Looking for a way to make a difference?

Volunteers are an important part in ensuring the community has a positive and welcoming experience accessing the food they need. Volunteers know food is a right and support the food bank in a variety of roles and schedule commitments. Share your time, skills and knowledge with our team!

In 2024, 628 volunteers contributed over 18,000 hours of their time and efforts! To ensure we meet the needs of our customers and provide exceptional customer service, it takes 110 volunteers weekly to support ideal food bank operations.

Volunteers serve in a variety of roles and schedules. We do not require you to set a specific schedule. Most volunteers sign up for a regular weekly or monthly shift or serve in our pool of substitutes, on call “rock stars” who step in when we have a gap in our regular schedule.

Your first step is to complete the Volunteer Interest Form - click the second picture below to access the form.

After that, the team will reach out with next steps.

Highest Needs, april-June 2025:

Flexible Roles:

  • On-Call Substitutes

    • Various Times. Become part of our pool of on-call substitute volunteers! Step in at least once a month into a shift that needs some support when our regular weekly volunteers call out.

  • Grocery Store Support - summer only!

    • Wednesdays 11:45am-2pm starting June 18th through September.

Want to Volunteer on Weekends?

    • From May to October we need volunteers weekly on Sunday afternoon and weekly on Thursday evening to assist with picking up produce from the West Seattle and Burien Farmer’s Markets.

    • New volunteers can assist with loading at the West Seattle Market, usually starting in July. Training for loading assistants is on Teams June 22nd, 1:30-2:30pm.

  • Event Support (click to read the Event Support position description)

    • Support the food bank with outreach in the community and at our special events! While we have events and outreach opportunities year-round, you can expect the most activity to occur May through September. We are specifically seeking volunteers who like chatting with the public, and firmly trust and value the food bank’s mission and methods!

Regular Roles are weekly or two to three times a month:

  • Grocery Rescue Driver - with a fellow volunteer, drive to a list of grocery stores to pick-up left-over food and return it to the food bank.

    • Tuesdays, every 1st and 3rd from 8:30-11:30am

      • 1 volunteer needed

    • Mondays, 9am-noon, starting June 9th

      • 1 volunteer needed (weekly), 2 volunteers (bi-monthly)

  • Clean Up

    • Thursdays 2-4pm.

      • 1-2 volunteers needed

  • Mobile Food Bank (offsite distribution of food)

    • 2nd and 4th Thursday every month 12 or 12:30pm till 1 or 1:30pm - assist with taking home deliveries to customers at SHAG Arrowhead Gardens.

      • 1-2 volunteers needed

    • 2nd and 4th Tuesday every month 10am-1:30pm - assist with loading food at the food bank and taking it offsite and assisting with distribution.

      • 1-2 volunteers requsted

  • Warehouse Help - can lift 40-60 pounds alone or with help, repetitively

    • Mondays 10am-1:30pm or 1-3pm, Wednesdays 9am-12:30pm or 12:30-4pm, and Thursdays 12:30-4pm

      • 1 volunteer needed in any shift

  • Grocery Store Support

    • Mondays 11:45am-2pm, 11:45am-4pm, or 1:45-4pm, Thursdays 9:45am-12pm, 9:45am-2pm, or 11:45am-2pm, Fridays 9:45am-12pm

      • 1-2 regular volunteers needed in any shift

Watch our Video about Volunteering!

Click above to register to take the next step to become a food bank volunteer!

Click above to log into your account and sign up for shifts.