Food Sorting
Have fun while sorting through fresh food donations, so they can feed people not landfills. Join us any afternoon or on Saturdays. You'll need to be ready to uphold safe working practices. There's lots of manual handling, including lifting and carrying up to 20kg throughout the shift. You'll help us maintain a safe, clean warehouse environment at all times. We've got other basic duties including vehicle washing, fridge/freezer cleaning, general housekeeping, meal prep. We will not ask you to do anything unreasonable or beyond your capability.
Conscious Kitchen Assistant
If you love wonky produce and are passionate about making sure nutritious food is never wasted, the Conscious Kitchen is a great place for you to showcase your skills. There's always dishes to wash, jars to prep, produce to chop, cooked food to package, and plenty to cook or bake by yourself or with a team. Our Head Chef and Volunteer Manager will help along the way.
Saturday Sorters
Sort fresh produce from 10:30 - 11:30 and then join a zero waste cooking experience from 11:30 - 2:00. You'll get to eat whatever we cook.
Food Sorting
Have fun while sorting through fresh food donations, so they can feed people not landfills. Join us any afternoon or on Saturdays. Register your interest through our Volaby platform. You'll need to be ready to uphold safe working practices. There's lots of manual handling, including lifting and carrying up to 20kg throughout the shift. You'll help us maintain a safe, clean warehouse environment at all times. We've got other basic duties including vehicle washing, fridge/freezer cleaning, general housekeeping, meal prep. We will not ask you to do anything unreasonable or beyond your capability.
Conscious Kitchen Chef
We rescue food daily from supermarkets, growers and manufacturers which sees us rescue an abundance of bananas. For the banana's that are not aesthetically appealing we want to upcycle and repurpose them so they can still go out to those in need.
What you'll do
We love having groups come through to volunteer at our Hub in Avondale. The volunteer session runs from 11:45am - 3:15pm. We can accommodate groups upto 15 people. You'll laugh, get your hands dirty, and go through over 1 tonne of fresh produce and goods that are fit to eat, cook, or compost. Every kg of food we save from landfill can make three meals for someone who needs them.
Read more about volunteering at Fair Food in our Volunteer Handbook or watch this short YouTube video made with some of our mates.
Jazz up your next morning tea as a fundraiser for Fair Food. Raise awareness of food waste, enjoy some awesome kai and do good too.
$1 = 2 meals for people in need, PLUS you’ll save greenhouse emissions by helping divert good food from landfill.
Extra food? We’ll get a food rescue superhero onto it to get your good food to people who need it.
Margot
Margot has been volunteering at Fair Food with her friends at A Supported Life. They come in once a week and chop up bananas to send to our friends at Leataata O Tupulaga Ole Pasefika for Suafa’i (Samoan Banana Porridge).
Jill
Jill volunteers because she has the time, and likes to use that time to contribute in a meaningful way in the community.
“There are many volunteering opportunities, but I chose Fair food because I believe that every person has the fundamental right to be free from hunger. I sort fresh food donations, so that this food can feed people, not landfills”.
Sarah & Jenni
Sarah (left) volunteers once a week and is an essential asset to our Tuesday volunteer crew!
Jenni (right) has been volunteering with us twice a week since 2021. She was awarded our volunteer of the year for her commitment to Fair Food and her amazing skills on our kai tables.
Can I volunteer with Fair Food if I'm under 16yrs?
Absolutely! Volunteers between 12-16 years old need to be accompanied by a guardian. If you are 16 years and over, you can come on your own or with your friends and whanau.
Can I volunteer with Fair Food if I have a disability?
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to contribute to their community. Get in touch with us at volunteering@fairfood.org.nz to discuss your specific requirements.
Can I volunteer with Fair Food if we’re a corporate group?
Absolutely! We love getting to know new people as they take a break from their normal 9 to 5. When groups come as a team, we have to resource the Hub differently, so we ask for a $200 volunteering fee if you are bringing a big team. Otherwise, individuals are welcome to sign up anytime at no cost.
Can I volunteer with Fair Food if I’ve only got an hour or so spare?
Food sorters need to be available for at least two hours however, there are many ways you can volunteer with Fair Food including skills-based volunteering. Skills we routinely need are photographers, general admin, and housekeeping.
Can I volunteer in the morning/evening/weekends?
Yes! We cook fresh kai in the mornings from 9:30 - 12:30, and if you're not much of a cook, we also welcome people who want to chop, chat, or do the dishes. Our current food sorting shifts on Saturday is from 10:30 - 1:30.
Can I leave early for the school run?
Absolutely! We have lots of parents, grandparents and caregivers volunteering with us. Just give us a heads up, so we can make sure we plan for it.
What are we doing to be COVID safe?
Our space is well-ventilated, masks are welcomed, and our charity distributions are contactless where possible. Our protocols are regularly reviewed along with the government covid-19 guidelines and our overall approach to health and safety and inclusivity.
How do I sign up?
There's a volunteer calendar on Sign Up Genius. Just pick the shift that looks good to you, and we'll provide training on your first day: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dabab29a7fdc61-fair#/
Do volunteers get paid?
Volunteering is a donation of your time that is not rewarded by money, but we promise there are lots of perks to joining us.
Do you make up food parcels at Fair Food?
We sort fresh food for charities rather than each individual family. The kai you pack will be picked up by one of our charity leaders who will then make sure it's matched to the needs of the people they serve.
What are the main hazards in the Hub?
We work in a high-energy warehouse where the number one hazard is people - staff and volunteers alike! Our volunteers work separately from our high hazard area (forklifts, vehicle access etc) to keep everyone safe. During your induction, we’ll also talk about good manual handling practices.
If you have any questions, that are not covered here, please get in touch with us at volunteering@fairfood.org.nz
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