Volunteer

Volunteer at a Member Agency

Many of our member agencies rely on volunteers to meet the needs of their guests. Check out some of the opportunities available and contact them directly to get involved.

Tap-In is in need of volunteers with expertise in either IT (preferably with knowledge of Salesforce) or grant applications and management. These functions can be done from home and on your own time, offering flexibility.

Both are unpaid voluntary positions, but they are a great way for you to keep your skills fresh, help our staff create efficiencies, and help to serve our community.

CONTACT: Summer Sheeley at shsheeley@gmail.com

CFHA in Central Falls has volunteer opportunities currently available at two meal sites – Wilfrid Manor at 466 Hunt Street and Forand Manor at 30 Washington Street.

  • Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday between the hours of 10am to 12:30pm.
  • Volunteer duties including serving coffee, soup, hot meals and dessert and assisting with clean up after meal service (cleaning/washing tables and collecting dirty dishes).
  • Volunteers may help out from 1-5 days a week based on availability
  • Complimentary hot meal provided to volunteers during shift
  • Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
  • Spanish-speaking volunteers encouraged to inquire

CONTACT:  Erin Cowdell at 401-244-7402 or erinc@cfhousing.org

Volunteers needed on Mondays and Wednesdays for the following roles:

  • 8:00 – 10:00 AM for pantry set-up
  • 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM for food distribution
  • 12:00 – 2:00 PM for pantry clean-up

CONTACT: Dominga ddiouf@progresolatino.org

  • Volunteers needed on Monday mornings around 11:00 a.m. to assist with retail pick up at BJ’s Wholesale in Johnston. Volunteers will be loading items to be delivered to the food pantry.
  • Volunteers needed on Monday afternoons at the food pantry at 30 Meeting Street in Cumberland from approximately 3:30-6:30 pm during weekly operating hours. Duties include loading groceries for pantry guests, restocking shelves, and lifting bags, boxes and other food items from a truck and stocking the pantry area.
  • Must be 18 years of age or older, able to lift up to 30lbs and preferably vaccinated.

CONTACT: Bill Pugsley, (401) 767-6410

  • Various ongoing volunteer opportunities.

CONTACT: Rebecca Richard, Volunteer Manager rrichard@MLKCCenter.org, (401) 846-4828 x103

Holy Family Parish in Pawtucket currently has the following volunteer opportunity available:

  • Volunteers needed on Monday mornings from approximately 9am – 11am to help unload the weekly delivery from the Food Bank.
  • Volunteers must be comfortable with heavy lifting, boxed items can weigh up to 40-45 lbs.
  • Volunteers will unload from the Food Bank truck, transfer to carts and then transport items via elevator to the freezer and/or shelving area.
  • This agency prefers that volunteers be vaccinated.

CONTACT: Volunteer Coordinator

Federal Hill House in Providence has two volunteer opportunities currently available at both 35 Swiss Street and 261 Manton Ave:

  • Volunteers are needed Tuesday – Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for various tasks including greeting guests, helping them select food items throughout the pantry and restocking shelves as needed. The agency is happy to be flexible with shifts to suit your needs and focus on the positive qualities you bring to the table. Shifts can vary in length based on your availability as well.
  • Both sites require that volunteers be vaccinated.
  • Masks are required at 261 Manton Ave, and strongly encouraged at 35 Swiss St.
  • Spanish-speaking volunteers needed

CONTACT:  Michele Matott, 401-421-1095, volunteer@federalhillhouse.org

St. Raymond’s in Providence currently has the following volunteer opportunities:

  • Volunteers needed on Saturday mornings from approximately 8:30-11:30 a.m. The food pantry is open to guests from 9-11 a.m.
  • Volunteers needed on Thursday mornings from approximately 9:00-11:00 a.m. to assist with unloading weekly order from the Food Bank
  • Duties include selecting and bagging groceries for clients and restocking shelves, and lifting bags, boxes and other food items from a truck and stocking the pantry area.
  • Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and able to lift 10-25lbs
  • This agency prefers that volunteers be vaccinated.  Masks are required at all times in the pantry.
  • This agency does not accommodate court-ordered community service hours.

CONTACT: Jeb Butler, (401) 323-8305

St. Charles SVDP Ministry in Providence has two volunteer opportunities currently available at their location at 178 Dexter Street:

  • Volunteers are needed Tuesdays from 10am-12pm to assist with interviewing and registering guests during weekly pantry hours.  Basic computer skills required and Spanish-speaking volunteers are preferred.
  • Volunteers are needed Thursdays from 12pm-6pm to assist with meal/food prep for weekly meal service for approximately 80 guests.  Volunteers must have experience as a line cook and be comfortable preparing large quantities of food in an industrial kitchen setting.

CONTACT:  Joan Zompa, 401-273-1108

St. Edward Food and Wellness Center in Providence currently has the following volunteer opportunities available:

  • Volunteers needed on Tuesday mornings from approximately 8:30am – 11am to help unload the weekly delivery from the Food Bank and transport items to the freezer or shelving area.
  • Volunteers needed on Wednesday mornings from approximately 10am – noon (during pantry hours) to assist guests picking up food items.
  • Volunteers MUST be comfortable with heavy lifting, boxed items can weigh up to 40-45 lbs.
  • This agency prefers that volunteers be vaccinated.

CONTACT: Lori Porcaro, 401-225-1702, loriporcaro@hotmail.com

RICAN in Charlestown currently has the following volunteer opportunities available at their thrift shop and food pantry located at 805 Alton Carolina Road:

  • Volunteers needed at the thrift shop Monday through Saturday anytime between 10am-5pm.
    • Duties include: Receiving and organizing incoming clothing and home goods donations, light cleaning, organizing items on display floor, cash register duties and sorting seasonal items to be stored or brought out to display floor.
  • Volunteers needed in the food pantry Monday through Thursday between 9am-2pm and on Fridays from 9am-3:15pm.
    • Duties include: Receiving and organizing incoming food and rescued items, prep work for food distribution, assisting with food distribution, organize and sorting shopping shelves, light cleaning.  Volunteers should be comfortable with heavy lifting.
  • Seasonal volunteers needed to help water, weed and maintain the raised bed garden and flower boxes.

CONTACT: Jennifer, 401-364-9412 ext. 3, admin@rican.necoxmail.com

EBCAP in Tiverton and Newport currently has the following volunteer opportunities:

  • Wednesdays from 9am-4pm at the food pantry at 1048 Stafford Road in Tiverton.
  • Wednesdays from 9am-12pm at the food pantry at 19 Broadway in Newport.
  • Thursdays from 9am-12pm at the food pantry at 19 Broadway in Newport.
  • Volunteers will be greeting pantry guests, packing bags, stocking shelves and unloading deliveries from the Food Bank.
  • Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and able to lift up to 30lbs.

CONTACT: Erin Fogarty, 401-632-6348,  efogarty@ebcap.org

  • Various hours and support opportunities available.

CONTACT: volunteer@jonnycake.org or jonnycake.org/volunteer

Connecting for Children & Families currently has the following volunteer opportunities available at their Front Street Family Center located at 719 Front Street, Suite 107:

  • Volunteers needed on Wednesday mornings between 9am-12pm to help unload the weekly delivery from the Food Bank and transport items to the freezer or shelving area.
  • Volunteers MUST be comfortable with heavy lifting, boxed items coming off the truck can weigh up to 40-45 lbs.
  • Volunteers needed on Thursdays from 12:30-4:30pm and on Fridays from 9am-4:30pm (during pantry hours) to assist guests picking up food items.

CONTACT: Felix Colon, 401-895-1744, fcolon@ccfcenter.org

Volunteer at a Community Farm (Seasonal)

Every spring and summer, our community farms accept volunteers to help prepare the land, plant and harvest. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. It’s a great activity for families, schools, businesses and civic groups! To volunteer at a community farm, contact them directly using the information listed below:

100 Park Lane, Ninigret Park, Charlestown
To volunteer, email here, or call 401-377-8069 ext 114
For information about the garden, email here.

Hope’s Harvest RI mobilizes volunteers to harvest surplus food from farms in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts and distributes it to hunger relief agencies in like the Food Bank. They are now a part of Farm Fresh RI. 

No agricultural experience is necessary, and all training and equipment is provided.

To learn more and register to volunteer from June to December, click here and sign up for their mailing list to receive updates.

106 Birch Swamp Road (Farm at end of Robbins Lane), Warren
Join McCoy Community Farm on Facebook 

1351 Centreville Road, Warwick
Coordinator is Kendra Anderson
Email West Bay Farm or call (401) 921-1249

Small Group Volunteering at the Food Bank

A group volunteer event is a great teambuilding activity that supports the Food Bank in our work to end hunger in Rhode Island.

Many organizations choose to make a donation to the Food Bank to increase their impact and help offset the food and staffing costs associated with this team building opportunity. A contribution enables us to purchase more food to create our specialty food boxes and bags, offering more opportunities to volunteer and in turn, supporting more neighbors in need!

Our volunteer schedule is currently booked through December. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator for more information about scheduling an event or to be added to our waitlist.

Volunteers will be working on box packing projects, which involves standing and moving throughout the shift, occasional lifting of boxes up to 35 pounds and being detail oriented.  All volunteers must be at least 14 years old.

Please Note: Due to the nature of the volunteer projects currently available in our warehouse, the Food Bank cannot accommodate individual volunteer requests. This includes court or Division of Motor Vehicles mandated community service hours. Please visit United Way of Rhode Island for a list of available volunteer opportunities throughout Rhode Island, many of which accommodate court-mandated service.

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Other Ways to Get Involved

Host a Virtual Fundraiser

Set up an online fundraiser to raise money with your friends, family, or colleagues.

Learn More

Donate Food

Learn how you can start a food drive to benefit the Food Bank. See a list of needed food and download posters and materials.

Start a Drive

Advocate for Change

Join us in advocating for policies that can decrease food insecurity and strengthen our communities.

Advocate