Volunteering >> Individuals |
Groups
Volunteering as a Group
General Group Volunteer Information
 Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Food Gatherers!
With Volunteers such as you, we are able to provide enough food
for more than 8,500 meals a day.
We are the link between surplus food sources and non profit agencies
who are serving those in need.
The volunteer opportunities at Food Gatherers are very hands-on.
We are a working warehouse, moving an average of 6 tons of food
each day. We provide a fun, fast-paced environment, fighting hunger
in our community by moving good food to all the amazing agencies
that help your neighbors. While we do not cook or serve food,
we provide all of the raw ingredients to the shelters and community
kitchens who provide such services.
We can accommodate individual volunteers, families, or
larger groups up to 20 people. The Community Kitchen group volunteer
opportunities are generally limited to 6 or fewer at one time.
It is important that you contact the Volunteer Coordinator
for availability before you volunteer - eric@foodgatherers.orgor
(734) 761-2796. This will ensure that you have all the right
information in order to have an enriching volunteer experience.
Please also note the “Volunteer
Responsibilities” listed at the bottom of this page.
GROUP VOLUNTEERS  In order to ensure that volunteer groups have a positive experience,
we need to schedule groups in advance. We can schedule groups during
the week and sometimes on Saturdays (Saturdays fill up fast!).
However, we do occasionally have a surprise shipment or project
and need a lot of helping hands very quickly. So, although we prefer
to schedule groups ahead of time, we may be able to accommodate
your group on short notice. Please keep in mind that holidays are
a very popular time to volunteer, so plan far in advance.
We can also schedule a time for a representative
to talk with your group about Food Gatherers, or you can bring
your group for a tour of our facility. [top of page]
Group
Volunteer Job Descriptions
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Adult Groups
We can accommodate groups of various sizes at different
times of the year. Saturday warehouse groups often have
a minimum size requirement of 6 volunteers, but we sometimes
combine two groups if needed. Another option for groups
is to help at one of our distribution sites. We currently
have many senior housing sites where we drop off thousands
of pounds of food. These sites are often run by senior volunteers
who may have a difficult time with the physical demands
of distributing food. Some opportunities are available at
our Community Kitchen as well.
The Community Kitchen shifts have limited availability,
and are often limited to 6 or fewer volunteers at one time.
There are more opportunities between May and September than
during the school year.
Groups work on various tasks in our warehouse, including,
but not limited to:
- sorting cans
- restocking our pantry
- shelving products
- salvaging products
- repackaging bulk foods
- packing food boxes
- cleaning out coolers
- cleaning food trucks (for food safety reasons)
- sorting produce or bread
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Youth / Kids Groups
We love to involve young adults and kids in the fight against
hunger. Because we are a working warehouse with food safety and
equipment issues, we require adequate adult supervision. This
can be discussed with the Volunteer Coordinator.
Due to safety concerns and regulations, we are not able to work
with youth/kids groups at our Community Kitchen.
Kid’s groups work on many of the same tasks that adults
do, but can also help us in the following ways (these are off-site
activities that can be done at school or home):
- Collecting clean paper bags
- Collecting clean egg cartons
- Making thank you cards (see below for details)
- Holding penny drives (one drive collected $400!)
- Collecting canned goods and bringing them to our warehouse
where they can get a tour and help us by putting their food
donations on our pantry shelves. Please contact us for more
details regarding food drives and
tours.
Rockin’ for
the Hungry
This is an annual event. Food Gatherers is able to connect
with a radio station which does an “on-air” canned
food drive. The Main Street Busch’s grocery store in Ann
Arbor is the site sponsor. Volunteers are needed to accept and
pack donations and to greet shoppers who are potential donors.
This is a great project for a family or a small group. The dates
vary each year, but are usually in the beginning of December from
a Wednesday through a Sunday, 7 am – 7 pm, with volunteer
shifts of 2-4 hours at a time.
Thank You Cards
This is a great kid and family-friendly project. We
depend on our food donors, and want to show our gratitude, and
the best way to show this is by providing a personalized “thank
you” card to them. Please contact
us for more details.
Groups of people can become very active in the fight against hunger,
sometimes without ever coming to the Food Gatherers warehouse.
We always need people to collect food for canned food drives.
This is especially important in the summer months when kids are
out of school and are not receiving free meals through school
programs.
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Volunteer Responsibilities:
- Please dress comfortably for work in our warehouse and on the
road. Don’t wear anything that you are afraid to get
dirty.
- Wear sensible shoes, with closed-toes (no sandals) and
shirts with sleeves (no tank tops)
- Please be on time for your
scheduled shift or food run, as we really do rely on your help
- If
you are unable to make it for your shift/food run, you must
let us know ASAP. Same day cancellations are acceptable
for emergency
situations
- Follow Food, Warehouse and Road Safety guidelines
at all times
- Act as a representative of Food Gatherers
- Learn about Food
Gatherers and hunger by asking questions or requesting written
information.
- Promptly alert the volunteer coordinator to any
concerns you may have, or ways we can improve
the volunteer
program at Food
Gatherers.
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