Volunteer

We're Moving April 2024

It’s official – we’re moving at the end of April and a future of possibilities are within reach! Over the next few weeks, we will update you on changes in our operations or volunteer shifts as we make our way to Causeway Blvd. Make sure to follow us on social or to check our link below to follow along with our move!

What you need to know

Your Time Helps End Hunger

Food bank volunteer opportunities come in many different forms – and whether you’re looking to give back, explore community service, or fulfill Florida Bright Futures service hours, we have an option for you! Just one hour of volunteer work generates exponential meals to feed our neighbors in need. Sort goods in our warehouse, serve meals, or distribute groceries and make a direct impact on the wellbeing of local families – no training required!

View our Volunteer Calendar

Volunteer Opportunities

Muscles + Tetris

Pack and load grocery orders for our food pantry partners. Please note this a very physical and labor-intensive activity. Ages 13+ are welcome, though adult supervision is required for 13-15.

Muscles + Tetris shifts

Warehouse Sorting

Inspect, sort, and pack essentials to distribute to our neighbors. Typically, ages 5+ are welcome (with adult supervision is required for ages 5-15), but our Family Night warehouse sorting shifts are open to all ages.

Warehouse Sorting shifts

Publix Community Market

Curate a shopping experience for our neighbors at this on-site food pantry. Ages 13+ are welcome, though adult supervision is required for 13-15.

Community Market shifts

Mobile Pantries

These “food pantries on wheels” bring groceries into neighborhoods that need them most. Stage, pack, and distribute groceries to neighbors across Tampa Bay. Ages 13+ are welcome, though adult supervision is required for 13-15.

Mobile Pantry shifts

Groceries on the Go

Curate a shopping experience for our neighbors at this mobile grocery store. Ages 16+ are welcome.

Groceries on the Go shifts

Trinity Cafe Hillsborough

Curate a restaurant experience for our neighbors at our Trinity Cafe Busch or Trinity Cafe Nebraska. Ages 16+ are welcome.

Trinity Cafe Hillsborough shifts

Feeding Pinellas

Curate a restaurant experience for our neighbors at Trinity Cafe, shop for neighbors at our on-site food pantry, or stock food pantry shelves with groceries. Ages 16+ are welcome.

Feeding Pinellas shifts

Blueberries

Volunteering with a group of 11 or more?

Whether you’re team building or sharing the importance of community service, we have volunteer opportunities for you! Groups of 10 or less can register directly via the volunteer portal, follow these steps to register a group of more than 10.

1

Identify how many volunteers are in your group.

2

Visit our Volunteer Calendar to see what shifts can accommodate your group size. Please note: Trinity Cafe can only accommodate groups of up to 10 people.

3

Contact the Opportunity Leader listed in the shift to register your group.

Graphic stating nearly 1M food insecure individuals in the county we serve
Graphic stating 1 in 6 adults are food insecure
Graphic stating 1 in 4 children are food insecure

Volunteer FAQs

How can I get involved with Feeding Tampa Bay?

Please visit our Volunteer Portal to start your journey as a Feeding Tampa Bay volunteer. Our calendar will show all available opportunities for registration. You’ll also be able to see descriptions, age minimums, and total availability remaining. This website is updated in real-time to show availability, please note that all volunteer spots are on a first-come-first-served basis.

If it’s just you, or a small group (up to 5-10 people) interested in an opportunity, you can sign up independently through the website. We do not require any online training or orientations prior to your shifts, however you MUST sign up via the website to volunteer with us.

My company/group wants to volunteer, how do I register more than 10 people for a shift?

If you’d like to bring a group of 10 or more people to volunteer with us (yay!) please reach out to our Volunteer Services team at volunteer@feedingtampabay.org. Before reaching out, you can visit our Volunteer Calendar to see what shifts can accommodate the group size you’re wanting to bring along. Please note that Trinity Cafe shifts only allow groups of up to 10 volunteers.

We will request the following information: how many volunteers are you bringing, what shift you are interested in, if you don’t already have a shift in mind we’ll need to know what days of the week you’re most available, are there any minors (younger than 16 years old) in your group, what organization or group are you with.

What age do volunteers need to be to join Feeding Tampa Bay?

Age requirements vary depending on the activity! Our minimum age to volunteer independently/without adult supervision for any activity is 16. Our Warehouse Sorting opportunities accommodate individuals 5+ (with an adult); any pantry opportunities are 13+ (with an adult); Trinity Cafe shifts are strictly 16+ (regardless of adult supervision).

If you’re interested in bringing a group of students or kids under 16, then we do ask that your group number includes at least 1 adult volunteer for every 5 young volunteers.

If a shift is marked “full” on your website, can I still come in to volunteer?

NO, all volunteer opportunities at Feeding Tampa Bay are first-come-first-served and walk-in volunteers may be turned away onsite. You may add yourself to our Waitlist for a shift and will be notified if space becomes available.

Please note that for holiday volunteering, our shifts tend to fill up months in advance, please understand that we only have capacity for the number of spots indicated on our website.

How does the Waitlist work?

If a shift is full, you may add yourself to the Waitlist. If a spot becomes available, you will receive an email, please note this email just serves as a notification that space has been made available you will still need to complete registration for the shift via your volunteer account.

Do you accept court-mandated volunteers?

Yes, we do! We require all court-mandated volunteers to fill out our application before attending any shifts. You can find it here: FTB Court Mandated Volunteer Application. You may not start your service with us prior to being accepted into the program, and please note that we cannot accept all charges associated with court-mandated volunteering.

Court-mandated volunteers are restricted from the following volunteer opportunities: Family Night, Trinity Cafe, and school pantries. Once your hours are complete, we will provide you with documentation verifying your service upon request.

Do you accept student volunteers earning hours for Bright Futures?

Yes! Students may volunteer with us to earn service hours for scholarship requirements. Students are responsible for logging their hours (via volunteer account) and providing any documentation needed for verification to the Volunteer Services team.

How can I add/remove myself or another person from an opportunity I signed up for?

If you need to remove yourself or an entire group you registered from an opportunity: Log into your volunteer account, then on the My Account page, under the Upcoming Opportunities section, select “Remove Me” next to any shifts you would like to cancel.

If you would like to add or remove guests from your group registration, please reach out to us directly with that request.

How do I see how many hours I have completed as a volunteer?

You can see your volunteer history on the My Account page of the volunteer website, just make sure you are signed in and visit this page to see information about your previous and upcoming shifts. You can also print a “Volunteer History Report” from the bottom of this page.

I can’t access my account and am getting a website error, what do I do?

If you’re experiencing any technical issues with the volunteer website or with your account, please email volunteer@feedingtampabay.org with a detailed explanation of the issues you’re experiencing. Sending screenshots is also very helpful for us when finding a solution!

Apples
Translation
and More