Chester County Food Bank Volunteer

Volunteer Your Time Individually Or As A Group To Help Feed Neighbors In Need

Chester County’s Support for PA Day Benefits Food Banks

Giving is your opportunity to be a part of making a difference in our community. From individuals to corporations, each person and every volunteer hour makes an impact on our mission. Whether you want to dig in at one of our partnering farms or gardens, be hands-on in our commercial kitchen or warehouse, or assist the office team, wed love to have you or your group volunteer with us! Volunteer opportunities are available year-round, however, our need does vary based on season, weather, inventory, and program schedules.

Volunteer Services And Opportunities

Citizen Information and Resources connects people to services and opportunities to engage with their community. Volunteers and community groups are a vital connection to the community as they work with county staff to enhance and enrich the quality of life for all.

Interested in volunteering? Complete our Volunteer Application.

Meet new people and make new friends.
Acquire new skills.
Stay connected to the community.
Feel a sense of pride and gratitude.

To know who your supervisor is and be given clear direction.
To be treated in a respectful manner at all times.
To be informed of policies and procedures and changes as appropriate.
To receive orientation and training for your position.
To feel your efforts contribute to the organizations objectives.
To feel appreciated for your contributions.

Additional Opportunities To Give Back

Community Service

Court-Ordered Time

Certain court-ordered volunteer time can be accommodated.

Please call our Volunteer Services Department to schedule a required interview at .

Corporate Engagement

Empower your employees to drive change through corporate volunteering. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to .

Recommended Reading: How Food Banks Use Markets To Feed The Poor

Chester County Food Bank Supporting The Local Community

The Chester County Food Bank has gone above and beyond to give back to their community through numerous food drives, donations and educational programs. One particular group of volunteers, referred to as the Tuesday Terrors, offer their time every Tuesday morning to quickly and efficiently get food into the hands of those in Chester County struggling with hunger and food insecurity two significant issues that have been heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, an estimated 54 million Americans, including 18 million American children, are now food insecure. The limited availability of nutritional, safe foods has doubled and child food insecurity has tripled throughout the course of the pandemic.

Thanks to the Tuesday Terrors, the dedication and energy from each volunteer continues to help improve the lives of so many families and individuals. From processing donations to staffing events, the group has become a coordinated and well-trained team that can manage several tasks. From 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM every Tuesday, the group sorts donated foods, cleans veggies, packs Meals on Wheels, and pitches in wherever else is needed.

Motivated to be part of a socially engaging activity benefiting the entire community, Gerry and Sue Miller are two members of the diverse group of volunteers, who joined the Tuesday Terrors back in 2013.

Q& a With County Food Banks Community Education Manager Sol Noguera And Director Of Community Food Access And Education Programs Roberta Cosentino:

What about EatFresh excites you most? EatFresh is an incredibly impactful program, and the most exciting aspects of it are the connections that are made through food. Eating is a major part of our lives and sharing food, time and experiences with other community members is remarkably simple yet life-affirming. Through discussions, we learn from each other, discover new traditions and often learn how similar we are. It’s truly a moving experience.

What will data collection entail over the next few months?At the end of March, EatFresh will be post-surveying all EatFresh participants who attended classes from the summer of 2021 to the winter of 2022. Additionally, we will be hosting focus groups with participants who have had the unique experience of taking both our in-person classes and our virtual classes.

How has the Gretchen Swanson Centers evaluation expertise and technical assistance benefited your organization so far?The Gretchen Swanson Center has helped us create a more valid and reliable survey for our participants. Not only were we able to develop a better survey, but we have also improved our surveying technique to include both qualitative and quantitative data. As a result, we can learn from our participants more effectively and establish best practices for our unique community.

Also Check: Where To Donate Unused Food

Hosting Your Own Event

Third-party events are implemented by outside organizations for the benefit of Feeding Westchester. The sponsoring organization must be respected in the community and one whose reputation will enhance Feeding Westchesters public image.

To protect both the donating parties and Feeding Westchester, the following guidelines must be followed. We ask that our prospective donors read and understand these guidelines, prior to registering your promotion. Please submit your application by completing the form below.

More Resources For Finding Food

Fresh2You Mobile Market

Fresh2You travels throughout Chester County June-November providing high-quality, local, seasonal, and affordable fresh foods while providing education on healthy cooking to communities with limited food access.

Grocery Boxes for Seniors

Distributed monthly, our Senior Boxes meet the unique nutritional needs of aging adults and help to prevent vulnerable seniors from having to choose between food and other basic needs.

Prepared Meals

Our Community Kitchen supports our mission by creating nutritious meals. For those without transportation or who are unable to leave their home to visit local food pantries, deliveries can occur each week.

Recommended Reading: Best Food To Donate To Homeless

Inquire About Corporate Volunteer Opportunities

While mindful of the community health landscape, we are happy to once again offer limited on-site and off-site corporate volunteer opportunities. Participate in a packing event at our Distribution Center, off-site, or at a Mobile Food Pantry.

Interested in learning more? Fill out this form and we will connect with you.

Covid Health & Safety Precautions

Food bank holds giveaway at Covelli Centre, says they need more volunteers

Chester County Food Bank has a COVID vaccine requirement for all staff and on-site volunteers. We are committed to a safe workplace and doing our part to address the pandemic. We continue to monitor COVID-19 trends and local updates closely and we will continue to adjust CCFB policies accordingly. While we generally follow CDC, PA Dept. of Health, and Chester County Health Dept. guidelines please note that we may enforce additional/stricter policies internally in an effort to be proactive about protecting our workplace.

All volunteers are expected to self-screen before reporting to their scheduled volunteer shift. Find our available opportunities, volunteer registration, and COVID-19 protocols here or the Sign-Up button below.

Recommended Reading: Second Harvest Food Bank Of Central Florida Orlando Fl

About Chester County Food Bank

As the central hunger relief organization in our county, Chester County Food Bank serves a network of 160+ partners to meet emergency food and nutrition needs while exploring long term solutions to chronic food insecurity. Serving more than 40,000 residents through food distribution and education, health, and wellness programs, we provide diverse distribution outlets and varied forms of food access to maximize outreach in culturally appropriate ways. Since our organizations inception, we have prioritized fresh, local foods. Our Nutrition Framework was developed with the expertise of a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and provides guidance on our procurement, distribution, and supporting educational components. Our Agriculture Department supports us in providing the freshest food for our programs with the help of an industrious volunteer base on the farm and in the processing kitchen. From seeding to harvesting, our on-staff farmers and volunteers work to provide 100,000 pounds of produce each year. We also support our network of local farms and producers by purchasing additional fruits and vegetables to offer our communities the best in season produce. We are proud that 50% of the food we distribute as a food bank is fresh fruits and vegetables. Our organization supports our nutrition efforts through various educational opportunities and interventions. More information can be found at chestercountyfoodbank.org.