Volunteer Opportunities at the Urbandale Food Pantry
GET INVOLVED: VOLUNTEER AT THE PANTRY
Volunteers are the foundation of our organization. They keep the shelves stocked, walk alongside clients to find food, travel around Polk County picking up donations, and serve as the face of the Urbandale Food Pantry. Without their unwavering dedication to fighting hunger in our community, we could not serve thousands of our neighbors in need each month. Learn how you can get involved with the Pantry and alleviate hunger in the Des Moines metro. All volunteers must have a current email address to correspond with leadership, read our Volunteer Policies, and complete a Civil Rights Training before their first day of volunteering.
Volunteer Applications Currently Paused
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering with us! At this time, we are pausing new volunteer applications while we process the applications we have already received. Please check back soon for updates — we look forward to connecting with you in the near future!
If you have any questions related to volunteering contact us today!
Join Our Teenage Volunteer Program
We encourage teenage volunteers to begin their journey of civic engagement through the Urbandale Food Pantry. High school students who want to get involved or need volunteer hours can sign up for a shift without a guardian present. Teen volunteer hours are available some weekday afternoons and evenings and on Saturday mornings. To sign up for a teen shift please visit volunteersignup.org. If an elementary or middle-school aged child would like to volunteer, there are opportunities with a legal guardian present, when we are closed during normal business hours. If you know of any students interested in this opportunity, they can call the pantry at 515-251-6688. No matter how you get involved, your work goes a long way in making a difference in the lives of people in our community.Volunteer FAQs
Q. What type of volunteer opportunities are available?
A. You can volunteer in the pantry which consists of shopping with our families, stocking, shelves, gathering food, and off-loading donations. Or, you can volunteer as a driver for food pick ups and food rescue. Q. How much time do I need to volunteer?
A. Pantry volunteers shifts are split into 3-3.5 hour time frames. (1)8:30 am - 12:00pm, (2)12:00pm - 3:00pm, (3) 3:00pm - 6:30pm. Driving volunteers depends on the food pick up and delivery times. Q. Corporate or group volunteering?
A. While we do the best to accommodate small groups, it can be difficult to provide volunteer opportunities for groups of 5 or more. There are other areas to support such as hosting a drive. Q. Can I volunteer for community service hours or silver cord hours??
A. Yes. Q. How do I volunteer to be on the board of directors?
A. You can find more details about serving on our “About Us” page.
Volunteer Responsibilities at the Urbandale Food Pantry:
- Greet clients
- Help clients find food that will make healthy, hearty meals for their family
- Restock and manage shelves
- Travel around Polk County picking up orders from DMARC, Iowa Food Bank, Panera Bread, Wal-Mart, and other community donors
- Collecting food or money for holiday meals
