Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank!
Here at the Foodbank, we are helping to improve the lives of our community facing hunger, but we can’t do it alone. Join us in the fight against hunger today!
PLEASE NOTE:
- You must be at least 10 years old to volunteer. Youth volunteers age 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or group chaperone.
- To promote a safe experience, space is limited for all volunteer opportunities.
- To ensure a space is open, it is important for all volunteers to sign up for a time slot prior to arrival.
RETURNING VOLUNTEERS: Schedule Your Next Visit
Volunteer Drivers & Route Partners Needed in Canton
We are seeking volunteer drivers and route partners to support our food rescue program, Community Harvest. In this program, two volunteers work as a team to pick up food donations from restaurants and grocery stores in Stark County and deliver them to hunger-relief partners in the Foodbank’s network. Volunteer drivers operate a refrigerated Foodbank box truck (no CDL required). Volunteers must be comfortable repeatedly lifting and carrying 10-40 pounds, standing and kneeling. The route begins at the Stark County Campus in Canton between 6:30am-8:30am and lasts 4-6 hours. We are seeking a one-year commitment for volunteers who can occasionally sub two or three times per month. If you are interested, please call or email Tasha Ledrich at 330.777.1065 or tledrich@acrfb.org.
Evening Food Pantry Volunteers Needed in Canton
Volunteers in the Pantry sign in guests, pack orders and restock items. The pantry is open Tuesdays 9am to 3pm and Wednesdays 1pm to 6pm. Volunteers serve from 8:30am-12:00pm or 12:00pm-3:30pm on Tuesdays and 12:30pm to 3pm or 3pm to 6:30pm on Wednesdays. Volunteers are needed to assist with restock, guest registration/intake and order packing. For registration/intake, volunteers are encouraged to be comfortable using technology. For guest assistance order packing, volunteers should have the ability to lift up to 40 pounds. Volunteers also assist with restocking the Pantry. Restock volunteers place items in freezers, coolers and on pantry shelves. Volunteers should have the ability to lift 20-40 pounds. This program is based out of our Canton location. If you are interested, please contact Tasha Ledrich at 330.777.1065 or by email at tledrich@acrfb.org.
Volunteers have a hands-on experience sorting, inspecting, relabeling or repackaging donated food.
Volunteers assist with filing, computer data entry, mailings and other essential administrative duties.
Volunteers have a hands-on experience loading and unloading groceries and assisting clients at monthly onsite food distributions.
Volunteers assist with events, activities, campaigns and food drives throughout the year.
Do you have a special skill or interest that you would like to utilize? Fill out the Areas of Experience section of your volunteer profile or add details to your Notes section. We will contact you for roles that fit your skillset.
Volunteers in the Pantry sign in guests, pack orders and restock items. The pantry is open Tuesdays 9am to 3pm and Wednesdays 1pm to 6pm. Volunteers serve from 8:30am-12:00pm or 12:00pm-3:30pm on Tuesdays and 12:30pm to 3pm or 3pm to 6:30pm on Wednesdays. Volunteers are needed to assist with restock, guest registration/intake and order packing. For registration/intake, volunteers are encouraged to be comfortable using technology. For guest assistance order packing, volunteers should have the ability to lift up to 40 pounds. Volunteers also assist with restocking the Pantry. Restock volunteers place items in freezers, coolers and on pantry shelves. Volunteers should have the ability to lift 20-40 pounds.
Our Food Rescue Program picks up food donations from Starbucks and Sheetz and donates them to a local agency helping those in need. We are looking for a volunteer who is available to do the Medina County route every Wednesday from about 10am – 2pm. In this volunteer position you will drive our refrigerated mini-van to 6 donation locations in Medina County and then take the donated food to one agency. We are seeking a commitment of one year (most volunteers stay for years!)
Our Community Harvest Program picks up food donations from local restaurants and grocery stores and distributes them to several agencies with meal programs helping those in need. We are looking for volunteers who are available to be recurring one-shift-a-week volunteers; we also need volunteers who can sub a few times a month. In this program the volunteers work in pairs, go out in our refrigerated box truck each weekday morning (starting between 6:30 – 8:30am), and over 4 to 6 hours pick-up and distribute 500 to 1200 pounds of food in containers weighing 10 to 40 pounds each. We are seeking a commitment of one year (most of our volunteers have been doing this for years!).
Our normal volunteer hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm. A typical volunteer shift lasts two hours.
- Monday-Friday for individuals from 8:30am-3:30pm with a break for cleaning from 11:30am-12:30pm.
- Monday-Friday for groups from 9:00am-11:30am and 1:00pm-3:30pm.
- Second and fourth Wednesday evenings from 4:30pm-6:30pm.*
- First and third Saturdays (except holiday weekends) from 8:30am-11am.*
- Neighborhood Distributions held the first Thursday of each month from 12:40pm-3:10pm.*
*These volunteer opportunities are currently available at the Main Campus in Akron only.
Volunteer opportunities exist at both of our locations. Please note, hours and opportunities vary by location.
MAIN CAMPUS
350 Opportunity Parkway
Akron, OH 44307-2234
STARK COUNTY CAMPUS
1365 Cherry Ave NE
Canton, OH 44714-2528
Volunteer Registration
We've created a simple two-step process that will help you register to volunteer, and find the volunteer opportunity that best fits your schedule.
First Time Volunteers
Individuals can create an account by completing the appropriate application below.
- Adult Application (Age 18+)
- Youth Application (Age 10-17)
RETURNING VOLUNTEERS
Once your account has been created, log in to our Volunteer Information Center to self-schedule your volunteer opportunity at the Foodbank.
Please note, if you are volunteering as part of a group, please include your group name, date and time in the additional notes section of your application.
FIRST TIME bringing A GROUP
Please complete the group request form below. A Volunteer Coordinator will contact you to confirm your group’s volunteer activity.
RETURNING GROUPS
If you have already completed a group application and volunteered in the past, please contact the appropriate Volunteer Coordinator listed below.
Corporate Groups: Please contact Samantha Shallenberger at sshallenberger@acrfb.org or 330.777.1061.
Organizations, churches and school groups: Please contact Tasha Ledrich at tledrich@acrfb.org or 330.777.1065.
SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY.
Please note that open-toed shoes and jewelry are not permitted in our warehouse when handling food. Thank you for your cooperation!
Questions about volunteering? Please contact our volunteer department at 330.535.6900.
