Welcome! The community can support our work in a number of ways. Join us as a volunteer and/or as a community supporter through food drives or fundraisers.
A way to donate your time and increase your impact is to host a food drive or fundraiser within your existing communities of care (your church, your school, your neighborhood, etc.). Share your excitement and motivation to keep the community fed and involve those around you! Click the link below to learn more!
To become a volunteer, please Read more below.
Register your interest in becoming a volunteer below (either as an individual or through hosting a group), and the Volunteer Engagement Team will get back to you shortly. The staff team for volunteer engagement is on a holiday break from December 18th through January 1st, so will begin responding to any inquiries sent during that time on January 2nd and January 5th, 2026.
Looking for a way to make a difference?
Volunteers are an important part in ensuring the community has a positive and welcoming experience accessing the food they need. Volunteers know food is a right and support the food bank in a variety of roles and schedule commitments. Share your time, skills and knowledge with our team!
In 2024, 628 volunteers contributed over 18,000 hours of their time and efforts! To ensure we meet the needs of our customers and provide exceptional customer service, it takes 110 volunteers weekly to support ideal food bank operations.
Volunteers serve in a variety of roles and schedules. We do not require you to set a specific schedule. Most volunteers sign up for a regular weekly or monthly shift or serve in our pool of substitutes, on call “rock stars” who step in when we have a gap in our regular schedule.
Your first step is to complete the Volunteer Interest Form - click the second picture below to access the form.
After that, the team will reach out with next steps. Our goal is to respond within 3 business days, but as of November 2025, that response time is longer to handle an increased interest in volunteering from the community.
Highest Needs, January 2026:
Flexible Roles:
On-Call Substitutes
Our highest need is for reliable substitutes for grocery rescue or the warehouse, especially if you can help out last minute at times, but we welcome volunteers who want to help in the grocery store, or with set up, clean up or home delivery packing - there’s a role for each day of the week and we always need folks to sub in when our regular weekly volunteers call out!
Grocery Rescue Driver - pick-up left-over food and return it to the food bank. All shifts are 9am-noon Monday-Friday. We require that you submit a copy of your driving record before your first shift. You can do this online or at your local DMV. The cost is $15. If the cost is a barrier to your participation in this role, please let the team know! https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/driving-records/get-your-driving-record '
Regular Roles (weekly or twice a month):
Highest Needs:
Warehouse Help - can lift 40-60 pounds alone or with help, repetitively
Mondays 1-3pm or 1:30-5pm
Thursday 9am-12:30pm, 11am-1pm, or 12:30-4pm
Fridays 12:30-4pm
Clean Up - restock the grocery store and clean the food bank!
Wednesdays or Thursdays 2-4pm
Other Needs
Grocery Store Support - hand out produce, courtesy bagging and carry out, and keep the store clean and organized.
Monday 11:45am-2pm or 1:45-4pm
Thursday 9:45am-12pm or 11:45am-2pm
Friday 9:45am-2pm
Want to Volunteer on Weekends? - Limited availability Nov 2025 till June 2026.
From July to October we need volunteers weekly on Sunday afternoon to assist with picking up produce from the West Seattle Farmer’s Market.
Event Support (click to read the Event Support position description)
Support the food bank with outreach in the community and at our special events! While we have events and outreach opportunities year-round, you can expect the most activity to occur May through September. We are specifically seeking volunteers who like chatting with the public, and firmly trust and value the food bank’s mission and methods!
Log into your account and sign up for shifts!
Register to become a food bank volunteer!
Register your interest to bring a group to the food bank.
Watch our Video about Volunteering!