Food For Thought

Food Bank Clerk

Clerks staff the food bank itself in downtown Forestville. Duties include greeting clients, taking their orders, filling grocery bags both for walk-in clients and for those who are homebound and receive deliveries. Clerks also stock shelves, receive deliveries, divide sacks of bulk items to one pound bags, wash windows, sweep floors and generally pitch in for the task at hand.

Time: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 3-4 hour shifts.
Age: 12 years old minimum.
Required: compassionate heart, ability to lift and carry full grocery bags.

Home Delivery Driver

Deliver groceries to clients who are homebound due to illness or lack of transportation. Pick up groceries in Forestville in your own car. We provide maps and directions. Usually four to eight stops on a route. Volunteers report an average of 1.5 to 2 hours of time.

Time: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. Deliveries can be picked up anytime between 1 and 5 p.m.
Age: Over 18 years old.
Required: proof of valid driver’s license and current auto insurance, ability to lift and carry full grocery bags.

Gardener

Under the direction of two Master Gardeners, work with them and other volunteers planting, maintaining and harvesting in our organic vegetable, herb and flower gardens and orchard. The garden volunteers generally enjoy a lunch break together, often with fresh greens from the garden. A fine opportunity to learn more about organic gardening as well as touching the earth and connecting with nature.

Time: Saturdays beginning at 10 a.m., at least a two hour commitment
Age: Over 16 years old.
Required: physical ability to do light to heavy gardening.

Food Bank Ambassador

Great opportunity for those who work during the week but want to help once a month for a few hours!

On 26 Saturdays each year, volunteers conduct food drives outside the doors of local supermarkets. Food bank Ambassadors offer flyers to shoppers as they enter the door, asking them to buy some extra items while they shop and then receive the donations in special bins as the shoppers exit.

Where: Santa Rosa, Cotati, Petaluma, Sonoma, Sebastopol, Guerneville, Forestville
Time: Saturdays, 3 hour shift
Age: 16 years old and up, younger children OK with parents
Required: Friendly demeanor in public, ability to stand outdoors for two to three hours.

Donation pickups

Use your pickup truck or van to collect donations at various places in Sonoma County.

Time: Often on Saturday afternoons and other times as needed.
Required: Valid driver’s license and proof of auto insurance, ability to lift cases of canned goods and/or 50 lbs sacks.

Clerical / receptionist / data entry

Answer phones, write thank you notes, perform essential data entry work, miscellaneous filing. Different positions are available according to aptitudes and time availability.

Time: generally Tuesday – Friday afternoons, but other times can be arranged
Required: Attention to detail is important.

Special events

Volunteers for a wide range of jobs are needed for all our special fundraising events: ticket takers, registration folk, guides and hosts, food and beverage assistants, drivers, phone solicitors, envelope stuffers, logistical set up, parking attendants, people with strong backs and people with gentle hands, paraders, and the (always important) clean-up crew. See the calendar (hyperlink) for the upcoming events.