Welcome, Volunteers!
Volunteers are vital in our mission of fighting food insecurity in our communities. By volunteering even for a few hours, you are part of our effort to ensure that food is distributed to every community member in need. Our programs continue to grow each year, reaching more individuals within our 14-county service area struggling with food insecurity and we could not address these needs without the help of our volunteers. Our clients’ experiences depend on the quality of work done in the Volunteer Department. Likewise, we want our volunteers to experience a quality and meaningful experience volunteering with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Whether you provide administrative support, sort food in our warehouse, or weed in our Teaching Garden, volunteers are vital and deeply appreciated and help us ensure no neighbor experiences hunger.
Before committing to a volunteer opportunity at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, we encourage you to read through our Volunteer Handbook. This booklet contains details of types of volunteer work you might experience at the Food Bank, our rules and regulations for volunteers, dress code, and other critical details of volunteer work at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.
COVID-19
OUR COVID-19 REGULATIONS ARE APT TO CHANGE PERIODICALLY. ALL COVID-19 REGULATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS WILL BE UPDATED AND REFLECTED HERE:
The Food Bank is committed to keeping our staff, clients, and volunteers safe during this pandemic. We are currently requiring all fully vaccinated volunteers to provide one-time proof of vaccination before partaking in volunteer activities. Vaccinated volunteers may either provide a valid vaccination record card or a picture of their card. Unvaccinated volunteers will be required to show negative test results before each volunteer event. Any volunteers who cannot provide proof of vaccination or test results will not be allowed to participate in volunteer activities and will not be allowed inside the facility.
We require face coverings to be worn covering your nose and mouth in our warehouses during Food Bank of Northeast Georgia hosted events. Gloves, face masks, and hand sanitizer will be available for all staff and volunteers for all Food Bank events and all volunteers on-site will be required to scan and record their temperatures upon arrival. If you are sick, please cancel your volunteer shift; any volunteer that is showing signs of illness will be immediately asked to leave and return when well.
At this time, our facility is limited to 12 volunteers inside at a time. For groups larger than 12 members looking to volunteer, outside activities may be available in our teaching Garden working alongside our Horticulture Technician, Kirsten Meadows. We are currently suspending volunteer activities for those under 18 years old; we are not offering volunteer opportunities for minors at this time.
GROUPS LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER
Groups and organizations looking to have a day of service or multiple volunteer events with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia will need to contact the Volunteer Supervisor, Noah Cooke, to determine availability for volunteer dates. Due to our Covid-19 safety regulations, groups will be limited to 15 volunteers at a time within the facility; for groups larger than 15, we may offer on-site volunteer activities in our Teaching Garden as a possibility for excess volunteers. At this time, our availability for scheduling events is limited from 9:00AM to 4:00PM, Monday through Friday. Once a date has been confirmed, please submit a list of full names, Email addresses, and phone numbers for each participating volunteer for verification purposes. To schedule group volunteer events, please Email us at:
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
How To Get Started:
- Review our Volunteer Handbook for dress code and to read about volunteer events.
- Click the button below to view our calendar of events. First-time volunteers will need to create a profile before applying to events.
- For first-time and non-vaccinated volunteers, please make sure to take a picture or have your documentation available for verification before attending your volunteer event.
NOT CURRENTLY OFFERING COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS FOR VOLUNTEER WORK.
FOOD DRIVES AND DONATIONS
The donations we receive from food drives are essential for maintaining the variety needed for those we serve. The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia accepts all donations from our donors. Upon arrival at the Food Bank, volunteers can announce their donation and will be greeted by a Volunteer Department staff member who will weigh and accept their donations. For those looking to collect a record, donate as part of a food drive, or to report to an organization or job, weight receipts can be recorded and provided upon request.
For those looking to collect volunteer service hours, hosting a food drive is a simple and effective way of gaining volunteer hours for you and/or your organization members. To collect volunteer hours for donating, please notify a volunteer coordinator and share contact information to ensure your donations are properly recorded and that volunteer hours are properly dispersed.
SEASONAL FOOD DRIVES
Fulfilling seasonal donation requests provides product and items most needed for current and future programs of the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Seasonal food drives might include non-food or specific food items that are rarely donated but are critical for the programs they are applied to.
Virtual Food Drive:
- Donate here or contact us at (706) 713-9319 to create a team and receive your own personalized link
Create Raffle Baskets/Packages for upcoming Virtual Fundraisers/Events:
- A creative project for groups of all sizes. To get involved, contact us at: (706) 713-9319
HOW TO BECOME AN INTERN
Interning with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia provides excellent experience and opportunities to serve members of our local community struggling with food insecurity. An internship provides first-hand knowledge and experience working alongside professionals specializing in nutrition, leadership, social work, horticulture, and warehouse distribution within our facility. Expectations for interns vary depending on circumstances and the department applied for. However, these positions often involve assisting a department and typically require some skills related to Microsoft applications, data entry, and time management.
All internships with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia are unpaid and will typically take place on-site at our Food Bank warehouses. Interns must be available to work 2-3 days a week during our open hours for a minimum of 10 hours a week for 3 or more months. All interns must be fully vaccinated before being instated at the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia; all interns will need to provide a picture of their Covid-19 Vacciation Record Card or provide proof in-person for verification.
To apply for an internship with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens, please email a cover letter, a resumé, your availability, and a photo of your Covid-19 Vacciation Record Card to:
For those looking for an opportunity to intern in the Mountain Distribution center in Rabun county, please email a cover letter, a resumé, your availability, and a photo of your Covid-19 Vacciation Record Card to:
For those with questions and concerns or requesting an internship, please contact a volunteer coordinator at the Food Bank by sending an email to Volunteers@FoodBankNEGA.org or calling our Volunteer Department at: (706) 354-8191, extension 112.
LOCATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION
Our hours of operation for both facilities are Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but we may have scheduled volunteer programs outside our normal hours. The Athens Branch and main warehouse of the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia is located at 861 Newton Bridge Road, Athens, GA. The Mountain Distribution Center in Rabun County is located at 5312 Highway 441 South, Tiger, GA.
