Older Adult Center Support at Community Kitchen & Pantry

Project Description:
The Community Kitchen and Pantry in Harlem offers a variety of food support for Seniors who are 60 years of age or older, including a senior program, which runs on weekdays. Volunteers are needed to assist with running various workshops and activities.

Due to the limited number of volunteer slots available for this particular project, each volunteer’s presence is critical for its success. Last-minute cancellations or no-shows can significantly impact the smooth running of the day’s activities. We ask that all volunteers commit to attending on their scheduled date.

Tasks during the shift may include:

• Setting up the dining room with tables, coffee maker, snack cart, and sign in sheets
• Assisting with activities such as workshops, games, or crafts
• Conducting phone and in-person outreach to boost attendance.
• Engaging and socializing with clients in our senior program. This is a fun opportunity for volunteers to engage with our seniors and keep them active in the community!
• Helping with clean-up at the end of the day
• Supporting Senior Lunch Service if extra help is needed

Things to consider: 

• Volunteers will have the opportunity to break for lunch.
• If you are bilingual, please let us know onsite! 
• We ask that you are flexible as the positions may vary or change based on the demand of distribution for the day. 
• Limited onsite storage is available for personal belongings, but we recommend traveling light and leaving valuables at home. Please bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the shift.
• Outdoor activity may be required.
• All volunteers must agree to our Volunteer Waiver and Photo Release Waiver in order to participate.
• Please only register for this opportunity if you are sure you can attend for the full shift duration. If anything changes with your availability, please cancel your registration on the Volunteer Portal at least 24 hours in advance.
• See here for our Volunteer Guidelines.   
• All Volunteers are welcome to access Food Bank For New York City’s services, which you can find outlined on our website here. In order to ensure we have proper volunteer support, we ask that volunteers wishing to access our services do so before or after their scheduled volunteer time. Please note, some of Food Bank For New York City’s services may have eligibility requirements and therefore not all volunteers may be eligible to receive all services. 

​Dress Code: Please review carefully as kitchen activity may be required. Our dress code is critical to ensuring the safety of our volunteers as well as to preserving the quality of the food.

• Volunteers must wear clothing that completely covers the chest, shoulders, underarms, torso and knees.
• Volunteers are expected to present a neat appearance and dress according to the requirements of the volunteer shift. Please refrain from wearing see-through clothing. 
• Sturdy, closed-toe, closed-heel shoes are required for safety. Ballet flats, loafers, sandals, slide shoes, flip flops, Crocs, and high-heels are not allowed.  
• When needed, volunteers will be provided with hair nets and aprons onsite. Please be prepared to tie long hair back.  
• Our staff reserves the right to turn away or reassign volunteers not dressed appropriately for their shift.