Volunteering at a food bank this winter: how to make a few hours count

Food banks and pantries in the UK and the US are asking for help this month. In the UK, Bloom Magazine reported that the Tesco Winter Food Collection, now in its 14th year, runs in all large Tesco stores from 26 to 28 November and needs volunteers for shifts of around three hours. Tesco says last year’s collection brought in almost 1.5 million meals’ worth of food for its charity partners, Trussell and Felix, and Felix chief executive Charlotte Hill said having volunteers in store significantly increases the number of items donated.

In the US, pantries are bracing for the holiday season. WSPA reported that Golden Corner Food Pantry in Seneca, South Carolina, expects to hand out 1,100 turkeys this Thanksgiving, one per family. It serves around 1,200 families a month and relies on about 275 volunteers to stock shelves and hand out food. Its executive director, Jeff Heaton, linked rising demand to fuel, utility and grocery costs, and to seasonal jobs coming to an end.

A few hours really do help, especially when they are planned well. Here is how to make yours count.

Before you sign up

• Book ahead rather than turning up. The Optimist Daily advises calling ahead rather than turning up, and, if you are redirected, asking when the organisation needs people most. Many need help all year round, and January and February are often quieter and just as needed.

• Pick a shift you can actually make. Turn up on time, or cancel as early as you can so someone else can take your place.

• Ask what to wear. Closed-toe shoes and layers are a safe bet. Warehouses and store entrances get cold in late November.

• Ask what to bring, and whether there is a short briefing or any training before you start.

If you want to help with the UK collection, you can sign up through Trussell’s Tesco Food Collection page.

On the day

Listen to the briefing and ask if anything is unclear. Nobody minds a question.

• Lift safely. Bend your knees, keep the load close, and ask for help with heavy crates. Tins and cans weigh more than they look.

• Follow food hygiene basics. Wash your hands, check dates if you are asked to, and do not take items home, even damaged ones, unless you are told you can.

• In-store collections: be friendly, not pushy. A warm hello and a one-line explanation of what the food bank needs works far better than a hard sell. The charity will usually give you a list of most-needed items, often long-life basics, so you can point shoppers to it.

• If you are serving people who use the food bank, protect their dignity. No photos. No judgement about what someone takes or why they are there. Use the words the organisation uses, whether that is clients, guests or neighbours.

Looking after yourself

Eat before you start and take the breaks you are offered. Three hours on your feet in a cold entrance goes faster with a hot drink.

It is also fine to find it hard. Trussell co-chief executive Matthew van Duyvenbode has warned that more people will need food banks as temperatures drop and bills rise, and seeing that up close can be upsetting. If something gets to you, say so. Your volunteer manager would rather know than have you quietly not come back.

After your shift

• Ask when they need people most, and whether there is a regular slot. Many food banks are stretched all year round.

• Keep a note of your hours and what you did. Ask whether the organisation can confirm your hours or give you a reference later. That is useful for CVs or résumés, course applications and volunteering awards. Our guides on including volunteering on your CV and the skills you gain from volunteering show how to put it to work.

• Tell a friend. Two people make a shift easier and more fun, and the food bank gets twice the help.

Five questions to ask before your first shift

1. What time should I arrive, and where exactly do I report?

2. What should I wear and bring?

3. Will there be a briefing or training, and who do I go to with questions on the day?

4. What will I actually be doing, and does any of it involve heavy lifting?

5. When do you need people most over the winter?

Whether you are standing beside a trolley in a supermarket or stocking shelves in a pantry, your few hours matter. Talk to your volunteer manager or local food bank about where help is most needed this winter. And when the collections are over and the crowds have gone, come back in the new year. That is often when they need you most.