Is There A Dress Code
Yes, we recommend dressing comfortably and in layers depending on the season of year. Additionally, volunteers working in our warehouse must WEAR CLOSED-TOE SHOES on the day of your shift. Individuals wearing open-toed shoes such as sandals, flip flops, soccer slides, Crocs, Keens, slippers etc. will not be allowed to work in the warehouse under any circumstances. Also, high heeled shoes are not appropriate in a warehouse setting. Long shorts or pants and t-shirts or sweatshirts are recommended.
We Invite You To Join Us
- Volunteer at one of our three centers – West Suburban Center in Geneva North Suburban Center in Park City Northwest Center in Rockford
- Make a generous gift – remember, with every $1 you donate we can provide $8 worth of groceries for hungry neighbors
- Spread the word about hunger in our community – follow the Food Bank on and , and and join the conversation!
Northern Illinois Food Bank is a member of Feeding America.
Some Ways Our Volunteers Help
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Ive Signed Up In The Past And The Online Calendar Looks Different Has Something Changed
Yes! The Food Bank launched a new online registration system for volunteers effective November 1, 2022. Any volunteer with a valid email address in our system that volunteer on or after January 1, 2018 was imported into the new system. Passwords did NOT carry over though so volunteers will need to click forgot password under the log-in field the first time they attempt to log in. For assistance, email the Volunteer Team at .
As A Team Leader How To I Confirm The Names And Email Addresses For My Team Members
There is no longer a spreadsheet for Team Leaders to submit with the names and email addresses of their volunteers. Instead, Team Leaders must manage their group by either updating and entering the names and email addresses of each team member OR by sharing a link from their group shift registration with those in their team theyd like to invite to volunteer.
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What If I Need To Leave Early From My Shift
Volunteers must participate for the entire duration of the shift they signed up to help with. Each volunteer working is an essential part of completing the task assigned for that specific shift. Leaving early causes a disruption for the project needing to be completed and for the other volunteers. We understand that schedules change, so if you have to leave early for a shift you signed up for, please consider rescheduling or talk to a Food Bank team member as soon as you arrive to check in.
May I Bring A Team To Volunteer
Yes, teams of volunteers are welcome to volunteer with us. Our volunteer projects can accommodate teams of various sizes and are perfect team-building opportunities. Teams of 15 or more volunteers are asked to contact the Food Bank directly by sending an email to . To ensure we are able to accommodate your team size, we recommend teams contact our Volunteer Team at least one month in advance of their proposed team outing.
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What Will Check In Look Like When I Arrive For My Next Shift
When you arrive for your shift, youll notice some changes. Volunteers can walk up to any computer kiosk available to them when they arrive. On the home screen, enter an email address or first and last name to check in. If you are active in our system, your contact info will pop up on the screen and youll check this is me to sign in. If your email address is not yet active in the system, please go online to www.volunteer-northernilfoodbank.org to set up your new password. If you have any trouble doing this, send an email to the Volunteer Team so we can help!
At some of our opportunities, you might see a staff member or volunteer leader with a tablet ready to assist you in checking in to your shift. In this case, just let them know you are ready to volunteer and they will help you out.
Can I Still Bring A Team In To Volunteer
Yes, of course! We look forward to having your workplace, faith-based group, school, neighborhood, family and more volunteer with us soon! Team leaders looking to bring a group of 15 or more should contact the Volunteer Team directly for assistance. Groups less than 15 volunteers can sign up online today! Visit our website today to get started.
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Are Volunteers Required To Stay For The Entire Shift
Yes. Our projects are designed for specific time periods so we ask that volunteers commit to the entire shift. For that reason, it is also important you arrive on time. If you are going to be later than 30 minutes or something comes up and need to leave early, our Volunteer Coordinators would be happy to assist you in rescheduling your volunteer shift, if necessary.
May I Arrive Late For My Shift
Volunteers must arrive on time in order to participate in pre-shift safety and orientation. We cannot accept volunteers later than 30 minutes. It can be difficult to jump in to a project when the other volunteers who are working it already have their task and know what to do. If you anticipate being late, please let us know and we will be happy to reschedule you.
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Do You Provide More Than Canned Goods
Pantries provide perishable and non perishable foods including: dairy products, fresh fruits & vegetables, baked goods, canned goods, dried goods, and frozen meats. While some pantries distribute these items in apre-packaged form, many of the pantries in Northern Illinois operate a client choice distribution method.
Are You Eligible For Food If You Are Not Receiving Snap Benefits
You do not need to be receiving other assistance to visit a food pantry. SNAP is an entitlement program based on your income eligibility that is not capped at a particular number of participants. While SNAP is based on income, it often only covers the first two weeks of a familys food needs. We encourage our neighbors in need to utilize SNAP and other community resources to ensure their needs are met.
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Has Anything Changed With How I Confirm Numbers When My Team Is Scheduled To Volunteer
Yes, we have updated our registration policy for volunteer teams in order to best support efforts to provide food to our neighbors who need it the most. It is not guaranteed that your slots will remain available if names and email addresses for each volunteer are not submitted at least two weeks prior to your shift date. Any slots that are not confirmed in this time frame, will be released back to the public calendar. This change has been made to ensure we have enough volunteers for each shift for all of our opportunities. The Food Bank relies on this support to complete projects on time and provide necessary food to our neighbors.
Shop Official Northern Illinois Food Bank Merchandise
Another great way to help our neighbors thrive is to purchase branded items! A percentage of each purchase and order generates a donation to Northern Illinois Food Bank.
We offer a variety of items from apparel to coffee mugs, custom tote bags and more!
All orders ship directly to you!
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Do You Have To Be Unemployed To Receive Food
Pantries receiving food from Northern Illinois Food Bank are able to settheir own eligibility guidelines. At the majority of food pantries, eligibilityis based on self-attested need. You do not need to have a referral, and income is not a factor to receive food. At some pantries, you may be asked to provide a form of identification and/or proof of your address you may also be asked about how many people live with you. We advise callingahead to ask a pantry about any eligibility or documentation requirements they might have.
What Is The Difference Between A Food Pantry And A Mobile Market
A food pantry is a location where people can access food for free. Food pantries access a lot of their food from Northern Illinois Food Bank, as well as, local retailers and donations from individuals, businesses and manufacturers. There are over 200 food pantry locations throughout our 13 county service area including:
- Stephenson County
- Kankakee County
Food pantries are brick and mortar buildings typically located in community buildings, churches and/or commercial spaces.
A mobile market is an actual mobile food truck that arrives on location for short period of time to distribute free food in communities. Mobile markets typically last an hour and a half and provide individuals with common grocery items such as breads, cereals, meat, dairy and fresh produce. Items will vary depending on availability.
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What We Aim To Solve
Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Strategic Plan: UNITE plan builds on the success of our 2020 plan, incorporates the experiences of human-centered design, and acknowledges that food insecurity disproportionately impacts some neighbors because of systemic inequities including the challenges of racism that have been highlighted prominently in recent civil unrest. Our overall goal is to reach 90% of food insecure neighbors within our 13 counties by 2025. To accomplish this, we will invest in empowering our neighbors, engaging our network, enhancing the food supply, evolving the Food Bank, all while embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.
Are There Any Physical Requirements
The majority of our volunteer opportunities are sorting, inspecting and repacking food for our hungry neighbors. These tasks require some level of physical activity from simply standing on concrete to actual lifting. If you require special accommodations please contact us at 630.443.6910 before registering.
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We Are Celebrating 40000 Free Deliveries By Doordash
State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia , Northern Illinois Food Bank President and CEO Julie Yurko and State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, carry boxes of food in honor of the Day of Service at the Northern Illinois Food Bank and highlighting Project Dash’s impact on the community. Since May 2021, Northern Illinois Food Bank has partnered with Door Dash and Project DASH for the delivery of charitable food in a way that emphasizes convenience and dignity for its clients.
GENEVA The table was piled high with food cans of black beans, a gallon of milk, a bag of rice, a carton of eggs, a fresh cantaloupe, a bag of pancake mix.
All would packed into boxes and delivered free through an unexpected but welcome partnership between the Northern Illinois Food Bank and Project DASH of DoorDash.
Since May 2021, Project DASH made 40,000 free deliveries of food throughout the region to Northern Illinois Food Bank clients.
At a news conference Friday in Geneva, food bank and DoorDash officials and State Reps. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia and Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, marked the Food Banks Day of Service by highlighting the partnership and the goodwill as well as the food that free delivery brings to families in need.
The food banks vision is not just providing free food, but removing the stigma of asking for help for those in need, she said, and now Project DASH is delivering that food free as well.
It was a game-changer
Food insecurity affects all regions
I Am A Regular Volunteer At One Of The Food Bank Centers Will I Still Need A Badge To Check In
The biggest change for our volunteers who help out multiple times a week, monthly and who have a badge with a bar code, is that there will not be a scanner to check in. Please keep your name badge so we know who you are and for safety. It is important that every volunteer have at least their first name displayed where staff can see it while they are volunteering. To learn how youll check in starting November 2022, please see What will check in look like when I arrive for my next shift?
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Online Fundraisers & Food Drives
Help feed hungry neighbors by hosting an online fundraiser or food drive today! Whether you are directly collecting food or hosting an online fundraiser, all of the contributions from businesses, schools, community organizations and individuals generate thousands of meals for hungry neighbors each year.
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Our vision is for everyone in Northern Illinois to have the food they need to thrive. A 501 nonprofit organization and proud member of Feeding America, we serve our neighbors in 13 counties with dignity, equity and convenience, providing 250,000 meals a day. We bring together manufacturers, local and corporate grocers, area farmers, corporations, foundations and individuals who donate food and funding, and each week nearly 1,000 volunteers assist us by evaluating, repacking and distributing groceries to our neighbors in need. We also proudly partner with more than 900 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and youth and senior feeding programs to provide nutritious food and resources.
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Advocate For Your Neighbors
In order to solve hunger in our service area, Northern Illinois Food Bank works with national, state and local partners to advocate for administrative and legislative policies that strengthen our communities and decrease instances of food insecurity.
The number one way to join us in our advocacy efforts is by signing up for our Advocacy Alerts. These alerts will keep you up-to-date on our advocacy work, notify you when there are action steps you can take, and ultimately put us one step closer to solving hunger in our community.
Our Commitment To Diversity Equity And Inclusion
Northern Illinois Food Bank will embrace opportunities to stand in solidarity with our community, and center the voices of those most impacted by systematic injustices. We affirm our commitment to anti-racism, to gender equity, to allyship, and to fairness as we work towards a hunger-free future and to create a better and more just world.
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Is There Still Room For Me To Volunteer Before The End Of 2022
As you can imagine, November and December are two of the most requested months in which volunteers seek opportunities to help. Signing up for these busy months as early as possible, sometimes up to two months in advance, is the best way to find the right date, time and location to accommodate your Team. Keep in mind that the public calendar is always changing as volunteers cancel from time to time so check back often to see if there is a shift that will work for you or your Team. If you dont see a date that will work, consider choosing a date in the New Year as the Food Bank relies on volunteers to support shifts all year long.
Can You Visit The Pantry More Than Once A Month
While some pantries restrict visits due to the volume of clientele and available food, you are welcome to visit multiple pantries to ensure your needs are met during the month. Pantries do not share who comes to visit, and there is no overall count of the number of agencies any one neighbor might have used in a given month.
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Who We Are
Northern Illinois Food Bank is the source of nutritious food, innovative feeding programs, and hope for more than 71,500 people each week. As a nonprofit organization with a goal of solving hunger in our 13-county service area, we rely on community partners the local food pantries and feeding programs, food manufacturers and retailers, companies, foundations and individuals who join with us in our vision for no one to be hungry in Northern Illinois.
What We Do
Our Mission: Leading the Northern Illinois community in solving hunger by providing nutritious meals to those in need through innovative programs and partnerships.
Northern Illinois Food Bank is the source of nutritious food, innovative feeding programs, and hope for more than 71,000 people each week.
As a nonprofit organization with a goal of solving hunger across our 13-county service area, we rely on community partners the local food pantries and feeding programs, food manufacturers and retailers, companies, foundations and individuals who join us in our vision for no one to be hungry in Northern Illinois – to make that vision a reality.
We invite you to join us by volunteering at one of our three centers , donating funds or food, or helping us spread the word about hunger in our community at community events or through social media .
Northern Illinois Food Bank is a member of Feeding America.
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