Houston Food Bank Volunteer Opportunities
For additional volunteering opportunities
Herzstein Facility
Herzstein is a Packaging and Distribution setting. Volunteers will assist with various tasks such as packing food boxes, re-packing boxed food, packaging rice or pulling “grocery” orders that local agencies will take to their communities. This facility is ideal for groups of 5 to 300.
Address
3811 Eastex Freeway
Houston, TX 77026
Dress: Closed toe shoes and comfortable clothing
Parking: Parking is available in the main parking lot in the front of the building, on Vintage street next to the building, and in the dirt lot across from the building. Carpooling is encouraged.
Breaks: Volunteers will have a break during their volunteer shift
Volunteers Task Specifics
The Line
This is an important job at the Houston Food Bank! Volunteers are needed to assess and sort boxes of food items and household products that have been donated by local grocery stores and collected at food drives.
Repack Room
The Houston Food Bank receives donations of items such as diapers, beans and rice in very large quantities. Volunteers are needed to repack bulk items into smaller quantities. Other duties include: presorting, relabeling products and preparing for special events.
Finder of Food
Houston Food Bank member agencies place orders for items that they need in order to serve their clients. Volunteers are needed to fill these orders from the warehouse inventory. Some heavy lifting may be required.
Family Boxes
Volunteers are needed to box pre-selected food items to complete a box of groceries to feed a family of four for 2-3 days. The boxes are put together following the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and include a booklet with menus and recipes.
Volunteer Days and Times
Monday - Thursday Friday
Shift Times Shift Time
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday Shift Time: 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday Shift Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Northwest Mall Location
These positions are the driving force behind the work that we do on a daily basis. They are very hands on, are designed for groups of 10 to 50 and are great for team building. Using a high level assembly process, volunteers help meet the demand of over 10,000 box assembly per month. Volunteers work inside of the former JC Penney store. This facility is a Packaging and Distribution setting.
Address
9600 Hempstead Highway
Houston, TX 77092
Dress: Closed toe shoes and comfortable clothing
Parking: Ample parking is available in the lot in front of the JC Penney loading dock
Breaks: Volunteers will have a break during their volunteer shift
Volunteers Task Specifics
Senior Food Box Preparation
According to the USDA Household Food Security in the United States 2008 report, Texas is ranked #3 among the top ten states that exhibited statistically significant higher household food insecurity rates than the national average.
The Senior Food Box Program meets a basic need of the elderly in our community. The box prep will provide a senior with a 2-3 day supply of food.
Back Pack Buddy Preparation
This program is in operation during the school year only. Volunteers prepare food bags that will meet the food needs of children over the weekend.
Disaster Relief Box Preparation
Volunteers will prepare food boxes that will be distributed in the event that our community experiences a natural disaster.
Volunteer Days and Times
Monday - Thursday Friday
Shift Times: Shift Time:
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Volunteer Dates: September 18th, December 20th
Shift Time
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Keegan Facility
Keegan is a professional kitchen setting that supplies pre-cooked packaged food to various programs in the Houston community, including Meals on Wheels and Kids Cafe. This volunteer opportunity is ideal for group sizes 10 to 30.
Volunteers work as a team to meet the daily Keegan goal of 2,000 meals cooked, prepared and packaged for distribution. Volunteers will perform various kitchen duties while under the oversight of a trained Chef and his culinary team.
Address
2445 North Freeway
Houston, TX 77009
Dress: closed toe shoes, long pants, comfortable clothing and a baseball cap.
Parking: Lot with limited parking, carpooling is encourage. Can also park in the street on Melwood.
Breaks: Volunteers will have a break during their volunteer shift
Volunteers Task Specifics
Fierce Food Prep
The Keegan Kitchen prepares fresh meals, beginning with basic food prep such as de-canning fruit, chopping fresh vegetables and preparing basic meal items that will go into the final packaged meal. Volunteers are the driving force behind food prep.
Pack out
Each day, a variety of meals will be prepared for distribution. The Pack Out volunteers will begin the assembly process that leads to 5 unique meals, ensuring that the correct food is going in the right meal box.
Assembling meals
In the end the meals must be sealed and packaged for delivery. This final assembly of the packaged meal happens through volunteer hands.
Volunteer Days and Times
Monday – Thursday
We have recently started the Serving for Success program at the Keegan. Volunteers must be over 19 to work in the kitchen Monday - Thursday.
Shift Times:
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday
Volunteers 16 and up.
Shift Times:
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Keegan Guidelines
Thank you for your gift of time!