At Feeding America West Michigan, we believe that hunger is unacceptable and that communities have the power to change lives. The food bank’s own community of warehouse volunteers is a shining example of the power we have to change lives when we all work together to end hunger.
Without our warehouse volunteers, our programs would not have the capacity or efficiency to successfully serve our neighbors. We welcome individuals, group, and companies to volunteer. Continue reading to learn more!
Heavy duty impact
Last year, volunteers at our warehouse sorted and repackaged 3.2 million pounds of food in our Reclamation Department. Their gift of time was the equivalent of 11 full-time employees!
Volunteering with us is fun, easy, and purposeful. Common projects include breaking down bulk products like cereal or pasta into family-sized portions. Other projects involve sorting food into boxes for seniors or repacking donated food items, all in a lively atmosphere filled with laughter, connection, and upbeat music.
There is always room for you
Feeding America West Michigan offers an equal opportunity volunteer program, securing participation from a wide range of groups including churches, schools, corporations, and disability service groups. Meijer, Ready For Life, Immaculate Conception Elementary School of Traverse City, West Catholic High School, and dozens more organizations give significant volunteer hours in our Reclamation department to process bulk and donated food.
Build teamwork while serving
Organizations and businesses often use volunteer shifts as a way to build team spirit while serving the community. The food bank can host groups of up to 72 volunteers at a time.
Meijer is one of several companies that regularly sends teams to volunteer.
“Being in the business of food, it’s really important that we continue to find ways to give back to the community,” Meijer team member Sean Black said during a recent shift at the food bank. “Our partnership with Feeding America West Michigan allows us the opportunity to bring a fairly large group into their facility to give back to the community, pack some food, and drive a lot of really fun team engagement.”
Many school groups volunteer as well, including school groups that spend a shift at the food bank as part of larger school trips.
For example, LaVonda Smith, Principal at Bahamas Academy in Nassau, Bahamas, brought 50 students to work at the food bank during a U.S. college tour.
“An initiative like this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to give back to the community,” she said. “Each day we try to instill values such as selflessness. They’re touching the lives of those they do not know, and I believe that this will make an impact on others in need.”
Come on your own
You don’t have to be part of a large group or corporation to volunteer in our Reclamation Department. In fact, most of our volunteers sign up on their own to give what they can to nourish our neighbors. One hour of volunteering can provide up to 200 meals for our neighbors.
Morning shifts are three hours long and afternoon shifts are two hours long. Tasks are adapted to the volunteer’s ability, so everyone can make a difference. We offer stools for volunteers who need to sit during their shifts.