Monday, October 2, 2023

Volunteer At Houston Food Bank

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Friends Of Texas Wildlife

Houston Food Bank in need of volunteers

If youd like to volunteer for a worthy cause, consider joining Friends of Texas Wildlife in Houston. This nonprofit organization takes in injured and orphaned wildlife and rehabilitates them. They care for thousands of animals each year. Volunteers play a crucial role in the organizations operations.

You can volunteer with Friends of Texas Wildlife on a flexible schedule. Volunteer orientations are held once every six weeks to help you decide on the best ways to help. Most positions involve providing round-the-clock care for the animals, with the ultimate goal of releasing them back into the wild when theyre ready.

Volunteers at this animal shelter help feed the animals and keep the cages clean. You can also help with fundraising and animal placement. Likewise, the Houston Humane Society welcomes volunteers, and the Houston SPCA offers a volunteer program at its Wildlife Center to help protect native wildlife. The Friends For Life Animal Shelter & Sanctuary is another good place to volunteer.

Image via Houston Food Bank

There are many local organizations that would love to increase their number of volunteers. But often itâs hard for folks to find them in a city the size of Houston. Especially if you want to bring children and volunteer as a family.

Volunteers Needed At Houston Food Bank After Accident

Here’s how you can volunteer with the Houston Food Bank

HOUSTON, Texas — Just weeks before ABC13’s 39th annual Share Your Holidays food drive, our friends at the Houston Food Bank have lost nearly 2 million pounds of food due to an ammonia leak at its Portwall warehouse. Now they need our help more than ever.

“The best way that people can help us is volunteering, because what we do is we go out and get donations from literally all over the country,” Houston Food Bank president Brian Greene said. “So much of this product requires work and it’s our ability to say yes to the donations to labor that we can use to replace this.”

Volunteering at Houston Food Bank is easy and there are three volunteer shifts a day, Monday through Friday, with weekend opportunities as well.

How to volunteer at Houston Food Bank

  • Check out the food bank’s volunteer calendar for available shifts.
  • When you find a shift you want, click on it.
  • Locate and click the “Individual Registrations” button.
  • Verify the shift is correct and click “Yes,” then “Submit.”
  • Last year, we caught up with Texas Children’s Pediatrics volunteers who were getting out of their offices to help.

    “Knowing that you’re really making a family, feeding a family, giving a family better care, letting them know that they have that security,” Stanley Spinner, with Texas Children’s Pediatrics. “You can’t put a price tag on the importance of that.”

    • Family, community and other groups:
    • School and youth groups: .

    Make A Measurable Positive Difference

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    Interfaith Ministries For Greater Houston

    Since 1969, this organization has been instrumental in bringing people together of different faiths to serve the community. It provides 1.5 million meals to Houston-area seniors and helps resettle thousands of refugees.

    Volunteer opportunity: Variety of options include delivering meals to hungry seniors, packaging pet food for their dogs and cats and pet food delivery, Chore Corps . Volunteer orientation is required.

    Age: Family-friendly . Other individual volunteer age is 6 or higher for other needs.

    When: aniMeals on Wheels pet food delivery Meals on Wheels Warehouse Crew

    Where: 3202 San Jacinto , 3303 Main Street is the office

    More info: To volunteer, check out the individual volunteer opportunities or contact .

    Habitat For Humanity Nw Harris County

    Event

    Image via Habitat for Humanity

    Habitat for Humanity provides safe and affordable housing for its partner families. These families apply, qualify for a loan and provide sweat equity to their own home.

    Volunteer opportunities: Help build a home with other volunteers, provide lunch for 60-100 volunteers on site for Saturday builds

    Age: Family-friendly and age 16+

    When: Lunch providers builders . Individuals must sign up online using the Sign Up Genius form. Groups of 5 or more must coordinate with the volunteer coordinator.

    Where: Homes are currently being built in Spring

    More info: You can visit online or contact 477-0460

    Recommended Reading: Food Bank Of Nevada County

    Please Remember To Register With Houston Food Bank Using The Appropriate Link Shown Below

    Your time is a gift to hungry kids, seniors and others who may not have enough to eat. Volunteers produce the equivalent of a meal a minute while helping the Houston Food Bank sort, process and pack food. And it’s fun!

    The SPE-GCS YP Community outreach committee is planning this event to go and help make a difference while getting to know more people from our industry.

    We will be helping out at the Warehouse and volunteer projects vary based on need and may include inspecting/sorting food, repacking dry food into family-sized bags, stocking/cleaning the emergency food pantry and more.

    CLOSED-TOE SHOES REQUIRED – casual dress, long pants , t-shirt with sleeves.

    Volunteer At The Houston Food Bank

    Home » Events » Volunteer at the Houston Food Bank

    Volunteers must register in advance in order to receive a QR code to present when arriving.

    SPECIAL NOTES:

    • Volunteers MUST be at least 6 years old and supervised by a parent or guardian throughout the shift.
    • All volunteers under the age of 18 also need a completed Youth Volunteer Consent Form signed by a parent or guardian. A copy of this form can be downloaded by clicking the RESOURCES tab on your Volunteer Profile page.
    • For your safety, personal belongings are not allowed in project areas: Due to limited locker space, we ask that you lock your purse, jackets, backpacks and any other valuables in your vehicle before checking-in.
    • Special accommodations needed? Let us know before your volunteer shift so we can plan accordingly.
    • Wear closed-toe shoes so your feet are protected and dress in layers so you will be comfortable throughout your shift.
    • If you are scheduled for the kitchen, please wear long pants NO SHORTS OR JEWELRY ALLOWED.

    Volunteer Duties

    Most of the projects at the warehouse involve inspecting, sorting, and repackaging donated food items for community distribution.

    Directions

    From Downtown: Take IH-10 east and exit Gellhorn St. . Make a U-turn at Gellhorn, stay on feeder and turn right on Portwall St.

    Parking Information

    If space permits, you may park in the front parking lot, but in the event of a large volunteer turnout, you may be directed to our overflow lot located behind the building.

    Attire Information

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    We Love Our Volunteers Wesley Welcomes Corporate Church Social Groups And Civic Organizations To Join Us In Our Mission

    We are using Volunteer Houston to help schedule volunteers for the Food Pantry during this busy time.

    We can accommodate groups of up to 12 volunteers for daily, ongoing activities such as Food Pantry and visiting with seniors.

    Food PantryVolunteers are needed to assist with daily activities such as sorting, moving, organizing and assisting clients with food choices. We organize Community Food Fairs in neighborhood parks on the third and fourth Saturdays of the month from 9:00am-noon This is a great opportunity for groups or families. Children ages ten and older are welcome with a parent/adult supervision. Volunteers over the age of 16 can volunteer without a parent with a parental waiver.

    GardenDo you have a green thumb? Does burying your hands in the dirt sound therapeutic to you? If so, we need you! Volunteers are needed to maintain our Community Garden. Duties may include watering, weeding, planting, soil preparation, pruning, harvesting etc. Garden hours are Tuesday Saturday 9:00am 3:00pm.

    SeniorsCome bring the gift of friendship and fellowship to a senior! Come host a bingo party, sponsor a field trip, assist with arts and crafts, help serve meals, or just come by to chat. The Senior Program runs Monday through Friday 8:30am 12:30pm. Times may differ for special events and field trips.

    Youth**Volunteers are needed during after-school hours and summer camp to help arrange group activities and engage with groups of school age children.

    If You Are Already A Volunteer With The Houston Food Bank Click Here To Log In If You Would Like To Create A New Profile* Click Here

    Never too young to help | Teen volunteers putting in work at Houston Food Bank

    Please help us plan the safest volunteer experience possible by registering in advance online.All available volunteer shifts for the next 3 months are listed on the calendar below.

    Register to Volunteer:

    • To register as an individual, or a group with fewer than 30 volunteers, please see our registration instructions.
    • To register a Group of 30 or more volunteers, please contact:
    • SCHOOL/YOUTH Groups:
    • **We are unable to accommodate volunteers under the age of 6**

    Please Note: In order for the Houston Food Bank to verify student hours for schools or online verification sites, a student must either:

    • Create a Volunteer Profile in our system, register in advance and SCAN-IN with the Confirmation Email QR code. For multiple shifts on the same day, scanning-in is required for EACH SHIFT. By using this method, volunteer hours reports are always available for you to print directly from your Volunteer Profile.
    • Request an official Hours Verification Letter at the end of your shift, available at our Welcome Desk. If this option is chosen, we will NOT be able to verify those hours without assessing the original documents.
    • For all hours verification questions or requests, please contact

    Frequently asked questions about volunteering:

    Recommended Reading: Food Banks In Salem Oregon

    Houston Habitat For Humanity

    Volunteers can contribute to the construction of new homes for low-income Houstonians. They can also assist with maintenance and financial training. Volunteers may also help in the ReStore. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and have some experience working with power tools. Volunteers may help with a variety of tasks, from interior demolition to painting and landscaping.

    Volunteers can choose the type of work they want to do and sign up online. The organization welcomes individual and group volunteers. Volunteers help Houston families build their own safe homes. They are provided with tools, training, and supplies. They may also need to bring a boxed lunch or a buffet service.

    Houston Habitat for Humanity works to build affordable homes for low-income families. Through volunteers, donations, and donated materials, Habitat creates new homes, renovates old ones, and offers affordable mortgages to disadvantaged Houston residents. The nonprofit also helps rebuild homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. The organizations mission is to help people become financially independent and build strong communities.

    Recommended Reading: Food Banks In San Fernando Valley

    Volunteer Opportunities In Houston

    Image via Houston Food Bank

    There are many local organizations that would love to increase their number of volunteers. But often it’s hard for folks to find them in a city the size of Houston. Especially if you want to bring children and volunteer as a family.

    Luckily, there’s plenty of volunteer opportunities in Houston that you can get started with many of which encourage you to bring the family! Feel good about giving back to the community by donating your time and enthusiasm. Here are 8 of the best places to volunteer in Houston.

    Also Check: Does The Food Bank Take Expired Food

    At Houston Food Bank High School Students Are Heroes

    This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

    My eyes crept open at around 7 a.m. on a summer Saturdayto the sound of my alarm clock. Less than an hour later, I was walking up the steps to the Houston Food Bank, cradling a cup of coffee that barely made up for the intrusion on my weekend sleep.

    Once inside, I peered past a sea of volunteers to find what I was looking for: a group of high school students assembled in the lobby. Some made small talk with volunteers, others laughed amongst themselves. One fiddled with a large speaker that sat in a blue roller cart, attempting to fix the Bluetooth.

    We all had one thing in common: our purple shirts. Thats because we were all Houston Food Bank Student Heroes, getting ready for a Saturday morning work shift.

    The Houston Food Bank is the largest in the country, and it runs like clockwork. Day after day, shift after shift, a throng of volunteers file in through the large double doors and join the work in different project areas. They sort and weigh frozen meat at the cold dock, toss expired or mislabelled items in the carousel room, and, in Aisle 8 of the warehouse, pack food into boxes for Houstons senior communities.

    These volunteers are a driving force behind the Houston Food Banks ability to service over 1,600 hunger relief charities across 18 counties, providing more than 150 million meals annually.

    A Scouting Experience Aimed To Engage And Educate Scouts In Providingfood For Better Lives

    Young professionals party at Houston Food Bank in volunteer effort ...

    Join the Houston Food Bank for a hands-on educational, community-action and volunteer experience for scouts of all ages.

    Scouts Will Gain:

    Awareness on hunger as a southeast Texas issueExperience on how to initiate change in their own communityEducation about how food banks operate

    Tools To Get Started:

    3-Step Process:

  • Huddle Against Hunger ActivityComplete one Houston Texans and Kroger Huddle Against Hunger activity from our curriculum guide: .
  • Schedule a volunteer shift onlineby selecting a day/time from our calendar. Dont forget to take a group picture at the end of your shift!.
  • Host Food DriveAfter you have registered your food drive and collected the items, please bring your donations to our 535 Portwall St. locations front lobby on Monday Friday: 7am-9pm & Saturday: 7am-4pm.
  • After completing the 3-steps, please email for further instruction on how to receive your patch.

    Image via Habitat for Humanity

    Habitat for Humanity provides safe and affordable housing for its partner families. These families apply, qualify for a loan and provide sweat equity to their own home.

    Volunteer opportunities: Help build a home with other volunteers, provide lunch for 60-100 volunteers on site for Saturday builds

    Age: Family-friendly and age 16+

    When: Lunch providers builders . Individuals must sign up online using the Sign Up Genius form. Groups of 5 or more must coordinate with the volunteer coordinator.

    Where: Homes are currently being built in Spring

    Read Also: Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz

    The Houston Food Bank Is Looking For Talented Associates Who Want To Be A Part Of Our Mission: Food For Better Lives We Believe Working To Deliver Goods And Services Can Be Remarkably Rewarding Make A Difference Today

    We offer associates endless opportunities for interesting and challenging work they can feel passionate about. In this organization our associates make a difference in the lives of children and families, victims of disaster, elderly people in nursing homes, communities in which they live and serve, and so many others.

    Want to join the Houston Food Bank team?

    • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
    • Direct Deposit and Credit Union Access
    • Leave of Absence
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Tuition Reimbursement Program

    This information offers only a brief overview of the benefit plans available to Houston Food Bank associates. A description of the benefit provisions, conditions and limitations are provided to associates in the Benefits Summary book. Plans having these programs and features also have exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits, and terms under which the plans and policies may be continued in force or discontinued. In the event of a conflict between this Web site and the plan documents or policies, the plan documents or policies will govern. The Company has the right to amend or terminate these benefits at any time.

    Prospective applicants should carefully research the legitimacy of any unsolicited recruiting communications that appear to come from the Houston Food Bank or any other employer to help stop fraud and avoid falling victim to such online scams.

    Helpful Resources

    Want To Volunteer At A Food Bank

    Food banks, food pantries, and meal programs in the Feeding America network are continuing to do what they do best â provide meals to our communities. Volunteers are critical to providing food to everyone during this difficult time.

    Pledge to volunteer with your local food bank and find a volunteer opportunity near you.

    Don’t Miss: Where Can You Donate Food Items

    When Can You Volunteer

    • Volunteers, age 16 and up, are needed during our weekly food distributions:
    • Thursdays 3:30 PM 6:15 PM
    • Saturdays 9:15 AM 12:15 PM
  • Volunteers are also needed throughout the week to sort, prep and pack items for distribution. These shifts are typically two hours and occur morning, afternoon and early evening. Check our Sign-Up Genius for the latest schedule.
  • Volunteers of all ages can also assist with other duties throughout the week or schedule special service activities:
  • Hold a food drive, then bring the collected food and stock our shelves. Stocking our shelves can be done on most week days or Saturday afternoons. Check here for a list of especially needed items.
  • We receive deliveries throughout the week and extra hands are needed to sort and store appropriately.
  • We pre-bag food to distribute during our regular service times. Helpers are needed to assist with this process.
  • Volunteers can pick up donations throughout the week and month at various retailers and restaurants.
  • Deliver frozen boxed meals to homebound seniors.
  • Plan a work day inside the Pantry make minor repairs and handle routine maintenance.
  • Complete a special project. We can help you find something thats right for your skills and talents.
  • Assist during aSaturday Food Fair we receive and distribute fresh produce and other items from a Houston Food Bank truck. These are held on most 5th Saturdays throughout the year.
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