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 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.
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 best time to come is from 12 - 4 when our fresh foods have just come off the trucks and are ready to sort. We can accommodate groups of 6 - 30 people. You'll laugh, get your hands dirty, and go through about 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.
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’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 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 have many options for groups to volunteer with us from our daily three-hour food sort to an all-day ‘Do Good Work Do’ event. Let us know what suits you, your team and together, we'll make it happen. Email us at volunteering@fairfood.org.nz
Can I volunteer in the morning/evening/weekends?
Our current food sorting shifts are from Monday to Friday 12:15pm - 3:15pm and Saturday 10:30 - 1:30 Should this change, we’ll announce it on our social media channels or you can subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch. We may have other events where we need volunteers for weekends so let us know and we’ll keep in touch.
How long is a volunteer shift?
Our ‘business as usual’ daily food sorting shifts are between 12:15pm and 3:15pm Monday to Friday, and last between 2-3 hours depending on the amount of rescued food and volunteers!
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 have cover for the entire shift.
What are we doing to be COVID safe?
Our protocols are regularly reviewed along with the government covid-19 guidelines and our overall approach to health and safety and inclusivity. Our space is well-ventilated, masks are welcomed, and our charity distributions are contactless where possible.
How do I sign up?
Complete our volunteer application process and make sure you’re comfortable with the requirements of the role. We’ll send you a link to book in for an induction session before you start volunteering with us.
What happens during the induction?
This is a chance for you to get to know more about; – Fair Food and why we’re passionate about feeding people, not landfill – About who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going – What’s involved in being a Food Rescue Superhero – Our generous food donors – The impactful recipient charities we partner with throughout West Auckland – Then we'll get stuck in for the daily food sorting shift!
What happens on my first shift?
On your first day we'll provide flash-as aprons, hi-vis vests and buddy you up with our Super Sorter crew to help you to determine food which is 'fit to eat, fit to cook and fit to compost/animal feed'.
Do volunteers get paid?
We ‘pay’ our volunteers with aroha. Volunteering is a donation of your time that is not rewarded by money.
Do you make up food parcels at Fair Food?
We sort 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 people in need.
What are the main hazards in your workplace?
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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