You're the main ingredient in our mission.
Join our team of dedicated volunteers who make Food Outreach's mission possible! Whether you are cooking in the kitchen, portioning and packaging medically tailored meals, or bagging clients' grocery orders, there is a role for everyone!
You Can Make a Difference
You're the reason we can do this work. Here's where you can plug in.
Nutrition Center Grocery Packing
Help fill clients' grocery orders in our Nutrition Center.
3-Portion Meal Pack
Help portion, package, seal, and label hundreds of our scratch-made, medically tailored meals in just a few hours.
Client Home Delivery Box Packing
Pack home delivery boxes headed out to clients across the region.
Cook with Chef
Assist our chefs with preparing and cooking our scratch-made, medically tailored meals. May involve handling of seafood, meat, or other allergens.
Nutrition Center Re-Stocking
Help keep our Nutrition Center and home delivery bags stocked and organized for our clients.
Special Event Assistance
Support Food Outreach events, including our annual October fundraiser.
Volunteer power, by the numbers
Our volunteers are the backbone of Food Outreach — serving nearly 2,000 individuals living with HIV/AIDS or cancer. In an organization with just 16 staff members, their time makes our mission possible.
Volunteer Sign-Up
Browse open shifts and register directly below — powered by Bloomerang.
Must be 16 or older — our kitchen involves industrial equipment, heavy materials, and sharp objects. A waiver is required before your first shift, completed at our Volunteer Hub.
Open Bloomerang in a new tab →Your time is one of our most valuable gifts
Whether you have a few hours a month or want a recurring weekly shift, there's a role that fits your schedule.
Fulfilling court-ordered hours at Food Outreach
We accept volunteers completing court-ordered community service for select minor offenses. A staff member verifies your offense before you're approved to volunteer.
Food Outreach also cannot fulfill court-ordered community service hours for any offense that took place outside the State of Missouri.
Community Service Volunteer Expectations
- 1Our team will do our best to help you achieve your community service hours for any minor offenses. However, we cannot guarantee shift availability, so please plan ample time to achieve your hours over weeks or even months.
- 2We will not prioritize community service volunteers over previously scheduled volunteers and groups. If a shift is full, you can select to be waitlisted should a spot become available.
- 3You are expected to arrive on time for your assigned shifts. The agency will provide one courtesy exception for missed shifts. If a shift is missed more than once, you will not be allowed to continue volunteering.
- 4You are responsible for signing in/out on the iPads and keeping track of your hours. Hours are recorded only upon signing out before departure. Any falsification of hours will result in immediate termination.
- 5Please note that a Food Outreach staff member will verify your offense on Missouri Case Net or with a court before permitting you to volunteer at the agency.
- 6Please wait 5 business days before reaching out to confirm the status of your request to volunteer. Once approved, you will be notified and allowed to sign up for volunteer shifts in our system.
- 7Any community service volunteer who does not proceed through this vetting process will not have their hours verified for a court or parole officer by Food Outreach.
- 8Upon completion of your service hours, a Food Outreach representative will write a letter to the court or probation officer if needed. Contact madeline@foodoutreach.org to have this letter generated.
How to Sign Up for Court-Ordered Community Service
- 1Follow the link to our volunteer website. Click sign-up for this organization.
- 2Complete every required field of the registration form, being sure to indicate "Yes," you are completing court-ordered volunteer service.
- 3Enter your Missouri Case Number, indicate if you have reviewed our Court-Ordered Community Service Volunteer Guidelines, and indicate — from these guidelines — how many shifts you are able to miss.
- 4Fill out the remainder of the form and submit your account.
- 5You will receive a confirmation email that your submission was received.
- 6A Food Outreach staff member will be in contact within 5 business days regarding the status of your request.
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Looking for a team bonding activity, group outing, or corporate volunteer event? Bring your group to volunteer with Food Outreach! Groups are welcome to volunteer for any of our open shifts.
Larger groups · 7–16 people
3-Portion Meal Packing shift.
Thursdays, 10am–1pm, or Saturdays, 8am–12pm.
Smaller groups · 2–7 people
Cook with Chef or Nutrition Center Client Grocery Packing.
Tuesday–Saturday, times vary.
Plan in advance, as availability is limited. Please contact Madeline at madeline@foodoutreach.org to schedule. Group participants must be confirmed prior to making a reservation — spots are held for up to one week prior to the volunteer event to ensure proper volunteer coverage.
Other Ways to Help
Not able to volunteer right now? There are other ways to support our clients.
Become part of the team.
Every shift — from grocery packing to event support — helps us deliver meals to neighbors facing serious illness.