Volunteer

AFAC hosts group volunteers to help bag and sort food in our warehouse!  Bagging events are held on weekdays at 2:00-3:30 pm and on Saturdays at 1:00-2:30 pm for groups of 5-15 people.  If you are interested, please fill out this form.  For any additional questions, contact Chabeli Wells at volunteer@afac.org or 571-384-1447. 

We also offer group volunteering at farms to glean fresh produce!  Gleanings are held around June to October each year at local farms and orchards.  For more information, please visit our gleaning page or email Chabeli Wells at volunteer@afac.org. 

If your organization or company would like to make a bigger impact, please consider participating in our Sponsor Purchased Food (SPF) program!  This is a great option for groups with 20 people or more and offers more flexibility in time and venue.  For more information, please contact Jolie Smith at jolie.smith@afac.org or visit our SPF page. 

*AFAC is closed on all federal holidays and does not hold group bagging events on these days*

Teenagers younger than 14 must volunteer with a parent or guardian. Teenagers under 18 must have a Minor Hold Harmless form filled out by their parents before volunteering.

Individual volunteers can use the online volunteer calendar to sign up for many volunteering activities. If you don't have an active account, please fill out a volunteer profile form.

On the online calendar, you'll find one-time volunteer opportunities such as:

• Bagging
• Food Distribution
• Sorting
• Restocking
• Helping at Food Drives

AFAC also has a summer teen program for rising 9^th – 12^th graders between the ages of 14-17. Visit our summer teen program page for more information.

Projects for Scouts

Scouts can help fulfill merit badge and silver and gold award requirements by designing and implementing special projects for AFAC. In past years, scouts have helped organize and recruit gleaning teams to pick vegetables for clients and held food drives in the community. The possibilities are endless! Send an email to volunteer@afac.org if you are interested in undertaking a project for AFAC.

To volunteer inside AFAC's warehouse, volunteers must be 12 and older. Children younger than 14 must volunteer with a parent or guardian. Everyone under 18 must have a Minor Hold Harmless form filled out by their parents before volunteering.

See the list below of many ways children under 12 can help. Please contact us at volunteer@afac.org with questions about any activity.

AFAC Organized Activities

• Participate in one of our grocery store food drives
• Pick fruits and vegetables on a gleaning trip
• Tour of AFAC/Sponsor Purchased Food/Scouting patch

At Your Convenience

• Door to door neighborhood food drive
• Lemonade Stand/Bake Sale/Allowance %
• Create your own fundraiser

Arlington Food Assistance Center Young Professionals group (YPs) consist of 21-40 year-olds in Arlington who raise awareness of hunger in our community and support AFAC's mission through volunteering, social, and networking events.

Follow this link to an online volunteer profile form. We will send a welcome email and then add you to the Young Professionals mailing list to receive updates on upcoming events and opportunities.

AFAC YP Monthly Bagging Night

3rd Monday of each month
Bagging Nights always start at 7:00 p.m. Meet us in the AFAC Warehouse, 2708 S. Nelson Street. Bagging will last 1 hour. Please sign up using the online calendar. If you need assistance using the calendar, please email volunteer@afac.org.

AFAC YP Distribution Night 

2nd Thursday of each month
Distribution hours are 6:00-7:00 pm. If you are registered in the AFAC volunteer system, please sign up to help using the online calendar. If you need assistance using the calendar, please email volunteer@afac.org.

AFAC accepts a limited number of court-ordered or lawyer recommended volunteers. We do not accept charges that involve larceny/theft, assault/violence or sexual misconduct. Volunteers can earn up to 40 hours of service at AFAC. We will request to see documentation stating your offense so please keep that in mind.

Volunteer Application for Court Ordered & Lawyer Recommended Hours

All court-ordered volunteers must fill out a Volunteer Profile Form, in advance of service noting the hours of service needed and completion date. Email Danielle Rampton at danielle.rampton@afac.org after you filled out the profile form to discuss your charge and set a schedule. Community service volunteers must work under the supervision of a staff member and may only schedule shifts through a staff member in the volunteer department.

If you do not complete a profile form and set a schedule through a staff member in the Volunteer Department, we will not be able to credit you for your time. Please bring your court documentation or a letter from your lawyer and a photo ID to your first volunteer shift or you can scan the documents/ take a photo of them and send to danielle.rampton@afac.org.

If you are under 18, please have a parent or guardian fill out a minor hold harmless form before you start your hours at AFAC.

Scheduling

A schedule will be set for you to complete your hours at AFAC. Our warehouse has limited space, so a schedule is created based on the number of volunteers we are already expecting. Based on availability, hours can be earned between 7:30am – 4:30pm Monday through Friday, 7:00am – 3:00pm Saturday, and 5:30-7:30pm Thursday evenings. These are the times when staff will be present. Please stick to the schedule that you are assigned. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please send an email or call our office during normal business hours.

Volunteers have access to sign up for volunteering opportunities using our online calendar. Please do not use this calendar to sign up for volunteer slots. These opportunities do not have staff members present and you will not be able to count these hours towards your community service totals.

Volunteering at AFAC

Dress code – You must wear closed-toe shoes to volunteer in AFAC’s warehouse and distribution area. The temperature in the warehouse is unpredictable and often chilly. Please be prepared by dressing comfortably in layers.

Entering the building – Our double doors in front are usually locked, so use the single door on the side and knock. Let a volunteer or staff member know you are here to volunteer. Your PIN is probably your home phone number without the area code. We have a PIN book by the computer in case you don’t know your PIN.

Logging in hours – Make sure to sign in and sign out using the computer in the office. This logs the hours you are completing for your community service. If you do not sign in, we will not be able to verify the hours.

Duties – While at AFAC, you may be asked to do several things in our warehouse: help out with our distribution, restock shelves, sweep/mop the floors, assist with loading and unloading from vehicles, etc. You may also be asked to go offsite with one of our staff drivers to help with food pickups or drop offs. If you are unsure of what to do, please ask a warehouse staff member what needs to be done. If you are unable to stand or lift, please let us know. We have a few jobs that can be done while seated.

Lunch Break – If you are volunteering for an entire day, you are allowed to leave the premises to take a lunch break. You can also bring a bagged lunch to eat here. Before you go on break, make sure you sign out on the computer and sign back in when you return.

Food at AFAC - AFAC strives to be a good steward of our food donations, getting as much food to our client families as possible. We ask volunteers to check with staff before opening AFAC's food to eat or taking food from AFAC home.

Client privacy – We respect the privacy of our clients. Stories about clients for promotional purposes are acceptable but please exclude any names to ensure anonymity. Suggestions about our services should be brought to the attention of staff and considered in-house.

Respect – Many of our clients are living in high-stress situations. Respect and empathy are important while volunteering here. If an uncomfortable situation arises, please alert an AFAC staff member.

Safety – Please be careful when you volunteer here at AFAC. There are many potential hazards in our warehouse. Pay attention to your surroundings at all times to avoid injuries. To ensure the safety of fellow volunteers, employees and clients, weapons of any kind are prohibited at AFAC. Community service volunteers who show up under the influence will be asked to leave and complete their hours elsewhere.

Completion of Community Service

You will receive a letter on AFAC letterhead and a time sheet stating your completion of community service hours. If you are completing your hours during normal business hours, a staff member in the volunteer office can hand this to you once you sign out. If you are completing hours on the weekend or evenings, please send an email stating your requirements.