Volunteer

The FOOD Pantry Serving Waukesha County welcomes new volunteers to support our mission of providing food, hope, and dignity to the residents of Waukesha County.  We envision a future without hunger in Waukesha County and can only make that happen with the help of volunteers. For six days each week, over 180 volunteers allow The FOOD Pantry operations to successfully provide food to our community. 

There are many volunteer roles to participate in.  Most are very active roles and include working with a team of other volunteers. No prior experience is necessary with on-site training provided.  Any level of Spanish-speaking skill is helpful.  Shifts are available weekday mornings and afternoons, Monday nights, and Saturday mornings.  While it may be possible to arrange a regular volunteer schedule, many volunteers prefer the flexibility of using our online scheduling system to choose open slots that fit their personal needs. 

Volunteer roles include:

• Client Check-in volunteers greet clients and record their visits in our database.  Scheduled Order Desk volunteers verify those pre-placed orders and record their visits in our database. 
• Drivers run routes to local stores, picking up food donations and returning them to the Pantry for processing.  On Saturday mornings, drivers deliver boxes of food to clients who are physically unable to come to The FOOD Pantry for service.
• The Food Recovery team sorts perishable food items donated daily to The FOOD Pantry while the Sorting team focuses on sorting shelf-stable food items. 
• Pre-packers prepare bags and boxes of food for client pick-up, while Scheduled Order Packers and Express Packers assemble those orders when clients arrive for service.
• During direct food distribution, shoppers guide clients through the service area and assist them with their food choices.  Stockers keep the shelves filled with produce, meat, dairy, and shelf-stable goods.
• Warehouse volunteers help with whatever tasks need attention, including repacking of bulk food and other large quantity items, basic organization of inventory, and light cleaning. 

For more details on these roles, please take a look at Roles & Schedule.

Volunteer Qualifications

Potential volunteers must be at least 13 years old to serve at The FOOD Pantry.  Those who are under the age of 16 must have a parent or guardian volunteering alongside them.  All candidates are required to fill out an application and pass a background check before they can serve.  Please note that it may take up to two weeks to complete the application process, and because we have a very dedicated group of volunteers it may be another two weeks before a training session can be scheduled. 

We require a commitment of at least 20 hours of volunteer service per year.  Students needing volunteer hours for a school requirement are encouraged to apply well in advance of any service deadline to allow for completion of their service in a timely manner.  We can accommodate court-ordered community service if the applicant passes our background check conditions, can meet that minimum requirement of 20 hours of service, and applies well in advance of any service deadline.

Please fill out the volunteer application to share your interest in volunteering. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator or call 262-522-2373 with any questions.

Note: Our online application is currently not active, however we welcome new volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, send an email to volunteer@waukeshafoodpantry.org to get started.