“I know that when I drop off the food we collect, someone is going to have something to eat tonight.” – T2T Volunteer
Our volunteers donate their time to put their compassion into action to help the hungry, homeless and at-risk populations in our area, whether it is by collecting and transporting food, lending a hand in our office, or cleaning and preparing our food rescue vans. Working in teams, our volunteers are having a positive impact in their community each day. They are the key to our ability to get the food to those who need it the most.
Special announcement: Help our neighbors when they need it most.
During COVID-19, all of our volunteer opportunities involve going on food rescue routes or prepping our food rescue vehicles. We need some extra help! Fall is always a transition time in our volunteers’ availability, and this year the pandemic has presented new challenges and made the need even more critical. If you are feeling well and are interested in transporting food to your neighbors in need, please email volunteer@table2table.org or call 319-337-3400. We’re currently looking for volunteers who can help us with routes at times between 8am-Noon Monday-Friday.
If any of the following is true for you, we will require you to wait at least 14 days before volunteering. Since the volunteer orientation occurs remotely, you may reach out and begin the process at any time. Circumstances and waiting periods will be further discussed during the orientation process:
- You, or someone you live with, has tested positive for COVID-19.
- You, or someone you live with, is currently awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.
- You have signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat. CDC information
In order to protect the health of our volunteers, donor and recipient partners, and staff, we expect our volunteers to be conscious offollowing CDC guidelines not only while they are volunteering with us, but outside of volunteering as well, by social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and wearing a mask when in public spaces.
COVID-19 Volunteer Response Update
We put out the word that we needed volunteers, and the community response has been incredible! Over 100 people have contacted us about helping out, which is humbling and overwhelming. We can’t thank our community enough.
This does mean that nearly all of our open volunteer shifts have been filled for the foreseeable future. If you are looking for a way to help immediately with the COVID-19 response, we encourage you to check out the United Way of Johnson and Washington County’s COVID-19 volunteer opportunities board.
If you don’t mind waiting several weeks or longer to be scheduled for a volunteer shift with us and would be looking to volunteer continuing after the COVID-19 crisis, please let us know and we can begin the orientation process with you.
We love this community, and we’re honored to have so many people wanting to lend us a hand in this hour of need.
Our current volunteer opportunities range from doing a food rescue route, working in our office or shop, or helping with community outreach projects – all dependent on your schedule and interests. Our hours of operation are Monday-Friday 8:00a.m. – 4:00p.m. and Saturday mornings 9:00a.m. – Noon.
Route-Based Food Rescue Volunteering
To apply to volunteer, you may begin the remote orientation process by emailing volunteer@table2table.org. The orientation involves a brief Table to Table introduction presentation, a casual phone interview, and application paperwork.
Food Rescue Route Volunteer
- Interact with donor and recipient organizations
- Box and load food donations into Table to Table vans with route partner
- Transport food to recipient agencies such as community pantries, shelters, preschools, etc.
- Unload food
Opportunities available:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Shifts can last anywhere from one to three hours and are dependent on current need.
Office Volunteer
- Reception
- Greet volunteers/visitors
- Answer office phone
- Assist with food donation pickups and drop offs
- General office tasks
- Able to commit to scheduled time each week
- Data entry
- Able to use Excel and Google Sheets
- Community Outreach
- Comfortable with public speaking
Opportunities available:
Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Shop Volunteer
- Prepare Table to Table vans for food rescue routes (stock with boxes, check gas levels, etc.)
- General cleaning and maintenance of vans
- Facility checklists (sanitizing work surfaces, checking refrigeration temperatures, etc.)
- Able to commit to a scheduled time each week
Opportunities available:
Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m
Food Rescue Route Substitute
- Interact with donor and recipient organizations
- Box and load food donations into Table to Table van with route partner
- Transport food to recipient agencies such as community pantries, shelters, preschools, etc.
- Unload food
- Able to lift boxes up to 40 lbs.
- Allows for flexibility in schedule/No regular shift each week
Opportunities available:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. – Noon. Shifts can last anywhere from one to three hours and are filled on a first-come first-serve basis according to need.
Volunteer Requirements
- Must wear a mask and follow social-distancing guidelines
- Willing to volunteer a minimum of 30 total hours
- Food rescue route volunteers regularly lift 40 lbs. boxes of food
- Valid drivers license required for route volunteers
- Must be 16+ to go on food rescue routes
Floater Volunteer
- Varied duties dependent upon Table to Table’s needs that day
- May be assigned to fill in for a food rescue route volunteer
- May be assigned to work in the shop
- May be assigned to work on an office project
- Able to commit to a scheduled time each week
- Able to be flexible with assigned duties
Opportunities available:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
To apply to be an individual volunteer, you may schedule an interview and orientation by emailing volunteer@table2table.org. The orientation involves a casual interview, a brief Table to Table introduction presentation, and application paperwork. Our office is located at 840 S Capitol St., Iowa City.
Fresh Produce Recovery Volunteering
Gleaning Volunteer
- Harvest a wide range of extra produce at local farms and gardens
- Distribute the fresh produce to local hunger relief organizations
- No previous experience required – we’ll provide training!
Opportunities available:
Shifts typically last 2-3 hours, and dates and times vary.
To learn more about becoming a gleaning volunteer, email gleaning@table2table.org or call us at 319-337-3400.
Group Volunteering
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not hosting groups of volunteers at this time.
Group Volunteering
All of our food rescue is done off-site by our volunteers, so our group volunteer opportunities include helping with van cleanings. We transport around 45,000 lbs of food in our vehicles each week, so it is very important we keep them clean.
We are able to host group van cleanings ideally on Saturday mornings from 10:00 a.m.-noon but can accommodate during the week on Wednesdays or Fridays between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. if needed. Van cleanings usually last around two hours.
To make sure we are able to accommodate your group, please let us know the size of the group and age ranges of the participants who are going to be involved. Ideal group size is between 4-8 people; maximum we can accommodate for is 10 people per van cleaning. If your group is larger, we can look into splitting into multiple van cleaning sessions on multiple days.
To inquire about group volunteer opportunities, you may email volunteer@table2table.org or call our office at 319-337-3400. Our Volunteer Coordinator will be able to help you schedule a time and date for your volunteer event.
Youth Volunteering
Table to Table encourages youth and family volunteering. Due to equipment usage and other requirements of food rescue volunteering, volunteers under the age of 18 will have restrictions appropriate to their position. All volunteers under 18 must have a signed parent waiver.
To apply to volunteer with children, you may schedule an interview and orientation by emailing volunteer@table2table.org. The orientation involves a casual interview, a brief Table to Table introduction presentation, and application paperwork. Our office is located at 840 S Capitol St., Iowa City.
Required Service Hours
Need to complete community service hours for a class? Have court-mandated community service hours to complete? Table to Table welcomes eligible volunteers to enter into an agreement with us to complete their required service hours. To be eligible, volunteers must submit an application, complete a background check, and be a proper fit for our current volunteer needs. The total number of hours available will depend on matching our schedule and needs with your availability.
To apply to be an individual volunteer, you may schedule an interview and orientation by emailing volunteer@table2table.org. The orientation involves a casual interview, a brief Table to Table introduction presentation, and application paperwork. Our office is located at 840 S Capitol St., Iowa City.
Holiday Volunteering
Table to Table is closed on most major holidays. We do not currently offer one-time volunteer opportunities on holidays.
