Frequently Asked QuestionsQ. Are volunteers important to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina? A. Yes! Volunteers are an integral piece of all aspects of the Food Bank; they are present in our warehouse, offices, special events and councils. In the fiscal year of 2005-2006, volunteers logged over 99,000 hours of service to the Food Bank. This is equivalent to over 47 full-time employees. We simply could not serve our 890 partner agencies and the 400,000 people at risk of hunger in our service area without volunteers.  Q. What do volunteers do?
A: Volunteers assist in all aspects of our warehouse and administrative operations. Volunteers help with repackaging and sorting food donations, quality control of food donations, day to day tasks and general maintenance of the warehouse and office, front desk duties, as well as, special projects and events. Warehouse volunteers help to prepare 40% of the Food Bank's inventory for partner agencies. Q: What are your volunteer hours? Our volunteer hours vary from branch to branch. Please go to the branch page for more information on hours: Q. Do I need to schedule in advance or can I just show up? A: To volunteer in Greenville, Sandhills or Wilmington, We ask that all warehouse individual and group volunteers please call in advance to schedule a volunteer shift. In Durham and Raleigh, all warehouse groups of 4 or more individuals must be scheduled in advance however warehouse individual volunteers may just come in during our regularly scheduled volunteer hours. Our volunteer shifts do fill up quickly and we recommend that groups have more than one date in mind when contacting us. To sign up for any of our other volunteer opportunities, please fill out the all other opportunities volunteer form. For more information on a specific branch and contact information, please visit the branch page: Q: Can I come for just an hour or two? A: On weekdays, warehouse groups and individuals may come in for as long or short as they would like. We do recommend that groups schedule at least two hours for a shift as we have found this is the minimum amount of time suitable for a project. During our evening and weekend hours, we have set shift times and ask that groups and volunteers adhere to these times. It is also important that volunteers show up on time for these shifts.  Q: What should I wear to volunteer in the warehouse?
A: The Food Bank is a warehouse environment and is not climate controlled; it is cool in the winter and warm in the summer. We recommend casual attire such as jeans and t-shirts; don't wear anything you are afraid may get dirty. Please do not wear short shorts, halter tops, tube tops or sandals. All volunteers must wear closed toed shoes and will not be permitted to work without them (no sandals or flip flops please). We also recommend that you do not bring anything valuable with you as there is no where to store purses or bags. Q: Can I bring a group? A: Yes! We would love for you to bring a group. Our warehouse volunteer projects can accommodate groups of various sizes and can provide team-building opportunities. Groups do need to sign up in advance. Our volunteer shifts fill up quickly and we recommend that groups have more than one date in mind when contacting us. For more information on a specific branch and contact information, please visit the branch page: Q. What if my group needs to cancel? A: We understand that occasionally volunteers will need to cancel a shift. Please contact the branch as soon as possible (preferably at least a week in advance), so we can be sure to invite other volunteers to take your place. Q: What if the number in my group changes? A: We have limited space available for volunteers and ask that groups please contact the branch as soon as possible if their number has decreased or increased by more than 2 or 3 people. If your group size increases, we will make every effort possible to accommodate your group however, we may already be full for that shift, and some or all of you may need to reschedule. Q. Do you offer any sort of additional information on hunger? A. Yes, we do. We have volunteers and staff that can help administer the Food Game: Making Ends Meet and talk with your group about hunger issues. If you are interested in learning more please speak directly with a branch staff person. Q: Can children participate? A: Volunteering is a great way to teach children about service and spend some quality time with them. For safety reasons, we ask that volunteers participating in our general volunteer opportunities be 12 years are older. Our Durham, Greenville and Raleigh sites also offer Kids Day for volunteers 5 years old and older. For more information on Kids Day, please visit our Kids Day page. Q: How many adults are needed to chaperone youth groups? A: We ask that groups have 1 adult for every 4 to 5 youth under the age of 16. Q: Can I complete community service hours at the Food Bank? A: The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina welcomes volunteers seeking to complete business or school related community service. If you need verification of your hours, please let the branch staff know when you arrive. The Food Bank also welcomes select volunteers needing to complete court related community service at all 5 of our branches. For more information, please go to our Community Service page. If you are unsure if your community service is court-related, please speak with a branch staff person.  Q: Is the Food Bank able to accommodate volunteers with a physical handicap or disability?
A: Yes, the Food Bank welcomes volunteers of all skill sets and will make every effort possible to accommodate all volunteers. Please contact a branch staff person to inquire about your needs. Q. Is the Food Bank able to accommodate volunteers with special needs? A. Yes, the Food Bank welcomes volunteers of all skill sets and will make every effort possible to accommodate all volunteers. Please contact a branch staff person to inquire about your needs. Q: Can I use your conference rooms for meeting space before or after our project? A: All 5 branches have meeting space available. Please speak with branch staff if you would like to find out more about meeting space. Q: How do I get directions to the warehouse? A: Please go to our Directions page for detailed directions to each branch. |
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