Volunteer

• View the current volunteer calendar of opportunities and create your online account—this is required for safety  and communication reasons. You only have to fill this form out once and it only takes a few minutes!
• Sign up for your desired shift. 
  • If you don’t receive a confirmation email of your registration, then you have not successfully signed up for an event. Contact the volunteer team if you are having issues.
  • If you must cancel your participation in a shift, please let us know as early as possible so that others can fill your spot to complete the assigned work.

• Most of our volunteer opportunities happen around heavy equipment and require a lot of moving around. Therefore, we ask all volunteers to wear shoes that cover their feet completely (closed in front and in back, no sandals or CROCS). Otherwise, we encourage clothes that you can work and move around in. Jeans and a t-shirt work perfectly. 
• Most of our warehouses do not have temperature control, so dress for the season!

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank encourages people of all ability levels to volunteer with us. The requirements of each role are listed in the job description in our volunteer portal. While most opportunities require some lifting and mobility, we are happy to discuss accommodations with you. If you have questions about accommodations for volunteering, please reach out to volunteer@brafb.org.

Yes! Just make sure that everyone has created their own unique account and has registered for the shift. Please also note our age guidelines listed on this page.

The exact experience varies by location, but typically you’ll  be greeted by a Food Bank staff person. If you’re unsure what to do next, tell them that this is your first volunteer shift and they will direct you accordingly. Staff will instruct you about the project and answer any questions that you have. Ask away! We’re so glad you’re here and want to make sure that you not only understand your work, but also have a meaningful experience.

• We fully support and encourage individuals who wish to continue wearing masks or face coverings at Food Bank facilities to do so, if desired.
• You can review the revised Volunteer Waiver of Liability.  All volunteers are asked to review and abide by the updated Agreement as part of the registration process.
• For the well-being of staff and fellow volunteers, we ask you to self-monitor for symptoms of contagion – any virus or illness (including COVID). Please cancel your volunteer shift as far in advance as possible if you need to stay home due to illness.

The majority of volunteer opportunities are during business hours Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Occasionally, but rarely, we will seek volunteers for weekend events. Looking for evening or weekend opportunities? Check out our Food Finder to find a pantry open near you during the hours you can volunteer.

• To ensure the safety of volunteers and staff in an active warehouse setting, we must set age limits for all volunteer opportunities. Beyond these, some shifts include specific age requirements, so please read each job description carefully when registering.
  • Verona warehouse: Children between the ages of 12 and 16 may volunteer in the Food Recovery Area as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian for each shift. Volunteers aged 17 and older may work without an accompanying adult in the Food Recovery Area, after an initial shift with an accompanying adult.
  • Charlottesville Lynchburg Warehouses, and offsite locations: Children between the ages of 12 and 17 may volunteer as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian for each shift. 
  • Winchester warehouse: Volunteers must be 18 or older to volunteer in our Winchester warehouse.

• We can host volunteer groups of up to 10 people in our Verona warehouse. Group sizes at other locations range from 4 to 8 individuals.
  • All group volunteer opportunities must be scheduled at least 1 month in advance.
  • All individuals in the group must create a unique account  via the online volunteer  site before attending.
  • For youth groups between the ages 12-15, we require one adult chaperone per 3 children, and one adult present for every 6 youth, ages 16 and 17. An adult chaperone is required for organized youth volunteer opportunities.
• Please email volunteer@brafb.org if you have questions about group volunteer opportunities.

At this time, the Food Bank does not accept volunteers who need hours for legal infractions or court-ordered community service.

Yes! Contact us at volunteer@brafb.org to learn more about the volunteer leadership opportunities available. These are perfect for volunteers with experience.

Occasionally, the Food Bank will have interns; contact us at volunteer@brafb.org for more information.

• For more information on how to use our volunteer portal, check out our how-to guides in the resource section below.
• Our volunteer managers are happy to walk you through our volunteer portal if needed, please contact them to set up an appointment!

• Be sure to look beyond our warehouses and regularly scheduled shifts and  check out our Specialized Volunteer opportunities.
• If you’ve reviewed our current opportunities and you don’t find something that suits you, we encourage you to consider the needs of food pantries close to you. You can use our Food Finder to find nearby food pantry partners, then call or email and see what their needs might be. We know they can often use the help, and we couldn’t distribute so much food without them.