WE'RE A VOLUNTEER DRIVEN ORGANIZATION.
JOIN OUR MISSION TODAY.
VOLUNTEERING WITH SHFB
Only through your efforts can we achieve our mission of targeting hunger to serve and educate through community partnerships. We need volunteers every day to help sort and pack food donations, distribute meals for hungry children, as well as assist with special events and administrative support. When you donate your time to Second Harvest Food Bank of Champaign, Clark, and Logan Counties (CCL), you become a partner in the fight against hunger in Southwest Ohio.
Second Harvest Food Bank CCL will begin accepting a limited number of volunteers in critical areas starting Mid-February.
For our available volunteer hours or to receive email updates about upcoming volunteer opportunities, please contact Melena at (937) 325-8715 ext. 101 or email: mprasertsak@theshfb.org.
Have questions about volunteering? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
COVID-19 MESSAGE
Second Harvest Food Bank CCL is closely monitoring COVID-19 developments. The safety of our staff and volunteers is very important to us. We are taking additional steps for extra sanitation to keep our facility, food, and people as safe as possible during this potential threat.
Please read our COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions.
Please fill out our Volunteer Application first and Melena will be in touch about next steps.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Packing or Sorting Support
Age 18 and up | Group of 5-10 people | M, W, Th, F 10am-3pm | T 11am-7pm | Ability to lift up to 40lbs
Sort or Pack: Assist with sorting food items into appropriate bins, pack items into boxes, weigh the boxes, and place on appropriate pallets for proper storage or distribution. Individual volunteers may be working with other groups or volunteers.
Distribution Support
Age 18 and up | Group of 10 people | Ability to lift up to 40 lbs
Assist with distributing food to individuals who participate in the mobile drive-thru distributions located throughout Champaign, Clark, and Logan County.
VOLUNTEER FAQs
What will I be doing?
To feed at-risk children, families, and seniors, we primarily need your help sorting, packing, and distributing food. By sorting, packing, and distributing, you help provide thousands of meals each month to our hungry neighbors in Southwest Ohio. Projects vary and may include:
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Evaluate, sort, and pack food.
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Bag bulk produce into family-sized portions.
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Pack food bags for children or boxes for senior citizens.
Other volunteer opportunities include supporting our administrative staff, delivering food to seniors, distributing food at a distribution site, or assisting with fundraising events.
How do I sign up to volunteer and when can I volunteer?
All volunteer shifts must be scheduled in advance. Walk-ins are not accepted. Schedules are based on the agency’s current needs and times available. We try to schedule volunteers for 2-4 hour time slots.
For our available volunteer hours or to receive email updates about upcoming volunteer opportunities, please contact Melena at (937) 325-8715 ext. 101 or email: mprasertsak@theshfb.org.
Can I bring a group of volunteers?
Yes, we rely heavily on our volunteer groups from companies, churches, and other community organizations.
Is there an age requirement to volunteer?
The minimum age for volunteers is 18 years old. Our projects take place in an industrial warehouse with dangerous operating equipment and safety is a major concern, particularly for young children.
Are there physical requirements to volunteer?
Volunteers must be able to sit, stand, walk, stoop, and communicate verbally by phone or in person. Volunteers must also be able to lift up to 30 pounds unassisted.
Is there a dress code?
The dress code for warehouse volunteers is casual and comfortable. All warehouse volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes. No high heels. Volunteers wearing sandals or flip-flops will not be allowed to volunteer.
Warehouse temperature changes with the weather outside. Clothing cannot be torn, grayed, dirty, or reveal any part of the cleavage, midriff, or buttocks. No spandex, no tank tops, no spaghetti strap tops, no hats or bandanas, no offensive pictures or slogans on shirts. Skirts or shorts must not be shorter than two (2) inches above the knee.
Gloves will be provided if they are necessary for the task.
Volunteers may be asked to follow a different dress code for special events and volunteer opportunities outside the warehouse.
What do I need to bring with me when I volunteer?
Volunteers do not need to bring anything with them unless they are required to have community service documentation for school or court. Volunteers may bring a refillable plastic water.
Bags and purses are not allowed in the warehouse. Lockers and a coat rack are provided for storing any items you do not want to keep in your car. Keep personal and valuable items to a minimum (i.e. electronics, jewelry, etc.), as Second Harvest Food Bank CCL is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.
Do I need to attend training to become a volunteer?
All volunteer opportunities require basic to intermediate training on safety and food handling. Advanced training may be required for specialized administrative or volunteer leader opportunities.
What do I need to know to stay safe in a warehouse?
Second Harvest Food Bank CCL is always concerned with the safety of all volunteers, employees, and guests. Volunteers work in a warehouse environment around hazardous equipment and chemicals. We want our volunteers to have a fun and rewarding experience while also abiding by our safety standards.
Read our hazardous material volunteer training.
Do I need to be there for the entire shift?
Yes. Each shift includes a welcome, training, time to work on the project, and a wrap-up that includes a report on how much was accomplished. When volunteers arrive late or leave early, they are unable to enjoy the full volunteer experience. If you cannot stay for the entire shift, please sign up to volunteer at another time.
What if I need to cancel my shift, or change my reservation?
To cancel your volunteer shift, please contact Melena at (937) 325-8715 ext. 101 or email: mprasertsak@theshfb.org.
Am I able to complete mandated community service hours for social service agencies or court?
Schools and/or corporations may require community service hours throughout the year.
Court Appointed Community Service hours will not be credited to volunteers working at any other time, or for any other volunteer opportunity. Volunteers with the following charges (past or present) are not eligible to complete their hours at Second Harvest Food Bank CCL: drugs or drug trafficking, violent crime, breaking and entering, theft, sexual abuse or assault.
Where are you located and where should I park?
Parking is available in the fenced-in parking lot located off of Columbia Street or Murray Street at the West end of the warehouse building.
The Second Harvest Food Bank CCL in Springfield is located East of downtown. The address is 20 North Murray Street, Springfield, OH 45503.
If you are volunteering for an off-site event, we will send you the address when you sign up for the volunteer project.
Where do I go and who is my contact when I arrive at Second Harvest?
Volunteers are to enter the glass doors. Sign in at the window. The Volunteer Specialist will greet you and provide you with an ID Badge.
What if I still have questions about volunteering?
We are happy to help! For our available volunteer hours or to receive email updates about upcoming volunteer opportunities, please contact Melena at (937) 325-8715 ext. 101, email: mprasertsak@theshfb.org .
COVID-19 FAQs
We are taking many additional steps to keep our facility, food, volunteers, and staff as safe as possible during this potential threat.
VOLUNTEERING
The safety of our staff and volunteers is very important to us. We have always had strict guidelines to keep our warehouse clean and safe, and we’re implementing additional best practices continually as we get new information from the World Health Organization, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and state and local government agencies and officials.
What are you doing to keep volunteer areas sanitized?
Our team is regularly sanitizing volunteer work areas and equipment including high touch surfaces, door handles, worktables, tape guns, markers, and pallet jack handles.
What are volunteers doing to help keep the facility, food, and other people safe?
Volunteers are required to wash their hands when entering the facility. Volunteers are always required to wear a face covering (unless fully vaccinated) and nitrile gloves (non-latex). These items will be provided to all volunteers upon arrival.
Who should not volunteer?
If you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or have recently traveled to an area impacted by COVID-19, we ask that you don’t volunteer at this time. Please review our health checklist before arriving for your shift. If you are healthy, and answer NO on all questions, please note that when you arrive at Second Harvest Food Bank CCL, we’ll have this form ready for you to sign before your shift starts. If you answer YES to any of these questions, please join us as a volunteer when you are symptom-free for 14 days.
By entering a Second Harvest Food Bank CCL facility, you indicate that you are fever-free and NOT experiencing any of the following symptoms:
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Subjective fever (feeling feverish/chills)
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New or worsening cough
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Shortness of breath
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Sore throat
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Diarrhea
Do you need volunteers?
Yes! We are conducting more neighborhood drive-thru distributions and building emergency food boxes for community members dealing with the impacts of COVID-19. We will continue to use volunteers to support all of our food distribution programs.
Can I bring a volunteer group?
We rely heavily on our volunteer groups from companies, churches, and other community organizations. We are now accepting groups of 10 to assist with Drive-thru Distributions.
Which volunteer opportunities are temporarily suspended?
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On-site Pantry Support
We are opening as many volunteer shifts as we can safely. Please note that project needs can change quickly depending on the changing needs in our community. Please visit our website and social media channels to stay informed of the latest volunteer opportunities.
What if I still have questions about volunteering?
We are happy to help! For our available volunteer hours or to receive email updates about upcoming volunteer opportunities, please contact Melena at (937) 325-8715 ext. 101, email: mprasertsak@theshfb.org.
BE AN ADVOCATE
Tell Ohio’s elected officials to support funding for Ohio’s foodbanks
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks and its statewide hunger relief network are seeking $30 million per year in the 2020-2021 state budget to support A Comprehensive Approach to Hunger Relief. By investing modestly up-front in access to nutritious, wholesome food, we can reduce health care costs and improve educational outcomes and worker productivity in the long-run. Add your name to our petition for state funding to fight hunger. Thank you for your support!
Start with Advocacy 101
Every organization and individual can make important contributions by being advocates. Advocacy doesn’t have to be a scary word! Watch this 15-minute video to learn the basics of advocating for programs and policies that help people in need.
Sign up and Take Action
Important policy decisions are being made that impact Ohio’s most vulnerable populations. We have the opportunity to take action. Find your elected officials and contact them to voice your concerns. Be informed of critical issues by signing up for action alerts or view past action alerts.
TELL YOUR STORY
Stories are a powerful tool in alleviating hunger and spreading awareness about the resources available to our community to fight food insecurity together. Sharing your experience with hunger can make a difference and help us feed more families in need. If you have utilized any of our services in the past, we want to hear from you.
You can become an advocate for our community by highlighting your experience with Second Harvest Food Bank. Your voice matters and your story is important to us, so please consider submitting your story below.
BECOME A DISTRIBUTION PARTNER
Does your organization have an interest in being a distribution partner by opening a pantry or food distribution location?
EMPTY BOWLS
Empty Bowls is a fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank and its member agencies in realizing our missions of eliminating food insecurities in Clark, Champaign, and Logan Counties, Ohio. Food insecurity remains high in our communities despite improvement in our local economies. The combined food insecurity rate for our three counties is only slightly lower (14%) when compared to the Ohio rate (16%) and slightly higher than the national rate (13.4%). Hunger among children is even more alarming. Ohio ranks 15th nationally with the highest food insecurity rates for children at 21.9%. In our own backyards, with a child food insecurity rate of 22.3%, nearly one in four children faces an empty bowl on a regular basis.
We can do better.
The Second Harvest Food Bank Empty Bowl events raise money locally so that we can address food insecurity locally. Local artisans (Scott Dooley, Matt Johnson, Sandy Winter, Bruce Grimes, Thelma Matthews and The Cracked Pot Studio potters) donate handmade bowls. Local school art departments (Wittenberg, Springfield High School, Graham Local Middle School, and Bellefontaine High School) have their students create and donate bowls. Local restaurants and bakeries donate gallons of soups and hundreds of loaves of bread to these events (click here to see which of your favorites are on the menus). Hundreds of people volunteer on event nights and hundreds of people show up to enjoy great food and fellowship. But it’s still not enough. Bowls are still empty, children are still hungry.
WE CAN DO BETTER
Become part of the local solution to End Hunger.
Sponsor one (or more!) of our Empty Bowls events, there’s a level to fit every budget, sponsorship forms will be available soon.
Attend the Empty Bowls event in your county (or come to all three!)
Donate, suggested contributions are $15 per bowl–start or add to your collection
Bring your friends and family, it’s going to take all of us to fill the bowls.
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