Volunteer

Volunteering is a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of those in need. By providing your time and energy, you offer invaluable support and assistance, fostering a sense of solidarity and compassion. Your efforts create lasting positive impacts, showing that even small acts of kindness can lead to significant change.

Learn more

Get Started

If you're ready to join our incredible volunteer team, please choose one of the sign-up options below. We welcome both groups and individuals. Your participation can make a profound difference, bringing hope and support to those in need and creating lasting positive impacts in our community.

Sign up for a shift
Submit a group request

Volunteer Tasks

Two workers in a warehouse or storage room, one woman and one man, surrounded by various colored plastic storage bins and crates on shelves and a table, with a large watermelon in a red bin in the foreground.

Warehouse

Sorting food at the hub of our operations. We're open 364 days a year! (closed Christmas Day only)

  • Checking quality of fruits and vegetables

  • Sorting items according to best before dates

  • Categorizing non-perishable items into groups

  • Slicing and bagging bread

  • Morning and afternoon shifts available every day of the week. Evening and late evening shifts available Sunday to Thursday only. Our Nanaimo warehouse is located at 210 Fry Street.

    Morning: 9am - 12pm

    Afternoon: 1pm -4pm

    Evening: 5:30pm - 7pm

    Late evening: 7pm - 9pm

  • Weekdays from 11am – 12:45pm

    Weekends from 11am – 12:45pm AND 1pm – 2:45pm

Group of six people working together at a food distribution or volunteer event inside a large room with boxes of food and supplies on tables.

Free Food Markets

Food is provided to people in need through our network of free food markets in Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Port McNeill & Port Alice. Volunteers help clients "shop" for their food and work outside or inside during a 2 - 2.5 hour shift. 

  • Varying days, times and locations. 

  • Varying days, times and locations. 

Three people working at a recycling or trash collection site, sorting through a large pile of aluminum cans and other debris under a white tent or cover.

Empties Sorting

We collect empty drink containers from 30+ locations on Vancouver Island. These empties then need to be sorted. This is a vital task for volunteers as it is a HUGE fundraiser. In In 2024, we raised $420,000 through our Empties 4 Food program!

  • Our Empties Sorting location is:
    1009 Farquhar Street

    Mondays
    12pm - 2pm

    Wednesdays
    12pm – 2pm
    2:30pm – 4:30pm
    5pm – 7pm

    Thursdays
    9am – 11am
    12pm – 2pm

Volunteer Terms & Conditions
Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more about our organization and how you can help make a difference in the community, please watch this YouTube video. It’s also the first step to launch your volunteer journey with us!

Have a question? Please check our Frequently Asked Questions page