HUNGER & FOOD JUSTICE
Mission: BSCAH is the largest food pantry in Brooklyn, providing the basic staples of a well-balanced diet to more than 30,000 unduplicated, low-income individuals each month. Designed to support its clients’ dignity as well as provide nourishment, BSCAH is unusual in allowing its clients to select fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and other staple items according to their preferences — much as they would in a supermarket. Since Superstorm Sandy, the need for our services has increased exponentially and we continue to serve clients in the Rockaways, and Coney Island through our mobile efforts. The largest segment of our client population (51%) comprises children, followed by seniors (28%). Our remaining clients include people with a range of barriers to health and independence (e.g., serious psychiatric or substance abuse issues; serious physical disabilities; past histories of incarceration/ homelessness).
Website: http://bedstuyagainsthunger.org/support-us/volunteer/
Phone: 718-773-3551
Email: volunteer@Bedstuyagainsthunger.org
What volunteers do:
assist with intake
unload food
work on farm
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: BronxWorks helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being. From toddlers to seniors, we feed, shelter, teach, and support our neighbors to build a stronger community. In all aspects of our work, BronxWorks strives for the highest ethical and performance standards and is guided by the belief that people are to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their present situation or past experiences.
Website: http://www.bronxworks.org/volunteer-opportunities
Email: L. Andrew Lin llin@bronxworks.org
Phone: 646-393-4000
What volunteers do:
Community Health Advocate volunteers conduct street outreach; attend afternoon and evening community meetings; and assist in planning informational sessions geared towards individuals and small businesses
volunteer attorneys and JD candidates assist low-income individuals in the preparation of affirmative applications for immigration benefits
Positive Living volunteers serve lunch or dinner or help in food pantry for people living with HIV/AIDS
FYI:
for CHA, high school diploma, strong writing and computer experience, and ability to do public speaking required
Borough: Bronx
Mission: The Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC) is a membership-led, direct-action, community organizing body based in Central Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights and the surrounding area). We bring together residents to develop local leadership, identify important issues in their lives, win concrete improvements in the community, and build power. We establish relationships with a growing base of local people and mobilize them to: identify social and economic issues of critical importance to them; acquire the information and leadership skills necessary to transform our community; change local conditions and win concrete improvement in their lives; join broad coalitions and build alliances with other communities; create long-term, structural change through the reform of city, state, and national policies.
Website: http://brooklynmovementcenter.org/get-involved/
Phone: 718-771-7000
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
join Black-led, member-led committees on food justice, environmental justice, street harassment, District 16 schools, police accountability
work on mobilizations, legislative campaigns, political training
FYI:
all welcome, but (non-Black) solidarity members may not take leadership roles
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: To build community pride, provide healthy provisions to our neediest residents, encourage youth empowerment and develop a communal culture towards land use and community health. Brooklyn Rescue Mission was founded in 2002 by a group of clergy and community workers with a vision to service the hungry, hurting and homeless people of Central Brooklyn with healthy fresh food and clean warm clothing. The mission’s founders helped many poor working families, predominately headed by low wage earners, by providing food outreach and clothing assistance. Brooklyn Rescue Mission, Inc. was successfully formed and now assists families living in a community where many of residents are one paycheck away from homelessness.
Website: https://brmuhc.org/brmuhc-volunteer-pre-application
Phone: 718-363-3085
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
stock food pantry, serve, clean-up
garden/farm
staff farmer's market
social media
help with special events/fundraisers
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The mission of Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC (CIS-NYC) is to provide essential services to immigrants in the spirit of Mother Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants and founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since its inception in 1999, CIS-NYC has worked with the immigrant community all over New York City and serves all persons residing in the metro area regardless of age, race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or immigration status.
Website: http://cis-nyc.org/volunteer-2/
Email: info@cis-nyc.org
Phone: 212-791-4590 x100
What volunteers do:
food pantry volunteers unload shipments, organize the pantry, distribute food (Mondays and Tuesdays)
Cantonese speakers help with Tuesday food distribution, phone calls, and document translation
social media
Photoshop
Microsoft Access
marketing and media (writing and graphic design)
course/workshop instructor in English, Spanish, civics, immigration law, knitting, cooking
paralegals and lawyers donate pro-bono time and expertise
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The Camp Friendship Food Pantry provides fresh produce and dry and canned goods to our community members in need.
Website: https://www.campfriendshipbrooklyn.org/volunteer-opportunities
Email: n/a
Phone: 718-965-3695
What volunteers do:
food pantry prep & distribution
food pantry deliveries
staff information/donation table
staff events and fundraisers
FYI:
food deliveries require vehicle
volunteers most needed for special events like toy drives and holidays
Food distribution is on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Chilis on Wheels provides vegan chili to people in need of a warm meal. We believe in treating all living beings with kindness, empathy, and respect regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, ability, ethnicity, class, circumstance, environment, level of addiction, or species. Our core principle is veganism, extending compassion and respect to all. A vegan does not use, wear, or eat animals or animal products because we believe all animals have a right to their life and their bodies in the same way that all people do. Veganism reduces animal suffering, reduces environmental impact, maximizes the potential to end world hunger, and improves our health. Chilis are distributed once a week to people in the street that want a warm homecooked meal. Most soup kitchens close their doors over the weekends, creating a vacuum in services. Chilis on Wheels aims to cover that need and act as a bridge.
Website: http://www.chilisonwheels.org/volunteer/
Email: michellec@chilisonwheels.org
Phone: 303-618-0528
What volunteers do:
cook, pack, and distribute food
serve meals
work on mobile food van
leaflet about veganism
FYI:
families with kids particularly welcome
Mission: We feed the hungry in our soup kitchen and shelter homeless young women & their infants. Since 1971, CHiPS (Park Slope Christian Help, Inc.) has been a community of Brooklyn neighbors, volunteers, and friends who share a common spiritual vision to help those who are less fortunate. We prepare hot, nutritious meals and serve them to the needy in a caring and respectful environment. In addition to meals, we offer seasonal clothing, emergency pantry items, and shelter for young mothers and their children. Our dedication to service goes beyond basic needs in the hope that all our disadvantaged brothers and sisters may find independence and the strength to meet life’s challenges.
Website: http://chipsonline.org/volunteer/
Phone: 718-237-2962
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
after initial training, work in soup kitchen (food prep, setting tables, packing food for clients to take)
stay overnight in shelter
teach in shelter (life skills, maternal/child health, and budgeting)
support work can be done remotely (advertising, marketing, PR, media, fundraising/grant writing, administrative duties, education)
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: City Growers empowers young people to envision a greener and healthier future. We aim to close a fundamental gap in the experience of urban children by creating opportunities for them to meaningfully interact with the natural world and reconnect with food’s origin from the earth. We want to see more green roofs, more community gardens, more urban farms, equal access to healthy food, cleaner air and waterways, and more innovative urban spaces to grow and learn. It is our duty and honor to provide today’s children the tools and inspiration they need to change the world tomorrow. We see the children and teens that participate in our programs as the leaders, policymakers, engineers, teachers, farmers, and activists of tomorrow. Giving young people a new perspective on our urban environment activates imaginations and provides a new lens through which to view the potential of our city and world. Each day, City Growers is cultivating healthy, informed, dynamic change makers who understand the importance of real food, grown well.
Website: https://citygrowers.org/volunteer/
Email: info@citygrowers.org
Phone: 917-426-4420
What volunteers do:
assist at annual education conference (registration, technical support, oversee tabling sessions, assist workshop presenters)
assist at Family Farm Days
build bee hives for Honeybee Education program
pack and stamp student-designed seed packets
write personal thank-you notes to donors
photography
web design
Borough: Brooklyn, Queens
Mission: Nearly 20% of New Yorkers currently live in poverty, struggling to afford basic necessities such as rent and medical care and put food on their tables.City Harvest helps feed the nearly 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger each year. We rescue some 150,000 pounds of food each day. We regularly give food to 500 community programs.
Website: https://www.cityharvest.org/volunteer/individual-volunteers
Volunteer signup form: https://cityharvestvolunteers.civicore.com/index.php?section=trainingList&action=list
Phone: 646-412-0738
Email: volunteerservices@cityharvest.org
What volunteers do:
work in mobile markets
office projects
food rescues
work in the nutrition education program (follow-up training session required)
FYI:
orientation provided
Mission: Citymeals on Wheels provides a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to our homebound elderly neighbors. Citymeals delivers weekend, holiday and emergency meals to frail aged New Yorkers, ensuring they never go a day without a nutritious meal and a warm visit.
Website: https://www.citymeals.org/get-involved/volunteer-with-us
Application form: https://www.citymeals.org/volunteer
Email: info@citymeals.org
Phone: 212-687-1234
What volunteers do:
deliver meals on foot within walking distance from local senior centers
package and serve meals at local senior centers
friendly visiting with isolated neighbors in need of companionship
contact frail aged neighbors over the phone during a weekly call
respond to mail from meal recipients with warm personalized letters
office help on special projects
Boroughs: All
Mission: Commonpoint is a community centric nonprofit, serving diverse audiences through every chapter of life, across the five boroughs and beyond. We offer a rich range of services through our vast network of professionals, social workers, and volunteers, giving people the tools and resources to connect and grow. In addition to running food pantries, Commonpoint has a Community Closet where donated clothing is made available free of charge.
Website: https://volunteers.commonpoint.org/volunteer-sign-up
Email: volunteers@commonpointqueens.org
Phone: 718-268-5011
What volunteers do:
bag food and prepare packages for clients to pick up
stock shelves
assist pantry staff with clients as they arrive and check in
organize grocery items and boxes when food deliveries arrive to the pantry
load delivery cars and buses with food packages
receive clothing donations and transfer to on-site sorting location
sort clothing into categories for recycling or distribution to clients
check for damage to the fabric such as holes, stains, or broken zippers
verify sizes and label clothing appropriately
fold clothing, put clothing in bins, racks, or on hangers
FYI:
must wear closed-toed shoes while working in the food pantry
must be able to lift 30+ pounds if working in the food pantry
community closet shifts are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings 10 a.m.— noon and Wednesday afternoons: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., and 4 p.m.– 5 p.m.
Borough: Queens (multiple sites)
Mission: Edible Schoolyard NYC’s mission is to support edible education for every child in New York City. We partner with New York City public schools to cultivate healthy students and communities through hands-on cooking and gardening education, transforming children’s relationship with food. We believe in a future where all children are empowered to make healthy food choices for themselves, their communities, and their environments.
Website: https://www.edibleschoolyardnyc.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Volunteer form: https://airtable.com/shrCeOC4Q2WeTkrqH
Email: https://www.edibleschoolyardnyc.org/contact-us/
Phone: N/A
What volunteers do:
create fun, familiar cooking lessons
help with food prep, setup, and cleanup
maintain the garden garden
photography
carpentry
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan
Mission: La Finca del Sur’s goal is to address issues of food access, environmental justice, and community empowerment for women of color and their allies in the South Bronx - and to tie these issues to broader systemic inequalities and global justice. "La Finca del Sur" translates from Spanish as "Farm of the South.” We chose this name to reflect the Latina/o heritage of many of our farmers, as well as many members of the South Bronx Community. In addition, we wanted to tie together our location in the South Bronx, with the heritage that many South Bronx residents tie to the Southern United States as well as the Global South.
Website: http://bronxfarmers.blogspot.com/
Email: infosbufc@gmail.com
Phone: 646-725-2162
What volunteers do:
help on the farm (seasonal work includes planting, harvesting, inventory, and maintenance/repair)
FYI:
core members and leadership self-identify as Black and/or Latina and are primarily women; while the project is intended to create leadership opportunities and empowerment for women of color, all who are driven by solidarity for the mission are welcome as volunteers
email to find out when volunteers are needed; volunteer days also posted here: https://www.facebook.com/lafincadelsur/?pnref=story
Borough: Bronx
Mission: Food Bank For New York City has been the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Food Bank For New York City’s income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $170 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. Food Bank’s nutrition education programs and services empower more than 50,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet and active lifestyle on a low budget. Working toward long-term solutions to food poverty, Food Bank develops policy and conducts research to inform community and government efforts.
Website: http://volunteer.foodbanknyc.org/
Phone: 212-566-7855
Email: volunteer@foodbanknyc.org
What volunteers do:
serve meals
sort food
stock food pantry
distribute SNAP information
specialized skills – prepare taxes
Borough: all
Mission: Food Not Bombs (FNB) was founded in the early eighties as an outgrowth of the anti-nuclear movement. It is based on the notion that if resources were not misallocated on weapons of war and on perpetuating the existing system of individual greed, there would be plenty to meet everyone's basic needs for food, housing, and health care. Food Not Bombs is a worldwide movement made up of autonomous groups who believe that food and the other necessities of life are rights, not privileges. So we give food away and eat it ourselves. We are not doing charity but community, solidarity and celebration. Food Not Bombs chapters around the world collect fresh food every week that would otherwise go to waste, because it's no longer pretty enough to be sold. We get our food from donations by companies, stores, organizations, and individual people. Much of the food we share would otherwise be thrown away or wasted. Instead, it is made into nutritious vegan meals or distributed as-is, free to all who want it. Sometimes we give away flowers, too! Food Not Bombs operates on the anarchist belief that we must work to build alternative institutions now, at the grassroots level, to help create the just society we would like to live in. This is why Food Not Bombs is collectively run, non-hierarchical, and anti-authoritarian. All decisions, within each autonomous chapter, are made by consensus. No one is in charge. No one gives orders. Things simply get done because people see that something needs doing. Everyone who wants to volunteer is welcomed. This is the way the world ought to be.
Website: http://www.abcnorio.org/affiliated/fnb.html (Manhattan) or http://www.bedstuyfnb.org/index.html (Brooklyn)
Email: abc@abcnorio.org or bedstuyfnb2@gmail.com
Phone: 212-254-3697 or 631-223-4370
What volunteers do:
cook and serve weekly meals
visit local groceries, bakeries and markets to schedule recovery of surplus food
recover unsold food from grocery stores, bakeries, produce markets, food producers and farms
clean, cut and cook the recovered produce, grains and other ingredient to make vegan meals to share on the streets and at protests
collect cooking and serving equipment or other supplies to help your local Food Not Bombs group
wash plates, silverware, pots, pans, cooking equipment and the kitchen where the meals were prepared
make sure meal location is clean and free of litter
write, illustrate, design and print flyers about the work your local Food Not Bombs is supporting
distribute literature
design and paint banners
post flyers in the community
organize benefit concerts or other events to publicize the work of FNB
handle communications for local chapter
build bike carts to help collect and deliver food, dishes. Literature, and banners
organize music, puppet shows or other cultural events at your regular meals
help organize a Really Really Free Market, Food Not Lawns community garden, seed bank, Bikes Not Bombs repair day, Homes Not Jails housing take over or other project and produce a flyer to promote the project at your regular meal
invite people to meals
make a solar oven to bake bread for regular meals
FYI:
Sunday cooking at Catholic Worker kitchen (LES) starts around 1:00pm; serving starts in Tompkins Square Park around 3:30pm
Bedford-Stuyvesant FNB shares food every Saturday at 3 p.m., rain or shine, at the northwest corner of Von King park, at Lafayette and Marcy
Borough: Brooklyn, Manhattan
Mission: The mission of God's Love We Deliver is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. We prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. We also provide illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to our clients, families, care providers and other service organizations. All of our services are provided free of charge without regard to income.
Website: https://www.glwd.org
Volunteer signup: https://www.glwd.org/volunteers/overview.jsp;jsessionid=C4B520EF49CAC016CFE9F07165D3078F
Phone: 212-294-8158
Email: volunteer@glwd.org
What volunteers do:
work in the kitchen
package and deliver meals
work in the office
help with special events
Mission: In the Bible, Jesus commands us to feed all of God’s people. So, we developed two methods to help feed each other in New York City, and now we find ourselves feeding ourselves and hundreds of our neighbors every week. There are no requirements to participate. All people are welcome regardless of their faith background or economic situation. We do not require a reference or identification. Just come and enjoy some food.
Website: https://greenpointchurch.org/hunger-program/
Volunteer signup form: https://grp.volunteerhub.com/events/index or https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdowFtb3WNkkyhXt6O0xdcHDQrZa9Y4bYsL1bOoE9Pwk0hWRA/viewform
Email: Joan Benefiel, greenpointpantry@gmail.com
Phone: 718-383-5941
What volunteers do:
cook dinner, set up, serve, clean up (& eat)
register and assist food pantry guests
pack and distribute groceries
FYI:
community dinner every Wed from 6 p.m. – 7:00 p.m; volunteers needed for 2-hour or 2.5-hour shifts between 2 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
food pantry every Thursday from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.; volunteers needed 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m or 7:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.(4-hour shift)
sigunup calendar with available shifts on site
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Harlem Grown's mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition. Founded in 2011, we operate local urban farms, increase access to and knowledge of healthy food for Harlem residents, and provide garden-based development programs to Harlem youth. Healthy habits start young, which is why our programs target elementary-aged students. Because food justice is more than just providing and distributing food, our model seeks to positively impact the entire community through mentorship, job training, and partnerships to create sustainable change. One of the many ways we fulfill our mission is by raising support for the physical renovation of abandoned lots in Harlem, transforming them into thriving urban farms. Currently, we have 10 urban agriculture facilities ranging from soil-based farms, hydroponic greenhouses and school gardens.
Website: http://www.harlemgrown.org/volunteer/
Email: info@harlemgrown.org or to offer specialized skills, contact COO, Whitney Files, wfiles@harlemgrown.org
Phone: 212-870-0113
What volunteers do:
weed
water
compost
clean
build
paint
harvest
plant
FYI:
drop-in farm program runs Saturdays from mid-April to mid-November, 11 a.m – 3 p.m.
signed waiver required
wear clothes that can get dirty
bring gardening gear if you have it
minimum age of volunteers is seven, and all minors must be with an adult
special project needs (e.g, graphic design) listed on website
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: As New York’s largest emergency food program, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen serves a hearty and nutritious meal to more than 1,000 homeless and hungry New Yorkers every day. We recognize the hunger in our city beyond the need for food. At Holy Apostles we offer our guests refuge from the streets, a safe place they feel welcomed, connection to additional services and food for the soul as well as the body. In over 30 years we have never missed a serving day and we have never turned anyone away from our door.Our mission is to feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted, seek justice for the homeless, and provide a sense of hope and opportunity to those in need. In addition to our food program, our committed staff and volunteers work with guests to ensure they are receiving full benefits, connect them to additional supportive services, help with job applications and even reunite them with family members. Our ultimate goal is to empower our guests to experience a more manageable and fulfilling way of life.
Website: http://holyapostlessoupkitchen.org/volunteer/
Email: http://holyapostlessoupkitchen.org/contact-us/
Phone: 212-924-0167
What volunteers do:
serve midday meal any weekday 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. (greet guests, serve food, bus tables, clean tables, assist in social-services center, pass out haircut vouchers)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Hunger Free NYC is the NYC affiliate of HUNGER FREE AMERICA (formerly known as the New York City Coalition Against Hunger), a nonpartisan, national nonprofit group working to enact the policies and programs needed to end domestic hunger and ensure that all Americans have sufficient access to nutritious food. We are both a direct service and advocacy organization — with each component strengthening the other. As a direct service provider, we assist low-income families obtain aid from government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — formerly called the Food Stamp program — and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program so that people struggling to pay their bills have access to nutritious food. We also connect families nationwide with private food resources. Because our staff works daily on the front lines of hunger, and because we empower low-income people to speak out on their own behalf, that makes us one of the nation's most effective advocates for improved economic and public policies.
Website: https://www.hungerfreeamerica.org/hunger-free-nyc
Volunteer calendar: https://hungervolunteer.volunteerhub.com/?format=List&filter=140688
Email: info@hungerfreeamerica.org
Phone: 212-825-0028
What volunteers do:
prepare sandwiches
bag lunches
deliver food to community members (at a safe distance)
stock food pantry shelves
conduct food inventory
pack and distribute pantry bags
make deliveries of food and other essentials by car or bicycle
graphic design
accounting
social media
SNAP outreach at farmers’ markets
counsel New Yorkers seeking access to nutrition programs and benefits
FYI:
volunteer calendar is constantly updated
many volunteer tasks can be done from home
volunteers must be 18 or older; at some sites volunteers may not be above 40
training provided to volunteers offering benefit counseling; 6-month commitment to become a benefit counselor
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens
Mission: ICNA Relief USA/Muslims for Humanity seeks to alleviate human suffering by providing caring and compassionate service to victims of adversities and survivors of disasters. ICNA Relief USA strives to build healthy communities, strengthen families and create opportunities for those in despair while maintaining their dignity and advocating for their basic human needs. We are a Muslim organization and feel it is our religious responsibility to support those in need in our country regardless of their race, religion or other identifying features.
Website: https://www.icnarelief.org/wp/index.php/volunteer/
Email: office@icnarelief.org
Phone: 718-658-7028
What volunteers do:
help in food pantries, food drives, serve hot meals
assist in women's shelter
assist with disaster relief & recovery
assist with free health clinics and community health fairs
work on back-to-school giveaway events
counseling
teaching
speaking
social media/website help
photography/videography
fundraising and outreach
introduce ICNA to elected officials
publicize ICNA events
FYI:
weekly food pantries in Queens; biweekly in Brooklyn
hot meals served once a month in locations around the city
women’s shelter is in Queens
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens
Mission: Our lunch program is a wonderful, friendly, inter-generational community program serving a lunchtime meal to guests who may need a little extra food or companionship. It is our goal to serve anyone who enters our doors, regardless of age, gender, religion, background, or income level. We strive to create an environment in which our guests are individually addressed, personally welcomed and served with kindness and generosity by our volunteers. We care for both body and soul by providing our guests with a meal in a comfortable and respectful atmosphere.
Website: https://www.bj.org/community/social-justice/taking-action-through-direct-service/judith-bernstein-lunch-program/
Email: http://www.bj.org/about-bj/contact-us/contact-us-staff/?person=Larissa_Wohl
Phone: 212-787-7600 x272
What volunteers do:
prepare food and set tables (Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m)
welcome guests, serve lunch, clean up (Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The Mandala Café is committed to providing access, dignity and mutuality around issues of food & employment. Rather than give them a fish, we teach people to fish. Then we teach them how to cook it.... The Mandala Kitchens Culinary Training offers free or low-cost 10-week Culinary Training programs to anyone wishing to develop food service skills in order to get a job in a commercial setting/kitchen. While the program is open to everyone, there is a priority on providing the training for those who have difficulties finding and/or keeping jobs. In 2016, the Mandala Café began to co-sponsor, with the Manhattan Satya Sai Baba Community & All Souls Episcopal Church, to provide the preparation & cooking for a weekly free meal. We serve between 50-200 meals each week.
Website: http://mandalacafe.org/ways-help/volunteer
Email: Volunteer@mandalacafe.org
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
prepare vegetarian meals
serve and clean up after meals
accounting
bookkeeping
write grants
help identify space for new programs
FYI:
all skill levels welcome
meals served Wednesdays
cooking from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.
meal served 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
clean up 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: Masbia is a nonprofit soup kitchen network and food pantry, providing hot, nutritious meals for hundreds of New Yorkers in desperate need of food. Alongside our daily hot-meal program, we also give out bags of much needed groceries every week to those with not enough at home, through our weekend take-home package program. Masbia works to not only feed the hungry, but to provide free, wholesome, and delicious meals for people in a restaurant-style environment, with volunteer waiters serving each person with respect and dignity. We serve roughly 100,000 hot, sit-down dinners to clients at our restaurant-like soup kitchens, and the rest in emergency care packages with the equivalent of 9 meals worth of groceries for every member of the family.
Website: https://www.masbia.org/volunteer_signup
Phone: 718-972-4446 x208
Email: info@masbia.org
What volunteers do:
pantry inventory
bag food
kitchen prep
bus or wait tables
Maitre d’
wash dishes, mop, clean windows
give out fliers to people in need
fundraising
data entry/light clerical work
write articles
proofreading
make phone calls to volunteers, clients, or donors
facility maintenance workdays (painting, carpentry, etc.)
conduct research for development staff
organize small parties and special events
hand-address envelopes for benefit events
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Twenty-six years ago, the Momentum Project began as an all-volunteer organization dedicated to feeding disenfranchised New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. Today, Momentum has grown into one of New York City’s largest HIV/AIDS organizations providing hot meals, pantry bags, and a wide array of life saving support services. Now part of an alliance with BOOM!Health, The Momentum Project promotes health and wellness through the provision of nutritious communal meals and supportive services to low income New Yorkers, especially those living with HIV/AIDS or other chronic illnesses. What continues to be unique about the Momentum model is that our congregate meal and pantry service attracts the hardest-to-reach individuals with HIV/AIDS, and that we provide all our services in a non-judgmental and supportive environment in our clients’ own neighborhoods. Our comprehensive team of nurses, nutritionists, social workers, chaplains and other specialists engage more than 3,000 low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS every year during meals, and educate, counsel, and link them to primary healthcare, mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, and other essential services. Momentum works because of the pooling of public and private sector resources, our dedicated staff, committed Board of Directors, caring volunteers, and the trust of thousands of HIV/AIDS clients and their families.
Website: https://www.boomhealth.org/solutions/food-and-nutrition
Email: Yizel Santana ysantana@boomhealth.org
Phone: 212-691-8100 or 718-292-7718 x499
What volunteers do:
kitchen work (food prep, wash dishes, package food, clean kitchen)
meal service (prepare dining tables, set up buffet tables, serve clients, clean tables and serving areas)
pantry service (sort bulk items and produce, assemble pantry bags, stock fridge, distribute pantry bags, clean up)
security guard (meet/greet clients; check Momentum ID; identify walk-ins; be vigilant about/report disruptions, theft, vandalism; check bathrooms and hallways; seek assistance in event of an emergency)
registration (prep the registration table; prep meal and pantry tickets; assist clients with meal and pantry tickets; make sure menu, site calendar, and site rules are displayed; assist with distribution of pantry bags)
office assistant (answer general phone line and take messages; schedule intakes for enrollment; assist with filing of documents and charts; make copies; assist in organizing office space and forms; print and laminate ID cards; assist with data entry)
warehouse assistant (document/log items at warehouse; file documents and receipts; assist with organize warehouse space; assist with receiving deliveries, storage, and labeling; clean warehouse space)
van driver assistants (load/unload food items and supplies to sites; review items to be transported to make sure nothing is omitted; securely pack van and keep it attended)
FYI:
kitchen/meal/pantry volunteers needed Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Lower East Side; Tuesdays 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Midtown East; Wednesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., South Bronx; and Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Williamsburg
security guards needed Tuesday/Wednesday 11 am - 7 pm & Friday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
office volunteers needed Monday, Wednesday & Fridays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Bronx office
warehouse assistants needed Monday – Friday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
van driver assistants needed Monday – Friday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan
Mission: Muslims Against Hunger is a network of volunteer communities that has grown worldwide. We have over 5000 volunteers in North America, Haiti, India and Pakistan and are now located in over 20 plus cities in the United States. Anyone is welcome to volunteer regardless of his or her faith and work towards promoting interfaith dialogues and building bonds of compassion to serve humanity.At Muslims Against Hunger, our volunteers come from various backgrounds and walks of life and are working towards one goal and that is ‘to feed the hungry’.Our definition of hunger is simple, ‘if a person does not know where his/her next meal is coming from, then he/she is considered hungry.’ Our projects at Muslims Against Hunger are not only helping to feed the hungry, but also are working to create and awareness and spread a silent dialogue of understanding, compassion, and communal growth.
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/muslimsservedayevents/
Email: info@muslimsagainsthunger.org
Phone: 917-371-2602
What volunteers do:
hunger van serves hot meals on the street in Harlem every Wed (food prep 3 p.m. - 5 p.m, serve food 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m.)
serve dinner to hungry, homeless, and working poor in Yorkville on the fourth Saturday of every month, (meal prep 3 p.m. 5 p.m., serving and cleanup 4:45 p.m-7 p.m.)
serve lunch for more than 200 homeless, hungry, and working poor in Tompkins Square Park (three days a week, 9:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The Muslim Community Network develops the capacity of Muslim New Yorkers and their allies to fully participate in the social landscape of New York City. Founded in 2003 as a group of NYC based Muslim volunteers responding to urgent needs after 9/11, MCN has been working to build consensus and cooperation among diverse Muslims — crossing ethnic, gender, class and religious boundaries to build unity and understanding. MCN values an Islamic principle known as “Shura,” which means “consultation” and democratic participation in decision making activities by those who are affected by those decisions. MCN’s strategies include creating strong relationships with other faith-based communities; articulating and advancing an understanding of the need for citizen engagement; developing the skills and ability of our community to effect change, and building the next generation’s identity and capacity as leaders. Our program areas: youth leadership development, community education, cross-cultural education, and civic engagement. We are the go-to Muslim organization in New York City for education on Islam and Muslims in public schools and faith communities, and for interfaith dialogue.
Website: http://mcnny.org/2015/08/internvolunteer-with-mcn/
Phone: 646-481-1772
Email: info@mcnny.org
What volunteers do:
work in interfaith soup kitchen four hours once a month (must sign up in advance)
FYI:
other volunteer activities posted on website as they arise
Mission: Over three million New Yorkers have difficulty affording food. They are out-of-work families with children, elderly people who live alone, and the working poor who cannot afford to pay for both rent and food. They are also the homeless who live in shelters or on the streets. In response, our programs provide nutritious and wholesome food served in a friendly, hospitable manner. Our Monday Food Pantry provides a three-day emergency supply of both fresh produce and shelf-stable groceries to families in need, serving approximately 200 families each week. Participants must live within the borough of Manhattan, and can utilize the pantry up to once a month. Our twice weekly Community Kitchen provides a hot, delicious meal to all who need it. Patrons of the Community Kitchen sit down to a hot meal or, alternatively, may take away a brown-bag meal. All are welcome at the Community Kitchen, and guests can come as often as they like.
Website: https://www.ncjwny.org/programs/#hunger
Email: Yael Riesman, yriesman@ncjwny.org
Phone: 646-884-9462
What volunteers do:
staff food pantry (Mondays)
serve meals (Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 11:30 a.m.)
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: We serve the lowest-income members of the Ocean Hill, Brownsville, and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods in Central Brooklyn, three of the most vulnerable areas in New York City. Our Community Café provides free, nutritious meals to meet the critical and immediate need for food in our low-income community, in an environment that is safe and welcoming. We feed an average of 400 people each day. The 10,000 low-income men, women and children who come to Neighbors Together for support each year are often dismissed by society at large as “homeless” or “welfare mother” or “drug addict.” At Neighbors Together we see the human faces behind these labels. Many of our members have fallen on sudden hard times: senior citizens who have worked their whole lives but now must scrape by on insufficient Social Security checks, working people who are unable to make ends meet amid the rising cost of living, people who have recently lost jobs, victims of domestic violence. Others have been struggling with poverty all their lives. Neighbors Together’s mission of not just fighting but ending hunger and poverty is deeply grounded in our belief in the dignity and potential of each person to be a vital part of creating a better society, no matter how desperate their circumstances. With basic support and encouragement, we have seen that people can stabilize their lives and work together to improve the community. We view our neighbors as a crucial part of the solution in our work to end hunger and poverty. By both using and running our programs, our members meet their immediate needs, create long-term solutions, and inspire action in the face of indifference.
Website: http://neighborstogether.org/volunteer/
Phone: 718-498-7256
Email: http://neighborstogether.org/contact-neighbors-together/
What volunteers do:
work in Community Café
contribute skills to the advocacy and community-action programs
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: New York Common Pantry is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency. New York Common Pantry works toward the reduction of hunger and food insecurity through an array of programs that function to establish long-term independence for those we serve. Our whole-person approach starts with food provision through the distribution of nutritious, fresh food pantry packages in Choice Pantry and hearty balanced breakfast and dinner in the Hot Meals program. Supplemental food is provided to seniors aged 60 and older through Nourish. We then go further to address the reasons for food insecurity with case management services through the help of Help 365, which assists Pantry visitors in gaining access to resources, and Project Dignity, which connects homeless visitors to resources. The third vital element in our whole-person approach is education offered through our Live Healthy! program. Live Healthy! teaches children and adults about the importance of a nutritionally sound diet and active living, as well as provides them with the skills necessary to make healthier choices for their families.
Website: http://nycommonpantry.org/how-to-help/volunteer/
Phone: 917-720-9700
Email: http://nycommonpantry.org/contact-us/
What volunteers do:
help provide free grocery packages for food-insecure families
help prepare or serve a nutritious meal to guests in need
signup calendar on website
make sandwiches at home (must follow health and food safety guidelines)
work on annual toy drive
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: To achieve its mission of a fair society, Project EATS is a neighborhood-based project that uses art, urban agriculture, partnerships, and social enterprise to sustainable produce and equitable distribute essential resources within and between our communities, especially those where people live on working class and low-incomes. To do this, we bring diverse neighbors together to take agency over the use of land in their neighborhood, provide the infrastructures and support for a community to develop their resources into productive spaces. We share knowledge and skills that support the ability of people to turn these relationships and resources into sustainable social enterprises employing community residents and stimulating local economies.
Website: http://projecteats.org/get-involved/
Phone: 212-612-1528
Email: info@activecitizenproject.com
What volunteers do:
farm work
social media support
community art projects
Borough: Manhattan, Brooklyn
Mission: The mission of Project Hospitality is to reach out to community members who are hungry, homeless or otherwise in need in order to work with them to achieve their self-sufficiency — thereby enhancing the quality of life for our community. Project Hospitality seeks to realize its mission both by advocating for those in need and by establishing a comprehensive continuum of care that begins with the provision of food, clothing and shelter and extends to other services which include health care, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, HIV care, education, vocational training, legal assistance, and transitional and permanent housing. This continuum of care includes clinical care and a variety of housing models — emergency, transitional, and permanent supportive — to meet the needs of multiply diagnosed homeless persons. The multidisciplinary and integrated service delivery continuum of HIV support services provides a safety net for many clients with multiple needs in addition to living with AIDS. It provides our clients the support of a larger recovery community, where living with HIV is one factor among other disabilities and life stories.
Website: http://www.projecthospitality.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer/
Volunteer application: https://www.projecthospitality.org/volunteer-application/
Email: info@projecthospitality.org
Phone: 718-448-1544
What volunteers do:
assist with meal preparation, service, and clean up in the soup kitchen
take clients shopping in the food pantry
tutor, assist with recreational activities, and take care of children in the homeless family shelter
help with meal and clothing pantry services in homeless Drop-In Center
serve Wednesday evening Positive Living Dinner for Staten Island’s HIV+ community
assist with planning and implementing community and fundraising events
provide clerical help to programs and administrative office
create an activity to conduct (e.g., leading a writing or art group or teaching ESL)
FYI:
volunteer positions are mostly weekdays between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
for soup kitchen, food pantry, and Drop-In Center, minimum commitment of 2 hours per month
for volunteer opportunities in homeless family shelter, 1-1/2 hours minimum commitment one day a week
Borough: Staten Island
Mission: Reaching-Out Community Services leads the effort to eliminate hunger in our community by providing food, social services and solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment in a dignified manner.
Website: https://rcsprograms.org/volunteer-get-involved/
Email: Info@rcsprograms.org
Volunteer form: https://rcsprograms.org/volunteer-get-involved/volunteer-application-form/
Phone: 718-373-4565
What volunteers do:
· staff food pantry
· assist visitors in obtaining benefits for which they are eligible
· join F.E.A.T. (Firsthand Emergency Action Team) to assist communities experiencing any form of emergency, as well as supporting disaster and recovery efforts with food and supplies
FYI:
· shifts available mornings and afternoons, Monday through Friday
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Rescuing Leftover Cuisine provides solutions to prevent excess wholesome cuisine from being wasted. RLC approaches the two large issues of hunger and food waste in three main ways. First, we localize the issues into sets of communities that can help sustain themselves. We crowdsource the solution of the transportation to the members of the public in these communities as volunteers. After identifying the homeless shelters of a needy community, we proactively find restaurants, hotels, and catering companies with excess food in that vicinity that could help support these disadvantaged communities. Second, we leverage technology to facilitate the identification and handling of excess food. Thus, partner food providers report when excess food is occurring and a web application is used to engage community members, because volunteering with us can be as easy as taking a brisk walk. Third, we tackle food waste at its root, aiming to eliminate as much food waste as possible and bringing the remaining excess food to where it is needed most. The data of when food waste occurs is used in our analysis of what types of food waste could be avoided, and RLC suggests ways that partner food providers can reduce waste at its root.
Website: http://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/volunteer
Signup link: http://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/users/sign_up
Email: info@rescuingleftovercuisine.org
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
work in 30-minute shifts, rescuing an average of 50 pounds of food (can work daily, weekly, or sporadically; shifts available 7 days a week, all hours of the day)
Mission: Since we started offering services to seniors in Bushwick 50 years ago, we’ve expanded into a holistic community partnership serving people of all ages. RiseBoro was awarded the first Innovative Senior Center in Brooklyn by the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA). The program recognized for its programming that already offered an extensive calendar of Health Management, Physical Exercise and Nutritional Programs, coordinating with many local hospitals and universities. Our youth center provides local youth and their families with the opportunity to develop new skills, talents and interests, form positive attachments with adult mentors, and have a positive space for continued growth.
Website: https://riseboro.org/program/volunteer-program/
Email: volunteer@riseboro.org
Phone: Jasmine 347-717-5783
What volunteers do:
pack Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
sort and distribute food at RiseBoro’s Food Pantry
mentor 5th-12th grade youth, helping them develop and enhance skill sets and providing support and guidance through individual and group counseling.
paint, landscape, renovate and beautify senior centers
visit a senior weekly (in person or remote)
deliver meals to homebound seniors
light clerical duties: answer phones, file, manage emails.
FYI:
food pantry shifts are Tuesday 1pm-4pm Wednesday 11am-1pm and Thursday 11am-1pm.
youth mentoring shifts are Tuesdays and Thursdays 3pm-6pm
beautification shifts are available Monday-Friday, 9:30-4. Weekend shifts available with advance notice.
senior citizen visiting takes place Monday-Friday, 9-5 and can be in-person or remote
to deliver meals, must have valid driver’s license; vehicle preferred
meal delivery shifts are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: The River Fund’s mission “to feed and empower those we serve to move beyond the lines of poverty” encompasses food and non-food needs of people living under constant ‘pressure of relentless material hardships’—which is now recognized as a better way to understand what “poverty” means in our society. People need the basic necessities of food, shelter and a sense of self-dignity. The circumstances that create persistent shortages of critical resources in people’s lives and cause them to face episodes of acute deprivation vary dramatically—ranging from the obvious, such as lack of sufficient income, to the overwhelming, like poor health or severe work-limiting health conditions. Our programs are designed to help ameliorate this suffering, in a safe and supportive environment, by (1) supporting people with basic needs, and (2) empowering them with the tools and resources they need to fight back. As we do this, we support and affirm all people regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.
Website: https://www.river.fund/join-us
Email: n/a
Phone: 718-441-1125
What volunteers do:
deliver groceries to the homebound in Richmond Hill
work in food pantries (maintain the line, food service, clean and replenish the pantry)
admin work in summer youth program (data entry, intake, copy/scanning), 8:45-4:45 weekdays,
FYI:
in-person volunteer application at 89-11 Lefferts Blvd. office
food pantry operates at Richmond Hill location Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.; volunteers needed 6 am – 3 pm.
mobile food pantries operate in Jamaica on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., volunteers needed 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; and in East New York, the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., volunteers needed 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m
Borough: Queens, Brooklyn
Mission: Founded in 1982, St. John’s Bread & Life works to alleviate hunger and poverty in Brooklyn and Queens. For many families and individuals, the foods that we provide are the only meals they have. By first addressing the basic needs of poor New Yorkers, we are helping people achieve self-sufficiency, in addition to educating the public about the persistence of hunger and poverty in our communities. We also provide medical care, legal counseling, nutrition education, housing assistance and employment referrals.
Website: https://www.breadandlife.org/get-involved/volunteer
Phone: 718-574-0058
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:
help in soup kitchen
help in food pantry
help in mobile soup kitchen
staff the resource room/library of job training/readiness materials
Borough: Brooklyn and Queens
Mission: Seeds in the Middle, named by fourth graders, inspires parents, educators, students and their community to access all opportunities, beginning with improving their health, enhancing arts education, and greening their environment. We are joyful, respectful, educational and engaging. Our innovative strategy to fight obesity and combat health disparities initiates at schools. We weave proven programs into a comprehensive package to turn around ills driving down opportunity and advancement. Our pilot Hip2B Healthy schools are in central Brooklyn, a neighborhood with one of New York City's highest obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates. We have run community farmers’ markets and founded Soccer for Harmony tournaments, inspiring social change through soccer. At Seeds in the Middle, we partner with faculty. We teach how to grow, market, access and prepare nutritious food, how to exercise and engage in the arts, all the elements needed to promote life-changing lifelong health. Our partners come from all walks of life: chefs, athletes, educators, artists, builders and more. We cross cultures. We transform gray into green, destitution into inspiration.
Website: http://seedsinthemiddle.org/getinvolved.html
Email: info@seedsinthemiddle.org
Phone: 917-697-3745
What volunteers do:
professional chefs guide school chefs and host joyous dinner parties to demonstrate healthy cooking
builders and gardeners support indoor and outdoor healthy growing
food vendors and financial experts support Hip2B Healthy Market
educators support teachers, curriculum growth, students
athletes, writers, and artists inspire parents and students
professional mentors partner with children
experienced PTA officers guide parents
Borough: Brooklyn
Mission: Trinity's Services And Food for the Homeless (or SAFH, pronounced "safe") was official founded and incorporated in 1986, but Trinity Lower East Side has served the hungry in this community for much longer that. While the neighborhood of the East Village has changed dramatically these past decades, the need in this community has not. We are here to feed the hungry, and help all who come through our doors.Today, Trinity's SAFH is open Monday through Friday and serves lunch everyday to around 200, sometimes 300 people a day during the summer months. Often, we will get as many as 50-60 families for our food pantry, which operates Monday through Thursday, year round. People of every background, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, religion, and of any age may enjoy a meal or receive groceries without fear of being turned away.
Website: http://safhnyc.org/serve
Email: Alex Lawrence, TrinitySAFH@gmail.com
Phone: 212-228-5254 x10
What volunteers do:
work any weekday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (arrive by 9 a.m)
assist with light meal prep (cut vegetables, bag loose produce)
clean (wipe trays/tables, sweep/mop)
help in pantry cellar, assisting with deliveries or organization of stock
food service/light cleaning
in food pantry, help customers pick out groceries according to family size
FYI:
lunch is provided
Mission: Swale is a floating food forest built atop a barge that travels to piers in New York City, offering educational programming and welcoming visitors to harvest herbs, fruits, and vegetables for free. Swale strives to strengthen stewardship of public waterways and land, while working to shift policies that will increase the presence of edible perennial landscapes. We hope to encourage New Yorkers to care for our common home and to address food as a commons in public space. Following the insights of Elinor Ostrom, Swale relies on the principle that commons can be sustainably managed where people know each other, trust each other, and work together in caring for a place. Swale is organized with the help of individuals, community groups, as well as city organizations in order to reinforce food and water as essential elements of a cooperatively stewarded commons. Swale calls attention to the collective use of New York City’s land and waterways through public tours, workshops, and events.
Website: http://www.swaleny.org/volunteer/
Volunteer signup form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerbnADKuFcwSjRGGp6kfWIUEKK51aDykHtW-LzJ5Hd6ZUOVA/viewform
Email: http://www.swaleny.org/contact/
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
garden/farm
fundraise
assist with marketing, social media, and events
photography/videography
assist with nonprofit management
accounting/finance
science-based research
FYI:
Swale is mobile; check website for current location; in 2017, Swale is docked at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6
public hours are Thursday – Sunday, noon-6
Mission: UCC is a social justice driven community center that has been serving the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn for over 60 years. Our mission is to work together with residents of all ages and cultures to address our community’s challenges, celebrate its strengths, and provide services that improve lives. Our current programs include: the Morris L. Eisenstein (MLE) Learning Center for 110 pre-school children; services for immigrants which include immigration assistance, English classes, and civics/ citizenship preparation classes; Protecting the East, a project that conducts women’s sexual and reproductive health workshops, community-wide condom distribution and HIV/STDS prevention education and outreach; East New York Farms!, an urban agriculture project that includes a youth internship program and the largest youth-run farmers market in the country.
Website: http://ucceny.org/get-involved/
Email: http://ucceny.org/contact-us/ or for farm: roy@eastnewyorkfarms.org
Phone: 718-649-7979
What volunteers do:
work on UCC Youth Farm
contribute muffins/cakes to bake sales or food for fish-fry sales
assemble condom packages for neighborhood distribution
community outreach (distribute flyers)
tutor/homework help for children ages 5-10 one-on one while their parents attend classes (6 p.m.-8 pm. Tues and Thurs)
repaint building/facilities
FYI:
farm hours are 1st and 3rd Saturdays from April to October, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
tutors/homework helpers must commit to come once a week and have a high-school education
Mission: We serve a wholesome, freshly made meal each Saturday – one that we are happy to eat ourselves – in a respectful atmosphere to anyone who comes through our doors, no questions asked. We provide a welcoming place of respite for our guests and offer vital social services to those in need. We do this with an all-volunteer staff, without a single employee.
Website: http://www.meatloafkitchen.org/volunteer.html
Phone: 347-850-2230
Email: volunteer@meatloafkitchen.org
What volunteers do:
prepare the meal, set up the room, serve breakfast of pastries, coffee and fruit to early guests (morning shift, 8 a.m. to noon)
greet guests, serve food, bus tables, wash dishes, clean up (afternoon shift, 11:50 to 3:30)
meals every Saturday, volunteers may work one or both shifts
Mission: West Side Campaign Against Hunger changes our perception of hungry people by working in partnership with them, providing food with dignity, and empowering customers to find solutions. Through a supermarket-style food pantry, West Side Campaign Against Hunger alleviates hunger and creates a culture that promotes self-reliance and works for change.Respect for our customers is central to success. In 1993, we reorganized into a customer-choice, supermarket style food pantry. We respect our clients by letting them choose the food they need for themselves and their families. In keeping with our principles, we have functioned as a cooperative system since day one. The majority of our volunteers are customers themselves, which emphasizes the strength-based approach of our services. Customer volunteers are involved in all aspects of West Side Campaign Against Hunger, including representatives serving on our board.
Website: http://www.wscah.org/volunteer/
Email: Shaira Chaer, Operations Director, at schaer@wscah.org
Phone: 212-362-3662
What volunteers do:
help bring in food deliveries
stock shelves
bag bread
break down boxes
assist customers
work checkout
can work shifts any time Monday 7am-7pm, Tuesday 7am-noon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 7am-5pm
Borough: Manhattan
Mission: The Youth Farm is an education-focused production farm in Brooklyn that offers New Yorkers opportunities to increase their knowledge of the food system and build high level organic growing skills to share with their communities. The Youth Farm grows organic food and flowers on one acre for the community and beyond, and offers hands-on farm training and leadership opportunities for youth and adults.
Website: http://www.theyouthfarm.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Email: sawdayah@bkfarmyards.com
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:
compost
start seeds
irrigate
building projects
harvest
weed
Borough: Brooklyn