Volunteers Needed!
We are always in need of volunteers! We welcome your help in any capacity you are able.
We need help on Saturdays (or other food distribution day) from 10:00am-8:00pm, any time you are able.
If you want to take food home with you that Saturday, please help yourself! Volunteers should take proportionate to their time worked: two items per hour.
- 10:00-1:00 - set up: unload, sort, bag, organize food for nice presentation on our tables.
- 1:00-5:30 - help attendees, monitor food display, consolidating food crates as we go. Assist with check in/check out and counting items. (For more volunteer guidelines, scroll down!) Begin breaking down for the end of the day.
- 5:30-7:00 - clean and pack up.
We also need help loading up at Food 2 Life Food Rescue Foundation on Friday evenings, 5:30-8:30. Behind Husky Restaurant, just south of Bethel Church at 1890 2nd Avenue Decatur Ga 30032.
Please come help for any amount of time that you can, even if it's only a couple of hours. All you have to do is show up! Just check the Facebook page beforehand for any updates on that week's distribution. Freeganism takes time!! We need all the help that we can get. Thank you!!
In addition to volunteering on Saturdays, please help in any other ways that you can.
We are a co-op, after all, a true commune! We need members not just showing up as sponsors on Saturdays to get food but also doing some of the other things that make this organization able to continue, such as:
-- NOTICE food being discarded, then call Pam 404.822.5685 so that she can arrange its rescue.
-- RESCUE food yourself (get your hands on food that somebody is discarding), then contact us to make arrangements for us to get that rescued food from you: we can come pick up the rescued food from you, or you can bring it to us if you prefer.
-- DRIVE your truck/trailer to help with food pick-ups during the week.
-- ORGANIZE an "expired food drive" to gather expired food items from your neighborhood or workplace.
-- DONATE supplies: recycled bags, recycled containers, takeout food containers, tote bins, bungee cords, a tarp, a gallon of bleach, etc.
-- DONATE money.
-- CONNECT us to organizations discarding food.
-- SEND food-waste/rescue links to us, for us to post on the page.
-- BRING NEWBIES to our Saturday food distribution: share with other people in Atlanta this fantastic local opportunity to save money while saving the planet .
-- SPREAD THE WORD about FoodCommune and Freeganism in general: talk about food overproduction and food waste, tell others about this Freegan Food Co-op, share our Facebook posts, etc. In general, market this program. Word-of-mouth is our most effective tool for growth ... So that we can grow to rescue even more food and help even more families.
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Thank you for helping in any way that you can to REDUCE and RAISE AWARENESS about FOOD WASTE!
Thank you to all of you able to work on the front lines (in the trenches!) with us in this war on food waste. We really appreciate your help getting so much food in Atlanta moved from the edges of landfills into the hands of people who can use it. And thank you for helping us to expand our reach/attendance/impact.
Let us know how you can help!
FoodCommune: Take What You Need, Share The Extra, Don't Waste <3
First time volunteering on Saturday? Wondering what to expect? Here are some general guidelines for volunteers!
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Set up chairs outside
Chairs go in front of the check-in/check-out table for the attendees while they wait.
2. Sort produce
Remove fruits and vegetables that are too moldy. When in doubt, put it out- give customers the opportunity to decide for themselves!
4. Sort bags
Separate bags, keep dry grocery bags, put clear bags in a separate bin, toss weird/wet/dirty bags.
5. Is everything out of Burbie?
This is Pam's Suburban SUV. Check the trunk and the side doors, bring in everything. Ask Pam if anything needs to go to the shed.
6. Is everything out of Mooler?
This is the big white Mobile cOOLER!
7. Do we need more display crates from the shed?
If it's before 1:00, the answer is probably yes.
8. ABC- always be consolidating!
We give such a bounty away and it goes FAST. As crates and bins empty, look to combine items of equal quantity per item in the same crates/bins. Bring empty gray crates, display crates, and cardboard boxes outside behind the Mooler.
9. Help count at check out
It should be 5 units per customer crate. Customers should group each "item" in one bag. Make sure each customer checks out and pays, and indicate on the sign-in sheet the amount and payment method.
10. Rinse empty gray crates and coolers
While customers are shopping, rinse these containers with the jugs of rainwater.
11. Break down cardboard boxes
Break these down cardboard boxes before the end of the day, but NOT the banana boxes! Put these by Pam's Burbie.
12. Be kind and friendly while also monitoring attendees while they are shopping.
We don’t like to set hard limits on items, but in general please remind shoppers to be mindful and considerate of others who will shop after them. “Take what you need, share the extra, don’t waste!”
13. Display everything in a crate.
Not directly on tables. Set crates at the back of tables when possible to create space for shoppers.
14. Distribute bulk foods into containers
Fill to the top!
15. Volunteers can take proportionate to their time worked: two items per hour.
Be respectful of how much you take - observe stated limits and any items with limited quantities. Keep a customer crate under the center tables, and place your food items into this crate.
Thank you for your help!!