Opportunity Details
Pantry Assistant (age 16+) Referral
Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP) meets the urgent food needs of our Portland metro area neighbors. Unlike many other food pantries in the region, we do not have geographic boundaries. This allows us to serve everyone across the tri-county region of northwest Oregon, to southwest Washington, as well as those experiencing houselessness. In addition to meeting the urgent needs of these neighbors, NEFP also works to develop community solutions to secure access to adequate, affordable and healthy food. We ground our work in the belief that nutritious food is a basic, human need and a building block for a healthy life of possibility.
Time:
- 2-3hr shifts
- 9am-4pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
- 5pm-9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Requirements:
- Ability to bend, twist, and lift up to 20lbs
- Attire: Close-toed AND heeled shoes, face covering, gloves
- 18+ (16+ if accompanied by parent or legal guardian)
- *This position is very flexible. Please notify NEFP staff for accommodations*
Example of Tasks:
- Building food boxes for distribution on an assembly line
- Sorting, organizing, and portioning food donations
- Light cleaning and sanitizing protocols
- Various other tasks which may include bending, lifting and/or twisting
- Helping with truck deliveries, transporting food to Organization Lines upstairs, etc
Every task that the Pantry Assistant performs makes it possible for NEFP to serve thousands of people each week. The tasks of the Pantry Assistant change every day, and flexibility and a willingness to jump in where needed is a necessity. One day the pantry might get flooded with donations and the Pantry Assistant may be asked to perform quality checks and organize these donations. Another day the Pantry Assistant may be asked to assist with cleaning and sanitizing surfaces. Nearly every shift, the Pantry Assistant will be asked to help build food boxes on one or more of our assembly lines.
Covid-19 has led to an exponential increase in the number of people seeking food assistance from NEFP. In 2019, we served 42,411 people. In 2020, we served over 500,000 people. It is our amazing volunteers that make it possible for NEFP to sustain these numbers and continue to fight hunger in our community.
Volunteers must wear close-toed, close-healed shoes. Layers and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended due to working both indoors and outdoors. We also recommend bringing a box-cutter/pocket knife and work gloves. All PPE (masks, gloves, steel-toe shoe covers, reflective vests) are available for use.
COVID-19 Information:
The novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") is a contagious and potentially life-threatening disease. Reducing the spread of COVID-19 in our community is a shared responsibility. In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at Hands On volunteer activities, all volunteers are required to:
-
Follow all COVID safety-rules at their volunteer site or project
-
Wash their hands, at a minimum, before and after their volunteering
-
Maintain physical distancing while volunteering, to the extent practicable
-
Wear a cloth or disposable face covering at all times while volunteering.
Hands On appreciates your interest in volunteering to help our community in this time of extraordinary need. As part of some volunteer activities, you may risk exposure to COVID-19. If you or any member of your household is experiencing any symptom of COVID-19, or has exhibited any symptom in the past 14 days, please do not sign up for a volunteer activity at this time. Please contact the Opportunity Coordinator if you have any questions about Hands On’s COVID-19 safety rules and the expectations for volunteers.
Opportunity Requirements:
-
Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to participate in this opportunity; any volunteer under age 18 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone.
Click on "Express Interest" below if you are interested in helping out!
**This is a Referral Opportunity, which means it is run directly by one of our nonprofit partners. Once you express interest, someone from the partner organization should follow up with you shortly to discuss confirming you as a volunteer for this opportunity.
**Please note, your hours may not be recorded in your Hands On Greater Portland account since this is a partner-managed opportunity.
Age Minimum (with Adult): 16+, Minimum Age:18+, Court Ordered Volunteer - Allowed
Log in or Register
In order to register for this opportunity you must log in to an existing account or register to create a new account.
Sign up with a team
This link allows you to participate in this opportunity with a team. A team can be a family team, corporate team, or any kind of organized group. When you click on the link you will have the option to:
- Choose an existing team you're already a member or captain of, or
- Create a new team to sign up.
Signup Questions
Please respond to the following questions in order to signup for this opportunity:
FOLLOW US!