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Welcome to the Feast of Justice Team!
Last year over 1,000 volunteers provided over 20,000 hours of service in our Choice Cupboard, distributing over 2 million pounds of food. With a small staff of only 3 full-time and 4 part-time people, volunteers are the backbone of our organization.
None of the work we do would be possible without the contribution of volunteers. Regardless of your abilities or schedule, we have volunteer opportunities that will work for you. From greeting clients at the front door, delivery driving on a Saturday morning, bringing a corporate group, or administrative work based on your skill set, we have something for everyone!
Scroll down to learn about our volunteer program, read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), or sign up submit a group volunteer opportunity request form.
Join a community of neighbors who want to give back by signing up to volunteer today.
Get Involved
1. Make a Volunteer Profile
2. Download the app
3. Sign-up to volunteer
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Before you begin volunteering, we need to learn a few things about you. Make a volunteer account and tell us your availability, interests, and past experience. Create your account first and log in through the app!
Download the "VicNet" app in the Appstore or on GooglePlay to access the schedule, view your service hours, and stay in touch. Login with the same email and password you created when you made your account.
Login to your volunteer account through the VicNet app, or on a desktop through the "Returning Volunteer Log in" button below. Volunteers can sign up to serve at either of our TWO locations. You can add yourself directly to the schedule to begin volunteering.
Ways to Help
Food Pantry Service
Work in the Choice Cupboard
Note: Spanish and Mandarin speaking volunteers are particularly needed!
Suggested Time Commitment: Weekly or Monthly
Timing: Tuesday 8-1pm, Wednesday 9-1pm and 3-7:30pm, Thursday 9:30-1pm, and Saturday 9-4:30pm.
What to expect: Working in the Choice Cupboard is a lot like working in a grocery store! Distribution shifts are fast-paced/customer service oriented. Volunteer roles are assigned by the Manager on Duty upon arrival, and vary from checking in guests into our computer, greeting guests, restocking fresh produce, bagging groceries, and more.
Receiving Deliveries and Restocking
Suggested Time Commitment: One-time, Weekly, or Monthly
Timing: Monday 9-3pm, Wednesday 9-12pm, Thursday 9-11am, and Friday 9-3pm.
What to expect: There are multiple shifts available through the course of a receiving day. Volunteers help unload in-route deliveries from local grocery stores, sort and store the food, as well as set up the market for shoppers. This shift is for volunteers of ALL ability levels. You do NOT need to be able to lift heavy things to be able to volunteer for a receiving shift.
Pantry Express Program (PEP)
Suggested Time Commitment: One-time or Monthly
Timing: Thursday 5-8pm, Friday 9:30-12:30pm, Saturday 10-1pm
What to expect: The Pantry Express Pick-up program is the express version of the choice cupboard: guests can receive a pre-packed box of dry goods based on family size, along with a selection of fresh produce, dairy, meat, and bakery items. Volunteers could be packing new boxes or distributing food to guests depending on the shift.
FAQ's
Do I have to sign up first before coming in to volunteer? Yes, we ask that all volunteers sign up in advance. This is because we need a certain amount of volunteers for each shift to fulfill all of the responsibilities in the choice cupboard. If we don’t know who is going to be there– we don’t know what kind of support we need. Volunteers run the entire market, and if you come onsite without signing up, we won’t have anything prepared for you. Signing up in advance is especially helpful to the Manager on Duty, who splits the workload between volunteers before the shift even begins. If you come in without signing up and we have too many people, the Manager on Duty might send you home.
What should I wear to volunteer? Closed-toed shoes are a must, as we are often lifting or moving heavy boxes or pallets. It's a busy place, so we want you to be safe. We also prefer you wear comfortable clothes that you can move around in, that you don't mind getting dirty. Sometimes when dealing with food you can get stains on clothes, so be mindful! If you're working in the garden or in receiving deliveries, wear or bring sunscreen since you'll be inside AND outside.
Are there age restrictions on volunteering? Yes, all volunteers must be 14 years or older, or in high school. Our shifts are often fast paced, with lots of people or heavy objects. We want to keep everyone safe.
I have to do community service hours, how do I sign up? Can I receive a verification letter? Volunteers who have required service hours (court-mandated, school, or job requirements) can sign up the same way as any other volunteer, by creating an account and scheduling through the VicNet app. We can provide a community service letter that documents your total hours with an official letterhead, Feast of Justice’s EIN number, and a signature from the Volunteer Engagement Manager. If you have 25+ hours to complete in a limited amount of time, email our Volunteer Engagement Manager, staff_mgr@feastofjustice.org and they can work with you to create a schedule that fits your needs and specific due date. Please budget 3-5 days for a response.
How do I request a verification letter of my service hours? We can provide a validation letter for you. It will be written on our official letterhead, with our EIN Tax ID number, stating what days you served, how many hours were completed, and describing job duties completed while volunteering. Please provide the following information in an email to staff_mgr@feastofjustice.org in order to request a community service letter: (Please recognize that we are a small staff, and budget 3-5 days to receive your letter) Your First/Last Name, Total hours NEEDED to complete, Total hours you’ve ACTUALLY completed. If you do not have this information, please indicate where the Volunteer Manager can find this info (Volunteer app or Welcome Tab), and finally make sure you include THE DATE YOUR COMPLETED HOURS ARE DUE. If you do not include this, your letter will not be prioritized.
What if I want to volunteer but the shift I want is full? This reflects that we already have enough volunteers for that day/time. Occasionally, we have projects on the side for additional volunteers. If you want to sign up for a shift that is full, you must contact the Volunteer Engagement Manager staff_mgr@feastofjustice.org in advance, and they can let you know if we can accommodate an additional person. If you come in without signing up, the Manager on Duty might send you home. If too many volunteers come, people often feel they aren’t needed and as if they’ve wasted their time. Please help us avoid this!
If I sign up to volunteer, do I have to stay the entire time? For distribution of food in the choice cupboard or the Pantry Express Program (PEP) we ask that volunteers commit to helping for the entire shift– from prep to clean up so we can appropriately plan and schedule the workload. This is because we need a certain number of volunteers for each shift, and if many people were to leave during distribution, we wouldn't have enough people to keep up service. For those who have a conflict of scheduling, or simply can’t serve for the duration of the shift, we have partial shifts available during most distributions, which is a great way to still get involved in distribution for a short period of time! A full shift is not required for any receiving/restocking shifts, or times that we are not open to the public for shopping in the food pantry.
Behind the Scenes: Support Teams
Note: If you already have a volunteer account, it's not a problem, still use this application to indicate your interest.
Are you intrigued by things like (but not limited to) newsletter writing, taking photos & videos, administrative computer work, making phone calls, organizational tasks, delivery driving, or even party planning? Then you should join an administrative support Team! Support teams have a required time commitment of at least 15 hours donated over time, to offset the time spent by our staff in training. We are looking for volunteers who want a larger commitment, and can consistently engage with one of support teams. Please submit the form above to indicate your interest and we'll follow up.
Current Teams (updated 8/02/24)
Home Delivery Team: Prep/Driver Suggested Time Commitment: Monthly Our Home Delivery Preppers/Drivers help us deliver food to our guests who are homebound, chronically ill, elderly or those with transportation difficulties. Home delivery preppers assist with packaging. Home delivery drivers pick up pre- packed food and deliver within the following zip codes: 19111, 19114, 19115, 19116, 19124, 19135, 19136, 19149, 19152, 19154. Drivers will be asked to deliver up to five (5) deliveries per shift. It is a contactless delivery, but there may be steps involved getting to the guests' address- which will vary from guest to guest. We also offer gas reimbursement.
Social Media Support Team: Photography/Graphic Design Do you enjoy taking pictures and videos? Volunteer by taking pictures or videos of our market, volunteers, and guests. This opportunity has flexible schedule availability, and can go as far as you are able to participate. Graphic design, Tiktok editing, and post creation can also be parts of this volunteer role.
Translation Support Team We serve 11 zip codes in the northeast, bringing in over 20 languages to our site. The major languages of our guests are Chinese (Fujianese), Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Pashto, and Dari. There is nothing more relieving for our guests than hearing or seeing their own language. Volunteers provide translation support by listening to our phone voicemail lines, helping us respond to email correspondence, helping us write newsletters and fliers, assisting with registration/intake, AND volunteering as an interpreter onsite.
Registration Team: Intake of New Guests Our registration volunteers sit down with our families to record information about them that is important to our organization. Registration volunteers print new Feast of Justice cards to get people shopping, and only serve for about 2-3 hours at a time. Many of our volunteers who register guests only volunteer 1-2 times a month in this position, so it can be a small or large time commitment depending on your interest and availability!
And More to Come! Don't see anything on here that fits your skillset? We are constantly expanding the ways in which volunteers support us, so make sure to check back in with what opportunities we can offer at that time. Oftentimes, administrative work is dependent on staff support, so we appreciate your patience in finding the right place for you. Let us know what your interests are, and we can find a team that works best for you.
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Feast of Justice offers opportunities for those who would like to volunteer in a group setting – whether it is a school/university, corporate service day, sports team, faith-based groups, etc, we do it all. Group volunteering is especially helpful for us during the work week, when it can be challenging to recruit individual volunteers. Fill out the request form to schedule your organization today!
Note: We are encouraging groups to sign up for our Pantry Express Package (PEP) packing nights, every Thursday 5-8pm at the Tyson Ave location. Indicate on the form if you are interested in this opportunity.
All volunteer groups must be communicated to us in advance and can NOT show up day-of. Groups of 4+ must complete the form above in order to schedule. If you'd rather reach out directly rather than submitting a request form due to unique circumstances, feel free to contact our Volunteer Engagement Manager directly via email staff_mgr@feastofjustice.org.
FAQ's
How many people can I bring in my group? Choice Cupboard days (distribution of food) can accommodate maximum 10-12 people, while receiving shifts can accommodate maximum 4-8 people. Your group size is also dependent upon how far in advance your request is, as other volunteers sign up for the same days, so there are less spaces to fill. If you want to bring a larger group than 12, we still might be able to accommodate you! For service days and Holiday events we often have projects that could work for larger groups. Indicate your group size in the form and express what you're looking for.
What if I don't know who or how many people I'll be bringing? Can I still reserve spots? If you would like to schedule a group but you are still in the process of getting together participants, that is completely fine. Our Volunteer Engagement Manager can reserve spots based on an estimate, and update your service date as it approaches. We can reserve spots for your group until a week before the service date, so you have time to get your participants together!
If I'm serving with a group, can I bring my children? For public service, we require that all volunteers be 14+, or high school age. When we're closed to the public for a receiving shift, children should be 10+ years of age and accompanied by an adult.
Committees
We are looking for volunteers to join our Organizational Committees!
Committees play a vital role in setting the direction for Feast of Justice as it relates to long and short term goals of the organization. The committees include Marketing, Development, Finance, Human Resources, and Program/Facilities.
Committee meetings often occur virtually in the evenings. This allows volunteers who are homebound or live far from our locations to easily be involved in a meaningful way.
Marketing
Responsible for developing marketing materials, including digital media.
Development
Responsible for developing all fundraising plans and maintaining relationships with our donors.
Finance
Responsible for maintaining financial reporting, developing internal controls, and providing financial analysis.
Human Resources
Responsible for overseeing the hiring and development of employees.
Program/Facilities
Responsible for developing Feast of Justice programs and program space.
President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA)
Feast of Justice is certified to apply for the President's Volunteer Service Award on behalf of our volunteers. This award is signed by the President, and is internationally recognized as the highest standard of volunteer excellence. Learn more about the history, eligibility requirements, and importance of the award on the President's Volunteer Service Award website, linked below.
