Volunteer Policies
Volunteer Policies
Volunteer Age Policy
- Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to volunteer unaccompanied.
- Volunteers must be at least 8 years old to volunteer in the warehouse with adult supervision.
- Youth ages 8-15 may volunteer with adult supervision with a ratio of 1 adult to every 5 youth who are 15 years old and under. Youth must be accompanied by an adult at all times when in the warehouse.
- All volunteers over the age of 16 years old must complete an Individual Volunteer Form.
- If you are 16-18 years old and volunteering without an adult you must have your own transportation available.
- There are occasional volunteer opportunities with other age requirements. If you are uncertain about your group’s eligibility please reach out to a food bank staff member prior to volunteering.
Updated in May 2022
Volunteer Dress Code
As a volunteer for Feeding America West Michigan, you are now a representative of our organization. As such, we ask that you adhere to the dress code our staff follows. The purpose of the dress code is to:
- keep everyone safe
- adhere to food safety guidelines
- accurately represent our organization’s values
Volunteers should dress appropriately for their assignment. If you’re not sure what’s appropriate, please ask! The following should help you determine your attire.
- Closed-toe and closed-heel shoes are required for warehouse work.
- Shorts and skirts should be no shorter than the fingertips when standing in a relaxed posture.
- Pants should not be visibly bagging below the waistline.
- Shirts should cover the midriff, back and chest. Sleeveless shirts and tank tops are not permitted.
- Clothing should not have offensive or inappropriate language or graphics. If you’re questioning wearing something for this reason, it’s best to err on the side of caution and not wear that item.
- Attention should be given to cleanliness (e.g. clothed should be laundered) and safety (e.g. shoes should always be tied). Clothing should not be excessively ripped or torn.
Volunteers who come inappropriately dressed will be asked to change before beginning their volunteer assignment.
Updated in May 2022
Volunteer Opportunities
Repack and sort food in the warehouse
This is called Reclamation. The Reclamation department is where we process food donations. The type of projects Reclamation volunteers are assigned vary throughout the year. Some common projects include: breaking down bulk products—like cereal or diced carrots—into family-sized portions, sorting food drive donations into 25-pound food boxes, and repacking Pop-Tarts boxes.
Volunteer your skills
Because of our small staff, there are some skill sets we may not have access to, which means some projects might need to be outsourced. By volunteering your skills, we can find a project that best matches your expertise with our needs.
Event volunteers
We occasionally have opportunities to participate in events and find that we need extra help from volunteers to make it happen. Gleaning or food shows are a few examples. For this type of volunteering, we send out an email to our volunteer base and ask for sign ups that way.
Corporate volunteers
If you are a corporation looking to volunteer as a group, check out our Corporate Engagement page to learn more! We would love to have you join us.
Help with clerical work in the office
With a relatively small staff, Feeding America West Michigan is often looking for help with data entry and other tasks in the office. If you have a background in bookkeeping or guest reception, we could use your help.