Volunteer With Us

YOU Are Essential!

Hawaii Foodbank's mission is recognized as an essential service, which means that volunteers like you are a part of the essential workforce.

Now, more than ever, people are facing food insecurity and counting on Hawaii Foodbank. Schools and businesses are not fully open, many kūpuna are still homebound, and many others continue to struggle with drastically altered work schedules as a result of COVID-19.

As Hawaii Foodbank is being called upon to ensure that everyone can have safe access to the food they need, we cannot provide these essential services without one of the most integral pillars of our operational framework – our volunteers. If you don’t face higher risks for COVID-19, please consider signing up to volunteer with us!

Volunteer Opportunities

Daily Food Inspection – Dry Salvage

Shift Times: 9 a.m. to Noon, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Available Days: Monday through Friday
Submit Application to: Kirsten Yale, Volunteer Coordinator, volunteer@hawaiifoodbank.org

Description: Help inspect and sort dry food donations by checking for expired labels that are passed their shelf life, examining the integrity of food products, and boxing items for warehouse storage. This prepares food for distribution, so we can get it more quickly to those in need.

Requirements: Volunteers will be required to stand, lift and bend throughout the duration of the entire shift. The minimum age to volunteer is eight years old. Those 15 and younger must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. We can accommodate up to 10 volunteers per shift in order to account for social distancing and other public health guidelines. We are also requiring all volunteers to pass a temperature check and wear proper personal protective equipment when in the warehouse.

Daily Food Inspection – Produce

Shift Times: 9 a.m. to Noon, Noon to 2:30 p.m.
Available Days: Monday through Friday
Submit Application to: Kirsten Yale, Volunteer Coordinator, volunteer@hawaiifoodbank.org

Description: Help inspect and sort produce donations by checking the integrity of food products and preparing items for warehouse storage. This prepares food for distribution, so we can get it more quickly to those in need.

Volunteer Information Regarding COVID-19

There is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of our volunteers, donors, staff and the community we serve. Maintaining clean facilities and following best practices for food safety and distribution are always an integral element of our organization’s culture. Due to COVID-19, we have heightened precautions for cleaning, sanitization procedures and overall best practices. We are diligently and regularly evaluating our operations, and we will continue to take proactive steps to prioritize the health and safety of our staff and volunteers while also protecting against the spread of COVID-19 at our facilities.

To prevent against the spread of COVID-19, anyone who fits into any of these categories is not permitted in our facilities at this time.

You have been exposed to COVID-19 or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and you have not yet been cleared as non-contagious by state or local public health authorities.
Within the past 14 days, you or members of your household have experienced any combination of the following symptoms: cough, fever, muscle pain, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, congestion or runny nose, new loss of taste or smell, headache, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

We also encourage those with underlying health conditions or risk factors to please stay at home or find other ways to contribute during this crisis.

Questions About Volunteering?

We’re here to help with your volunteer experience, and we want to find the right opportunity for you! For specific inquiries or to submit your volunteer application, please contact us by any of the following methods: