San Antonio Food Bank Volunteers

Only through your efforts can we achieve our mission of helping feed the hungry in the San Antonio area and throughout Southwest Texas. Volunteers are the heart of our operations. We rely on volunteers to inspect, sort, shelve, and distribute donated food. When you donate your time to the San Antonio Food Bank, you become a partner in the fight against hunger. Whether you are available on weekdays, evenings, or weekends, you can ensure that a single mom can feed her child, that a child can enjoy a nutritious meal, or that a senior citizen is able to receive a box of nutritious groceries. Just one morning or afternoon can make a difference to a family or individual in need.

Who Volunteers at a Food Bank?
San Antonio Food Bank (SAFB) volunteers come from all corners of our community and share one thing in common – the willingness to give of themselves to help their neighbors in need.  Volunteers have the faces of working professionals, retirees, stay-at-home-parents, young children, college students, scouts, and members of the U.S. military.  These dedicated people help with product recovery, work in the air-conditioned SAFB warehouse, provide administrative support, glean farms and produce sheds, and assist with special events. The SAFB depends upon volunteers who help us to distribute millions of pounds of food throughout Southwest Texas each year. All volunteer opportunities are customized to suit the skills and needs of those involved.

What Can I Do?
You do not need prior experience to volunteer at the San Antonio Food Bank. All we ask is that you come with an open mind and an open heart. Our opportunities include duties from administrative support to our food stamp outreach program and our Project HOPE (HEALTHY OPTIONS PROGRAM FOR THE ELDERLY).

Warehouse Support
The SAFB warehouse is the “heart” of the Food Bank. You can be a part of the recovery process of millions of pounds of food each year. Volunteers in this area inspect and evaluate donated products to determine what is safe for distribution and what needs to be discarded.  Recovered items are then sorted and boxed, and ultimately distributed to partner agencies and their clients.

Food Rescue
Food Bank staff and volunteers regularly retrieve donations, such as perishable foods, from area grocery stores and businesses.  In our rural areas, similar teams glean fresh, nutritious produce form fields and farm sheds.  If you are interested in a regular schedule and can respond on short notice, we need you!

Special Events
Share the spotlight with other volunteers!  Help SAFB at fundraisers, food and fund drives, volunteer fairs and many other events.  These events are vital to the growth of the SAFB – and so are you!

Corporate Volunteers
Contact your company’s Human Resources office and ask if your company offers a team building volunteer program.  If not, organize a group of co-workers who are interested in making a difference in their community.

Other opportunities
Donate your specialty or professional services such as carpentry, graphic design, website design, photography, writing, administrative expertise, etc.

For Better Or For Worse © 2004 Lynn Johnston Productions. Dist. By Universal Press Syndicate. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.