Volunteering
How we run
Each week, a team of more than 80 local volunteers picks up, inventories, organizes, packs and delivers 20,000 pounds of food to families in need in Walpole, and to select partner charities in the surrounding community.
The bulk of the food we distribute arrives at our warehouse by the pallet, courtesy of the Greater Boston Food Bank.
Additional food is sourced as weekly food rescue donations from local retail partners such as Stop & Shop, Wegmans and Costco.
We also receive bulk donations from other regional nonprofits which we then sort and distribute.
When we need help
Sustaining our weekly operations requires a dependable, well-trained team. Because most jobs require some basic training, we are a better fit for people who can commit to volunteer at least monthly. For this reason, we are generally unable to accommodate one-day groups. Group volunteer events are reserved for our corporate sponsors.
Additionally, we are always looking for people interested in volunteering their professional or trade skills to help our operation run smoothly and efficiently.
Examples include:
Warehouse operations and inventory management
Accounting, fundraising, grant-writing, donor relations and capital campaigns
Commercial vehicle maintenance and DOT compliance
Whenever we are actively recruiting for one of the Frontline Roles listed below, that opportunity will be called out in this section as “Currently Available.”
or call us at (508) 668-0186
Frontline Roles and Schedule
Tuesdays
Assemble Food Boxes:
8:30-10:30 a.m. Pack shelf-stable food items to prepare for clients.
Pick Up Food from Costco (Dedham location): 9 a.m. to noon. Pick up rescued food using the pantry van. Must be able to lift 40 pound boxes.
Wednesdays
Online Order Assembly and distribution: 10 a.m. to noon at the pantry and 2-3 p.m. onsite. Pack boxes and bags for online orders. (20 pounds each). Help load the van, drive to Union Congregational Church, help unload. From 2-3 p.m., greet clients and load cars with the online orders, return van to the pantry.
Assemble Dairy and Produce Bags: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pack grocery items into bags and load onto racks.
Pick Up Food from Stop & Shop (Walpole), 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Drive the pantry van and pick up 10–20 boxes of food. Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds.
Distribute Food at Knights of Columbus (Walpole): 1:30–3:30 p.m. Load client cars with bags and boxes at outdoor distribution.
Thursdays
Pick Up Food from Costco (Dedham location): 10 a.m. to noon. Pick up rescued food using the pantry van. Must be able to lift 40 pound boxes.
Deliver a portion of the Costco items from our warehouse to Gilly’s House: Noon to 1:30 p.m. Drive the pantry van from our warehouse to Gilly’s House, a rehab nonprofit, in Wrentham. Return van to warehouse.
Home Deliveries: 11 a.m. to noon. Use your own car to deliver food to 5–10 households (per volunteer, per shift) in Walpole. These are clients with accessibility or transportation challenges that prevent them from accessing the normal distribution locations.
Fridays
Online Order Prep: 7:30–9 a.m. Set up inventory for Senior Housing deliveries. Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds.
Online Order Assembly: 9–10:15 a.m. Pack boxes and bags for online orders (~20 pounds each).
Online Order Distribution: 10-11:15 a.m., first and third Friday of each month. Deliver to Walpole senior/accessible housing sites and return van. (~20 pound boxes)
Saturdays
Online Order Assembly and distribution: 8–10 a.m. at the pantry and 10-11 a.m. onsite. Pack boxes and bags for online orders. (20 pounds each). Help load the van, drive to United Church in Walpole, help unload. Greet clients and load cars with the online orders, return van to the pantry.
Pick Up Food from Wegmans (Westwood): 9-11a.m. Pick up and load rescued food. Must be able to lift 50 pound boxes.
Deliver a portion of the Wegmans items from our warehouse to Gilly’s House: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Drive the pantry van from our warehouse to Gilly’s House, a rehab nonprofit, in Wrentham. Return van to warehouse.
