Harvest Hope Food Bank utilizes more than 8,000 volunteers a year in order to keep operations running at our various facilities. Last year volunteers put in more than 52,000 hours of service for us saving us over 1 million dollars in staffing costs! We currently have volunteer opportunities at all three of our branches for both individuals and groups.
Volunteer Opportunities
Emergency Food Pantry: We currently have two full time Emergency Food Pantries at our Shop Rd. facility in Columbia and on 12th Street in Cayce and have two part-time Emergency Food Pantries at our Greenville and Florence Branches. These pantries help those families that come to our doors looking for assistance during their time of need. Each of these has two different volunteer positions.
Bagging, Packing and Sorting Food: The majority of our volunteers work in this area. Although we have some tasks that are less strenuous than others most of these jobs require some physical activity (walking, bending, light lifting, etc).
Client Intake: Our intake volunteers work directly with our clients so they must have an extra dose of compassion in their hearts. These volunteers speak one on one with clients coming in to get help, gather their personal information and then enter them into our client database. Time commitment: a ½ day a week (plus training).
Event Volunteer: We are always looking for volunteers to help us with our many community events. Often we have 5 events in the community on the same day! This means we need help sitting at a booth at a community fair or other event handing out brochures, speaking to people, collecting food at a food drive and educating the public about the wonderful things we do here at Harvest Hope.
Administrative Volunteer: Like all organizations we have an abundance of administrative tasks that need to be done but we try to minimize staffing costs so we can spend the money on food. Areas include data entry, phone calls, filing, etc.
Skilled Professionals &/or Interns: In addition to our other volunteer opportunities we always have a need for skilled professionals and or interns that can help in a variety of ways such as: marketing, writing, fundraising, program management, graphics, grants, etc.
Groups: Our group needs and capabilities are different at each of our facilities and often change throughout the year. In Columbia we currently accept groups of 5 to 20 people Monday through Friday and up to 100 people on select Saturdays throughout the year. Times and availability are very limited and fill up 2-3 months in advance. Both our Greenville and Florence Branches currently have limited group availability.
Product Rescue (Columbia Area Only): A fun place to work inspecting, sorting, and boxing the donated food that comes in through our community food drives. This job does require light physical activity (bending, light lifting, etc.) and is a great team building project for small groups!
Court Mandated/Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) Community Service: We accept court mandated and PTI community service on a case by case basis. Please contact your local branch to see if you qualify to serve your hours with us.
For more Information Contact:
- Midlands Area: PO Box 451 * Columbia, SC 29202 * 803-254-4432 ext. 1115 * Volunteermanager@harvesthope.org
- Greater Greenville Area Branch: White House Rd. * Greenville SC * 864-281-3995
- Pee Dee Branch* 2513 W. Lucas St. * Florence SC 29501 * 843-661-0826
“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
~ Margaret Mead
FAQ's
Do I have to schedule in advance or can I just show up to volunteer?
All volunteering must be scheduled in advance.
What should I wear?
Volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes to work in the warehouse. Jeans or shorts and sneakers are best. Please dress for the weather as our warehouses are not heated or cooled.
How old do I have to be to volunteer?
Each location and each activity has different age limits. However the general limit is that volunteers must be 10 years old to work in one of the warehouses. Volunteers ages 10-15 must have one adult supervisor per five youth.
Do I need to bring anything to my volunteer session?
First, please bring your positive attitude, flexibility and compassion!
Is there a place to lock up my personal belongings?
There is a limited amount of lockers available in the emergency food pantries in Columbia. Our other locations do not have any. Please plan to lock your personal belongings in the trunk of your car or leave them at home. Volunteers may not listen to MP3 players or talk on cell phones while volunteering due to safety reasons.
Do I have to attend a training session prior to volunteering?
You will get a brief orientation and tour during your first volunteer session.
Will I be required to lift heavy objects?
Each job has different levels of physical activity including some that have none at all. If this is a concern please speak to us before coming in.
How do I get started?Fill out the volunteer application online or call the branch closest to you for more information.
