our network of Intake Sites across NYC), Remote VITA Tax Preparer (volunteers use a computer with internet access to prepare returns remotely and securely from home/work supported by Food Bank tax staff to help individuals file returns virtually).
Warehouse Repack
Food Bank’s Warehouse and Food Distribution Center in The Bronx distributes food to member charity agencies throughout the five boroughs, supplying over 70 million meals per year to New Yorkers in need! Volunteers at our warehouse help our staff with our highest-impact initiative by sorting and repacking bulk shipped food and goods for redistribution around the city.
Repack shifts are available for groups of 10-25 volunteers (14 years or older, additional restrictions apply to youth groups) on weekday mornings and afternoons. For corporate groups, we recommend a sponsorship of $2,000.
Pantry Distribution
Food Bank’s Pantry Distribution shifts take place on weekdays and Saturdays at our Community Kitchen and Pantry in West Harlem. Volunteers will help pack and distribute grocery bags with fresh produce and shelf-stable goods for community members. We rely on volunteers to help us serve hundreds of community members each month!
Small groups of up to 9 volunteers (18+) are welcome. For corporate groups, we recommend a sponsorship of $1,000.
Community Meal Service
Food Bank For New York City’s Community Kitchen distributes nutritious hot meals to hundreds of guests each week. During our Community Meal Service, our neighbors are invited to come to the Community Kitchen to sit down and enjoy a hot meal. Volunteers are needed to welcome guests and serve these meals in an elevated dining experience.
Small groups of up to 6 volunteers (18+) are welcome. For corporate groups, we recommend a sponsorship of $1,000.
Build Empathy Through a Face Hunger™ Simulation
Gather a team of 10-25 people to share in the Face Hunger™ Simulation – a highly interactive experience which raises awareness and understanding of hunger and its many causes.
In this virtual or in-person workshop, participants receive a profile packet with information about the identity, income, and available resources of a person at risk of hunger. Each participant embodies a person experiencing hunger through a series of exercises, facing the challenge to provide nutritious meals for their family. Face Hunger™ participants also debrief with a group discussion on their experience to walk away with a new understanding of hunger in New York City.
Each simulation for up to 25 participants asks for a sponsorship fee of $2,500.
Customize a Volunteer Program
Partner with Food Bank to Build a unique volunteer experience that best fits your team or space. Food Bank has delivered custom opportunities to groups in corporate offices, schools, and community organizations including
engaging virtual events to serve together from home. Programs can meet any group’s needs: large or small groups, family-friendly events, corporate team-building retreats, and more. Customized projects include an annual sponsorship fee. To learn more, please contact partner@foodbanknyc.org.
Become A Social Media Ambassador
Food Bank’s Social Media Ambassador Program is a way for volunteers to amplify resources for New Yorkers facing food insecurity, boost Food Bank’s mission on social media, and advocate by using their voices creatively and intentionally online – all while earning volunteer service hours.
Volunteers choose actions to complete (which range from sharing our Food Finder Map, to posting a selfie in orange for Hunger Awareness, to simply commenting on a Food Bank post), tag #FoodBankAmbassador, and document with screenshots to earn service hours for posting.
Be a Volunteer Tax Preparer
Food Bank’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program has put more than $1.4 billion back into the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, and we rely on over 300 dedicated volunteers each tax season to support this impactful anti-poverty work.
This Tax Season, Food Bank will be offering three models of tax filing services: In-Person VITA Тax Preparer (working alongside Food Bank tax staff at various community-based locations across NYC to assist tax clients on-site), In-Person Back End VITA Tax Preparer (working alongside tax staff at Food Bank’s Back End tax preparation centers to complete returns submitted electronically from our network of Intake Sites across NYC), Remote VITA Tax Preparer (volunteers use a computer with internet access to prepare returns remotely and securely from home/work supported by Food Bank tax staff to help individuals file returns virtually).
Join a Virtual Service Event
Food Bank hosts largescale Virtual Service Hours on Zoom, bringing together volunteers from across the country to join in impactful virtual service activities. These events pair virtual service with educational panel conversations on food insecurity topics with guest speakers.
Recent virtual events have included our Virtual Day of Service for MLK Day with guest speaker Reverend Rasheed Baird, and People Get Periods: A Virtual Service Hour and Conversation on Period Poverty with US Congresswoman Grace Meng.
Sign up for our Volunteer Newsletter below to stay up to date on any upcoming virtual events!
Join Us in Fueling Good! Subscribe to our Volunteer Newsletter.
Be a part of our community of dedicated volunteers by signing up to Fueling Good, the Food Bank’s vibrant newsletter celebrating the impact of volunteers like you. Each month, discover inspiring volunteer stories, event highlights, and upcoming opportunities for you to make a difference.
