VOLUNTEER
Volunteer with Us!
Whether it’s driving a refrigerated truck, sorting perishable food, or harvesting carrots on the farm, volunteers are the heartbeat of Clark County Food Bank. Each year, we have over 4,625 individuals who donate over 67,500 service hours. Every volunteer provides something unique and important to the food bank, and we could not serve our community without the support of neighbors like you! If you are interested in joining the fight against hunger here in Clark County, explore some of our volunteer opportunities below. We have fun and informative events and trainings for our Volunteers. To get your invite to the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner and other opportunities sign up to volunteer today!
Sign Up To Volunteer
Fill out our volunteer interest form below.
Working With Food
Every day at the food bank, we sort through thousands of pounds of donated food. We need volunteers to help sort through and inspect donations, repack bulk food into smaller packaging, and even drive and deliver truckloads of food. Volunteering to sort and repack food is a perfect opportunity to serve for both individuals and groups.
Many Food Volunteer positions require scheduling or training. Please complete the Volunteer Interest Form and one of our volunteer coordinators will contact you.
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Volunteers are needed to help sort food donated from grocery stores Fresh Alliance food program. This takes place Monday through Friday from 10am – 12pm. Training is required and conducted on site.
Must be 14 or older to participate.
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CCFB could not function without the faithful dedication of its Fresh Alliance Food Collectors. Volunteers work in teams of two, collecting food from partner grocery stores throughout Clark County. Collection times are Monday – Friday with trucks leaving the warehouse at 6:30am, 7:30am and 10am and returning about 2 hours later depending upon the route. Along with Driving/Riding, other duties include filling out donation slips and lifting 40-50 pound bins.
No CDL license required.
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Afternoon Food Box Builds are scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday afternoons from 2:00pm-3:30pm. Individuals are able to sign up for available dates by accessing an online google document. Please email volunteer@clarkcountyfoodbank.org for the link.
Closed Group repacks can also be hosted by prior arrangement.
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The Warehouse Worker role helps with a variety of warehouse tasks including cleaning, maintenance, food sorting, and order picking. Our warehouse operates Monday through Friday from 7:30am-4pm. Training is required. Contact us to schedule a training time.
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Clark County Food Bank oversees two food pantries in the community – both are called “Community Kitchen”. These sites distribute food boxes to clients experiencing food insecurity. Food Pantry Helpers are placed in a variety of roles including client intake and food restocking. We would love to have you join us! Contact us to schedule a training time.
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Volunteers interested in delivering food boxes to clients with transportation issues and/or homebound clients in Clark County will first need to schedule a ride-along with a staff member. Volunteers drive their own vehicles to homes in Clark County, have clients complete two short forms and then leave a box of food. Volunteer drivers must be at least 18 years of age. Due to training and background check requirements, we ask for at least a six-month commitment for this role of volunteering at least twice per month. If you are interested in helping to deliver food boxes, please email volunteer@clarkcountyfoodbank.org to be connected with the Program Administrator.
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Food Bank Fresh is a seasonal, June-September, mobile food pantry with a farmer’s market feel that provides temporary food assistance to areas of Clark County where other resources are not available. School Pantries are the same set up and take place between October- May in school parking lots. Volunteers are needed to help drive trucks, set-up the market, manage the event, and interact with clients.
Farming and Gleaning
During the summer and fall growing seasons, Heritage Farm located at 1919 NE 78th St, is open for volunteers during designated weekdays and weekends. Whether pulling weeds, planting seeds, harvesting fresh produce or leading groups of volunteers, we are in constant need of people to care for our crops. If you love working outside and getting your hands a little dirty, then come on out to our farm!
Please contact farm@clarkcountyfoodbank.org for gleaning or group farm volunteer events!
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In summer and fall, CCFB grows and gleans over 100,000 pounds of fresh produce at Heritage Farm and throughout Clark County. Work Parties are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am to 12pm during the growing season (May through October). We welcome individuals, families, and groups. All ages welcome!
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Farm work parties are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9am to noon, June through October. During the growing season, feel free to stop by to volunteer with our work parties anytime! No prior arrangement is needed, except for groups of 6 or more.
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If you would like to arrange for a larger group, such as a school, business, or service organization, to come out and volunteer on our farm, we are open and flexible all throughout the growing season! Please contact us to arrange a group volunteering event.
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Besides growing, we “glean”, or collect food that would otherwise go to waste. These opportunities are typically in the evenings and weekends for 2-3 hours. If you are interested in being a part of the Glean Team, please contact us at farm@clarkcountyfoodbank.org, so we can put you on the schedule!
Every Sunday 2:30-4:00pm from June through October, we collect leftover produce from vendors at the Vancouver Farmers Market. It’s important to note that the Farmer’s Market volunteer opportunity requires the ability to lift at least 25 lbs, and the ability to walk long distances.
Nutrition Education
If you have a passion for healthy living, nutrition, and teaching people the skills to shop and cook on a budget, then volunteering with our Nutrition Education Program is the right fit for you! Learn more about the programs we offer and ways you can get involved to help create a healthier Clark County.
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Workshops Assistant: Help the instructor in our wide variety of workshops by setting up for class, helping participants with their knife skills, ensuring smooth transitions between tasks, and cleaning up during and after class.
Cooking Matters Assistant: Manage class materials and equipment kits, help set up classroom space, provide one-on-one assistance to class participants, facilitate clean-up tasks during and after class
SNAC Assistant: Most of these are off-site at different middle schools in the area. Volunteers would help setup the classroom, make sure the students are following knife safety protocol, and providing additional assistance or one-on-one help when needed.
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Assist the instructor by contributing your gardening knowledge, serving the snack or meal, and helping with hands-on activities.
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Lead cooking demonstrations at food pantries or Food Bank Fresh events. Cook simple, budget friendly recipes using pantry stables, to encourage clients to try new things.
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Help prepare food in advance of large food bank events.
Other Ways to Help
In addition to volunteering in our farm, food, or nutrition ed. programs, CCFB has other areas for volunteers to serve in. Whether helping to staff events, providing general maintenance, running our front desk, or driving one of our delivery trucks, dedicated volunteers make our everyday operations possible.
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Our facility would fail to run smoothly without the assistance of our receptionists. They are responsible for answering and directing phone calls, filing, data entry, customer service, light cleaning and greeting folks who walk through our front doors. Shifts are available Monday – Friday from 9am – 12:30pm and 12:30pm – 4pm. We ask for a 6-month commitment for this role.
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CCFB hosts annual events which require the use of many helping hands. Groups and individuals can help facilitate these events by providing necessary assistance to the Clark County community. These shifts would be on-call and take place periodically throughout the year.
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For some, this is considered the Filet Mignon of volunteer work at the CCFB. Words we often hear are; Flexible, Fast Paced, Physically Active, Fun & Freedom (when earned). The more you volunteer, the more we understand how to use your strengths. The veterans are drafting, fabricating & building new solutions. Those new to the game, enjoy the satisfaction of deep cleans and the yearly battle of weed free landscaping. All in all, the facility team goes the extra mile, and we’d love to have you on our team!
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Interpret between food pantry clients, staff, and volunteers when necessary. Ensure clients are informed correctly of policies and procedures as well as supporting them in communicating their needs. Translate food bank documents and flyers, nutrition education recipes and other supporting materials.
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Volunteers interested in assisting clients to complete their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application will first need to schedule a time to shadow the Program Administrator. Volunteers will work from the Clark County Food Bank office, assisting clients over the phone. Due to training and background check requirements, we ask for at least a six-month commitment for this role of volunteering at least twice per month.
Please email volunteer@clarkcountyfoodbank.org to be connected to the Program Administrator.
Volunteer of the Year Spotlight!
Congratulations to Clark County Food Bank’s 2024 Volunteer of the Year, Sally Schaffer !
Sally has been a dedicated part of our team since 2017, contributing more than 3,300 hours of service to Clark County Food Bank.
From sorting food with Fresh Alliance multiple days every week to helping at events, stocking pantry shelves, and assisting with mobile distributions, Sally has done it all. Her commitment, humility, and willingness to take on any task, big or small, truly exemplify the heart of volunteerism.
Still Interested in Volunteering?
Already signed up? If you already are signed up to volunteer, print out a copy of our Volunteer Registration Form at home to save time!
Visit our “Other Ways to Give” section to find out about the many ways you can contribute to Clark County Food Bank.