Learn about volunteer opportunities

Sign up for volunteer shifts by clicking the link in “Register to volunteer here!” to be directed to our Bloomerang Volunteer page. Scroll down and select the “Athens Branch” or “Mountain Branch” opportunity based on the location you would like to volunteer at. First time users will be prompted to create an account through Bloomerang Volunteer.

We ask that group with less than 5 volunteers have each person sign up for their shifts individually.

For groups larger than 5 volunteers, please fill out the Group Request form found here.

Groups are scheduled in order of request and limited to one group per session. Requests should be made 8 weeks in advance to ensure a timeslot.

To create a safe and enjoyable volunteer experience, every volunteer is required to register in advance and sign up for a shift that has available slots. This helps our staff to coordinate activities with our warehouse and to ensure we don’t have too many people in our buildings at one time. 

In addition, if you require verification of hours for school, work or a civic organization, you can access your hours through your Bloomerang Volunteer account.

Volunteers must be 12 years old or older to volunteer. Children between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult who is also volunteering alongside them for the entire volunteer shift.

Volunteers over the age of 16 are allowed to volunteer on their own. However, we recommend that adults volunteer alongside their minor-aged children.

An adult must register all minors (under 18 years-old) through Bloomerang Volunteer.

There are a variety of activities that our volunteers may be asked to complete when volunteering with us. These activities include packing food boxes or sorting donations from our retail partners.

Volunteer activities are based on the needs of our warehouse and Sharing Floor. We are unable to tell you what activity you will be participating in ahead of time.

To clarify, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia does not offer opportunities for court or probation-ordered community service. In addition, financial donations in lieu of service hours are not accepted.

The Volunteer Center is part of an active warehouse. Volunteers are required to wear closed-toe and closed-heeled shoes (tennis shoes), long pants, and shirts with sleeves and torsos covered (t-shirts). We have disposable scrubs available if you are not in appropriate attire.

 Headphone and cell phone usage is prohibited while volunteers are working.

There is an evening shift on the first and third Tuesday of every month, 5:15 pm – 6:30pm. We do not offer any weekend volunteer shifts.

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia does not offer court-ordered or probation-ordered community service. In addition, financial donations in lieu of service hours are not accepted.

To get a copy of your volunteer hours:

• Log-in to your Bloomerang Volunteer Account
• Navigate to the “My Hours Worked” icon (Look for the hourglass in the top left corner.)
• Scroll down and click “Download Filtered Hours” or take a screenshot of your dashboard.

If you need a paper copy of your verification form signed, please email the form to volunteer@foodbanknega.org. It will be signed and returned to you within 3 business days.