Food Bank Afternoon

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Afternoon Food Bank

The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank (IFCB) serves approximately 400 households each week thanks to the amazing team of volunteers who come in each day to make good things happen. IFCB runs on "volunteer power" and we couldn't do what we do without volunteers like you.

Volunteers are needed weekday afternoons to help sort food, check for food recalls, restock shelves, portion bulk foods, update inventory records, clean and help sanitize food surfaces.

The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank (IFCB) uses a self-select grocery model so clients can shop for the foods that their families will actually eat and in a space designed to feel like a grocery store. The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank places a special emphasis on providing access to fresh, local produce, and healthier food options. We receive fresh food donations from local grocery partners, community gardens, private gardens, farmers markets, fruit gleaning projects, and other community harvest partners.

Where:

Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank
179 1st Ave. SE
Issaquah, WA 98027

When: Monday-Friday, 1:30 pm - 4 pm

What will volunteers be doing?

Afternoon volunteers are needed to help process food donations, sort and portion foods, stock shelves, clean and sanitize food surfaces, and get the grocery area ready for the next day's services.

• Date checking foods and checking donations against Food Lifeline recall lists
• Sorting, washing and portioning produce
• Restocking grocery areas
• Portioning bulk foods
• Updating inventory records
• Sanitizing food surfaces and cleaning the food bank

How to sign-up:

1. Please register online at https://www.issaquahfoodbank.org/volunteer/

2. Log in to the volunteer dashboard and sign up for a new volunteer orientation. (Orientations are required and cover a lot of material in about 30 minutes).

3. Sign up for the volunteer shift that best fits your schedule.

4. Have fun volunteering. If we're not having fun, we're not doing it right.

General Safety Stuff: The IFCB staff strives to provide a welcoming and inclusive volunteer environment, and to prevent injuries. Some tasks may involve standing for extended periods of time or lifting (generally 30-60 lbs.). Please notify a staff member if you have any lifting restrictions or if you need assistance (we enourage having a "lifting buddy"), special accommodations, alternate tasks or modified tasks.

Since some bulks foods that get portioned may include nuts or other potential allergens, please let IFCB staff members know if you have any food allergies that require particular caution so we know not to assign food portioning tasks.

Other Stuff You Might Be Wondering About:

Q. Where should I park?
A. Free public parking is available in the lot directly across the street from the food bank, on the other side of the green space dividing the two parking lots and by the community center. Free street parking is also available alongside our building. We kindly ask that volunteers avoid parking in the side ally (which we use for deliveries) or in parking spaces designated for Spa Chi.

Q. What should I wear?
A. The dress code for the food bank is pretty casual and IFCB is definitely a "jeans and a t-shirt" sort of place. Please plan to wear something comfortable that you can move in and something that you don't mind getting dusty or dirty. It is strongly advised that you wear comfortable, closed toe shoes since the floors can be rather hard on feet and you'll want to protect your toes.

Q. What should I bring?
A. All you need to bring is a positive attitude, an open mind and a desire to help. We generally provide water, tea, coffee and donuts/pastries. Please feel free to bring your own munchies if you would like to stop for a snack. A fridge and a microwave are both available for volunteer and staff use.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please email megan@issaquahfoodbank.org or call 425-392-4123, ext. 10.

*Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to volunteer during regular volunteer shifts. IFCB Family Weekends are offered on the first Saturday of every month and are open to teens 13-15 years old. Teen volunteers under 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent or adult during Family Weekends.

**We accept court ordered community service volunteers, however we reserve the right to ask you how many hours you are required to serve and what your infraction was. We also reserve the right to decline volunteers based on the nature of the offense.