Make a difference – volunteer

Volunteers are vital to our efforts to eliminate hunger and its root causes ... because no one should be hungry. From sorting and packing food, to teaching gardening and nutrition classes, volunteers do a little of everything at Oregon Food Bank.

Most people start out by volunteering with our food repack programs. We have volunteer shifts for both groups and individuals to help repackage bulk food, sort canned food donations and box perishable foods. We welcome volunteers age six (with adult supervision, of course) and older in our Volunteer Action Center. We also need adult volunteers to help in our Perishables Repack Room, with our Fresh Alliance program and in our Food Recovery Center.

Volunteers must register in advance. All open shifts are listed on our registration forms (see below). Many shifts fill up in advance, so if you don't see it listed on the form, that means it is already full. Please keep checking back!

Register to volunteer

• As a new individual volunteer
• As a returning individual volunteer
• As a group (five people or more)
• As a volunteer driver
• As an office volunteer (N.E. Portland only)
• For OFB's Nutrition Education Program
• As a court-mandated volunteer

Additional volunteer opportunities

• Food repack
• Learning Garden
• Nutrition Education
• Other events

Teach Gardening Classes

Oregon Food Bank offers free gardening workshops to low-income individuals and groups, through our Seed to Supper program. Volunteers are needed to teach the five week series and one-time workshops at locations in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Clark counties. Al of the materials for each topic (slides, outlines, and handouts) are provided during a training session. Volunteers who are interested in getting involved with this program should plan to attend an information session on Wednesday, February 17th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. (7900 NE 33rd Drive, Portland). A three-hour training for this program will take place in March following the info session.

• For more information, please read the Volunteer Job Description.
• If you are interested in participating, please fill out the Volunteer Info Sheet.
• To sign up for the info session or for more information, contact the Learning Gardens Volunteer Coordinator at lwaugh@oregonfoodbank.org or 503-282-0555 ext.314.

Work Alongside At-Risk Youth in the Learning Garden this Summer

Volunteers are needed to work in the Eastside Learning Garden alongside at-risk youth (ages 12-18) from a variety of groups. Volunteers for this program must complete an application and interview process (including a background check) and attend two trainings. Cultivating Community volunteers commit to volunteering for two 3-hour shifts per month, April through October. The schedule is still being finalized for this season, but groups generally come on weekday or Saturday afternoons. Now is the time to submit an application if you are interested in this program!

• For more information, read the Volunteer Job Description.
• If you are interested, fill out the Volunteer Application by February 19.
• Questions? Contact the Learning Gardens Program coordinator at rsiplak@oregonfoodbank.org or 971-230-1639.

Other ways to help

Donate funds

Did you know that for every $10 donation, OFB can collect and distribute enough food to fill an emergency food box for a family?

There are many ways to donate:

Donate funds online.

Attend a community fund-raising event.

Donate food
Help OFB increase the supply of food available for hungry families.

You can donate nonperishable food at OFB's two Portland-area warehouses:

N.E. Portland: 7900 N.E. 33rd Drive
8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays

Hillsboro: 21485 N.W. Mauzey Road
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays

See other food drop off sites.

See our list of most wanted foods.
Learn about running a food drive.

Advocate

Help fight hunger's root causes by working to change public policy. Volunteers write letters, make phone calls and organize their friends and neighbors to help make a difference. OFB's advocacy team provides volunteer training. Contact David to sign up.

Your story can also make a difference.

Have you recently accessed emergency food? Have you recently lost your job? Are medical bills hitting you hard? Do you have trouble paying for housing? Have you experienced hunger in your past? Please call (971) 230-1637 to share your voice and make a change.

Learn more about OFB's advocacy program >

Questions about volunteering?
Do I need to sign up in advance? How do I schedule a group? Can children participate? Find the answers to these and other questions.

Sign up for OFB's volunteer e-newsletter.
Learn about the latest volunteer program news and be the first to hear about new opportunities and events.

Check out OFB's Hunger Buster Curriculum.
Oregon Food Bank has put together an exciting curriculum to teach children about hunger using the best ideas from other food banks and a bit of our own ingenuity. The program can be tailored for large and small groups.