Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are extremely important to Eastern Illinois Foodbank and to the community effort to respond to hunger relief in eastern Illinois. We are grateful for all of the time, hard work and support in our efforts to alleviate hunger and bring even more food to meet the needs of the hungry and of food insecure families.

Without the support and contributions of volunteers, the Foodbank would never be able to collect and distribute the necessary 350,000 pounds of food monthly to our 200 agencies.

There are several ways in which individuals or groups can be directly involved in supporting the Foodbank and its operations. All of the volunteer opportunities contribute to the Foodbank's Mission, and all are necessary and essential work efforts.

Product Recovery
Inspect and sort salvage food and other products in the Foodbank's warehouse and various segregated product rooms at the warehouse facility.

Food Rescue
Retrieve and collect foods from various area locations as part of a food drive or other program.

Warehouse Support
"picking" products for agency orders, check product dates, pack banana boxes with the orders and stock shelves with donated foods.

Food Drive Support
Deliver bags and pick up food donations at local grocery stores, or visit schools and organizations to promote the Food Drive.

Agency Shopping
Assist agency shoppers with their order selections, boxing and loading.

Food Delivery
Assist in loading and unloading product as part of a FoodMobile or other truck delivery.

Physical Plant Support
Help to maintain the warehouse property by grounds work and custodial services.

Administrative Support
Provide clerical and administrative support services such as for office mailings, invitations, telephone contacts and data entry.

While volunteers are needed for all of these support areas, the need is critical in the area of Product Recovery - sorting and repacking food from the huge, bulk containers into smaller quantities for agency use.

These volunteer work services can be provided on a regular schedule and recurring basis, according to an accommodating and flexible schedule, or periodically and occasionally. You can decide how best to contribute your time.

Some of the volunteer opportunities, such as sorting product, are particularly conducive to groups of people and can become a fun, as well as highly worthwhile, volunteer outing for a church group, service club, youth group or senior adult gathering.

Your volunteer time will be recorded as a "volunteer donation" into our donor files, and you will receive notes of appreciation, invitations to events, etc. - as well as the grateful thanks of thousands of people who benefit from the food you help deliver to the hungry.

Volunteers working outside of normal business hours are limited to organized groups.

Volunteers are needed both during normal work hours - mornings and afternoons -- at the Foodbank warehouse and on special volunteer evening and weekend shifts. Every work effort begins with a Warehouse Tour and an opportunity to see the complete operations.