Volunteers are invaluable to community service and to the North Texas Food Bank. Without volunteer help, NTFB can’t provide food to the hundreds of thousands of North Texans that it currently serves.
Distribution Center
Our distribution center volunteer experience includes sorting and packing food for distribution to a network of more than 340 Food Assistance Partners. Our Partners vary in type and size and include food pantries, after school programs, senior meal programs, shelters, soup kitchens and other facilities. We have a number of stations set up to accommodate volunteer groups of all sizes. Volunteers are asked to participate in tasks ranging from sorting incoming donations and unsalable items, to an assembly line which produces boxes of food items for our various programs.
Our distribution center is open for volunteers during the following times:
Monday through Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
**SPECIAL NOTE** for Distribution Center volunteers:
Our Service Saturday shifts are currently full to capacity through June 29th. Our greatest need for volunteers is throughout the week. When possible, please consider signing up for a weekday shift. Thank you!
Submit a request to volunteer.
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Special Events
NTFB benefits from more than a hundred community service events each year. Periodically, these events need volunteers to help facilitate and run them. We’d love to have you join us! Special Event volunteers are recruited on an as-needed basis. Please let us know if you’d like to be added to our list of special event volunteers.
Submit a request to volunteer.
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Cooking Matters
Help our Nutrition Education department provide education on nutrition, culinary skills, food budgeting and food safety to agency clients by serving as a chef, nutritionist, grocery shopper or classroom manager.
Cooking Matters holds 6-week nutrition/cooking classes in various locations across Dallas. Volunteer requirements include:
1. Chef instructors: teach about basic culinary skills, food safety and other food tips through a cooking demo.
- Should have formal culinary experience/training
- Some culinary students that have completed several classes may fill this role
2. Nutrition instructors: teach basic nutrition principles in an interactive manner.
- Should have formal nutrition education
- Registered Dietitians preferred
3. Grocery Shoppers: shop for ingredients needed for our cooking demos and grocery handouts.
- Volunteers often come from a variety of different backgrounds
4. Classroom Managers: ensure order in classroom; assist in all aspects of class (set-up, clean-up, etc.)
- Perfect for those wanting to observe a class before becoming an instructor
- Should be willing to take initiative
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Administrative Projects
Help with mailings, database management, courtesy calls and other clerical duties in our offices. Administrative volunteers are recruited on an as-needed basis. Please let us know if you’d like to be added to our list of administrative volunteers.
Submit a request to volunteer.
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Food for Families
Food for Families is a cooperative effort between NTFB and more than 25 Food Assistance Partners to provide supplemental food to families. Work outdoors to sort and distribute food to Food Assistance Partners across Dallas County. Opportunities include roles as site coordinators and site volunteers at various locations on two Thursday mornings every month and every Friday morning.
Submit a request to volunteer.
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Social Services Outreach
Volunteers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Outreach Corps will be fully trained to provide application assistance at events and agencies within the community. This includes applications for SNAP, Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Help us bridge the gap between available funding and those in need of assistance.
Submit a request to volunteer.
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Garden Volunteers
The North Texas Food Bank supports community gardening. Garden Volunteers assist by planting, harvesting and weeding community gardens donating a portion of their produce to feed hungry people. Gardening volunteers are requested on an as-needed basis (approximately 1-2 times each month). Submitting a request for this volunteer opportunity will add you to the list of volunteers from which we recruit as needed.
Submit a request to volunteer.
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School Pantries
The School Pantry program is a partnership between NTFB and four schools in the Dallas area. Each month, nearly 2,000 children and their families receive produce and/or shelf-stable food items through an onsite pantry distribution at school.
Volunteer opportunities include sorting and packing food and distributing food to children and families. All opportunities take place onsite at participating schools at various times between 1-5 P.M. Registered School Pantry volunteers will receive an email for each available opportunity. Please let us know if you’d like to be added to our list of School Pantry volunteers!
Submit a request to volunteer.
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