Volunteer

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

In response to increased rates of COVID-19 transmission in certain states within the United States, and to protect New York’s successful containment of COVID-19, the State has joined with New Jersey and Connecticut in jointly issuing a travel advisory for anyone returning from travel to states that have a significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19.

Beginning June 25, 2020 if you travel to one of these states you will be expected to follow the quarantine rules. The required quarantine time period set by the NYS Department of Health is 14 days upon returning.

The list of restricted states is accessible via this link: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory. This policy is in effect until further notice.

We value you, our volunteers. Your work is critical in getting healthy food out to vulnerable populations, and your wellbeing is important to us. If you feel sick, please stay home to reduce the risk of spreading illness. If you need to cancel a volunteer shift, please contact our Volunteer Coordinators at volunteers@regionalfoodbank.net. We have taken precautions to help ensure staff and volunteers stay safe during their shifts.

These precautions include:

• Requiring staff and volunteers wear masks. VOLUNTEERS SHOULD BRING THEIR OWN FACE MASKS
• Prohibiting volunteers from coming in if they are not well, have a fever, or have recently travelled to restricted areas
• Discouraging volunteers age 70 and older, those with compromised immune systems, and those with underlying illnesses from volunteering to comply with Governor Cuomo’s Matilda’s Law
• Reducing the number of people per shift
• Setting up volunteer work spaces to allow for 6-feet between people
• Having volunteers sanitize and glove their hands when entering the building
• Stationing gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes in volunteer areas for frequent use
• Sanitizing high-touch points every two hours and at the end of each shift, including scales and touch-pads, tables, clipboards, pens, markers, sign-in consoles, door handles, broom handles, tape guns, and box cutters

Donations come to us in all forms and often need to be sorted before we can distribute them. That’s where volunteers come in! We receive donations of dry, frozen, and refrigerated food; paper products; household items; personal hygiene products; school supplies; diapers; and more that need to be repacked into useable, family-sized packages. Whatever you sort when you volunteer with us, your efforts will help low-income families stretch their limited budgets and eat better.

Volunteer Activities

Sorting and Re-Boxing Donations on our Warehouse Dock

• Volunteers must wear face masks and closed-toe shoes
• Children age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult

We host volunteers of all ages to help us sort and repack donations of food and non-food items. We run 1.5 to 2-hour shifts Tuesday through Friday from 10am-12pm and Tuesday through Thursday from 1pm-3pm at our 6 Northway Lane location and from 5pm-8pm Monday through Thursday evenings and 9am-3pm on weekends at our main facility at 965 Albany Shaker Road. Volunteers of all ages and ability levels are welcome to help us sort and box donations to be distributed to our member agencies.

Sorting in our Salvage Sorting Room

• Volunteers must wear face masks and closed-toe shoes
• Volunteers must  be 18 or older to work in the Salvage Sorting Room

Volunteers help us sort and pack non-perishable food in our Salvage Sorting Room Tuesday-Friday from 9am-11:30am and Tuesday through Thursday from 12:30pm-3pm. Because of the training involved, we ask those that are interested in this opportunity to make a regular commitment to volunteering (weekly, monthly, etc.). We will teach you about food safety policies and sorting date guidelines, as well as show you how to identify food items that have become unfit for consumption – ensuring the health of those on the receiving end of your efforts.

Click here for our Introductory Salvage Room Training Video.

How To Register for a Shift

If you are looking to volunteer as an INDIVIDUAL or FAMILY, please use our secure online volunteer management software below. Once you find openings that fit your schedule, click “Register for an Event” and you will be directed to create your secure volunteer profile in our system. If you are looking to register your family, see our directions on how to add family members to your profile.

Are you looking to organize a GROUP? Please visit our Group Volunteer Page to learn more about our group opportunities and to fill out our group request form.

If you are looking to volunteer as a family or with a few friends, please have each volunteer create an individual profile and sign up for a shift using our online registration below.

Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York | 965 Albany Shaker Road | Latham, NY 12110