Volunteer
What Needs to Be Done?
Our volunteers are essential to Urban Recipe operations. We are grateful to welcome individuals, groups, youth and adults to serve at our warehouse. We have two primary opportunities to get involved: “Pallet Prep” and “Pack and Prep”
Pallet Prep
Support Urban Recipe food co-ops directly by helping load pallets with food and home goods.
When: Every other Tuesday, 9AM-12PM
Who: Individuals or groups up to 10
Not recommended for children under the age of 13
or those with physical limitations due to lifting.
Pack and Prep
Support Mobile Pantry by packing boxes of food for distribution to families. Pack boxes, move pallet jacks, sort food, help with some light cleaning, and support Urban Recipe operations by completing small tasks around the warehouse.
When: Every Wednesday, 2 PM-4 PM
or by appointment
Who: Individuals or groups
Not recommended for children under the age of 7.
We Love Our Volunteers!
Our dedicated volunteers are a key ingredient in our recipe for food security, making a profound impact every day.
Individuals
Spend an afternoon helping your neighbors.
Meet new friends, get hours for court or school-mandated community service, take advantage of your company’s volunteer time, and support the operations of Urban Recipe!
Small Groups
A great way to make a big impact.
We love having groups come and support Urban Recipe, and you are vital to our daily operations! We are happy to accommodate your work, school, church or friend group of 10-30 volunteers. We offer two-hour slots during the week (between 9AM and 4PM Monday-Friday). Most of these sessions will look like our Pack and Prep opportunities, supporting the operations of Urban Recipe through warehouse support. Contact Kathleen to learn more or to book your small group volunteer session.
Large Groups
Maximize your team’s efforts.
Do you have a larger group (30-50 volunteers) that is ready to serve? We’d love to have you! Due to our staffing, scheduling and programming, we need to put in some extra time, planning, and resources to ensure your large group volunteer session is a fulfilling and impactful experience. For this reason, we ask for a suggested donation of $500 from groups of 30 or more volunteers. If you’d like to learn more about large group volunteering, contact Kathleen Loesel.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about our volunteering.
Still have questions? Contact us.
I’d like to bring a large group, but not sure about the suggested donation. What should I do?
Please send us an email! We will be happy to have a conversation and will do our best to accommodate you.
Does volunteering count towards my court-ordered volunteer hours?
Yes! We are happy to provide you with any paperwork needed for verification.
Can I volunteer at co-ops?
No. Our co-op members spend the co-op meeting volunteering, so outside volunteers are not needed. If you’d like to volunteer to directly impact co-ops, we recommend Pallet Prep.
Can my kids come?
Of course! We are in a warehouse space, so we recommend ages 7+, but you may bring a younger child with a 1:1 adult ratio at your discretion. We take groups of students with fewer chaperones middle school and above. Please contact volunteer@urbanrecipe.org to schedule a group with youth.