We encourage you to stay updated on our volunteer opportunities by following us on social media @vanfoodbank. You can also learn about the different ways to give here.
Volunteering with the GVFB is an impactful way to provide healthy food to those in need. Thanks to our generous volunteers, we can support 15,000 clients directly and 150 Agency Partners – each month! Last year our volunteers donated 50,000 hours of their time – the equivalent of about 25 full-time staff.
Some benefits of volunteering:
We have taken the following precautions to ensure that everyone feels comfortable:
Volunteering at the GVFB Warehouse is a dynamic opportunity to support our operations department. Duties can include assembling nutrition program packs, date and quality checking donations, building orders, and assisting with cleaning and maintenance.
Volunteers will assist our staff with direct food distribution across our two sites: Vancouver and Burnaby. Volunteering at our distribution locations provides one–on–one interactions with food bank clients who are in need of weekly food support.
Our Vancouver and Burnaby Agencies markets provide weekly pick-up opportunities for approximately 150 Agency Partners. This include housing agencies, neighbourhood houses, after-school programs, transition houses, First Nations center’s, and many other organizations.
Throughout the year we hold community events to promote the GVFB, educate the public about what we do and generate donations. Events range from golf tournaments and grocery campaigns to festivals and seasonal events like Fore for Food.
Looking for a way for your team to give back to the community? Sign up as group volunteers.
Ready to donate your time to GVFB? Learn more to see what roles are available for you.
The following resources provide important information for our Individual and Group Volunteers:
For more resources, please review the Volunteer Handbook.
All volunteers must complete the application process and sign up for shifts through our volunteer portal (My Impact). We cannot accommodate drop-in volunteers.
Individual Volunteers:
Our individual volunteer opportunities are based on operational needs. Visit the Individual Volunteer page to see when our next round of applications opens.
Group Volunteers:
To explore the group schedule, start by submitting the Group Volunteering Application form. Please contact groupvolunteering@foodbank.bc.ca to inquire about specific dates and opportunities.
The minimum age to volunteer at the GVFB is 15 years old. Please note there are different age restrictions depending on the role.
All individual volunteers are required to complete a criminal record check. This is a free process offered through the GVFB. Once received, this form will be sent by the GVFB to the Ministry of British Columbia to be reviewed and processed. Upon request, staff can confirm whether you have been cleared to volunteer. As of January 2024, we will not be providing copies of clearance letters.
Corporate volunteers are not required to complete Criminal Record Checks.
If you receive a fingerprints request letter, you will need to make an appointment at your local RCMP detachment. The letter means the BC Ministry requires confirmation of your identity as there could be someone with a similar name and/or date of birth who is flagged in their system. We will reimburse the cost associated with obtaining fingerprints. Please send us an email with the receipt to volunteer@foodbank.bc.ca to receive your reimbursement.
We will only accept group applications that have a minimum of 4 volunteers. Maximum group capacities are dependent on the type of opportunity and location.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate these requests.
We require volunteers to arrive on time and stay for the entire shift to avoid disrupting the operational flow of our orientation, health and safety briefing and volunteer work.
The health and safety of our staff, volunteers, clients, and community partners are very important to us. To prevent the spread of communicable disease, we ask volunteers to cancel their shifts when experiencing illness.
Volunteers are not insured by WorkSafeBC should an injury occur at one of our volunteer sites.
We want to recognize and support our volunteers. Once you have completed 80 hours of volunteering you can request a reference letter at volunteer@foodbank.bc.ca.
We do not provide:
Yes! Our 3 main volunteer sites are accessible by transit. Parking availability varies among our locations, we suggest volunteers commute via transit when possible.
GVFB Warehouse, Burnaby Distribution and Head Office are located at 8345 Winston Street, Burnaby.
Production Street Skytrain, 10-minute walk.
Vancouver Distribution Site is located at 3454 Lougheed HWY, Vancouver.
Rupert Skytrain Station, 6-minute walk.
Vancouver Community Market is located at 1405 Thornton Street, Vancouver.
Main Street – Science World Skytrain station, 10-minute walk.
If you have not volunteered/signed up for a shift within 12 months your profile will be archived.
To reactivate your account, please contact volunteer@foodbank.bc.ca.
Returning volunteers who have been inactive for more than 2 years will be required to complete online, self-paced orientation before reactivating your volunteer account. This is to ensure that you are aware of recent operational changes.
For privacy purposes, we have restrictions regarding media of any kind. Advanced notice must be provided if you wish to take any content of your volunteer experience. If you are intending to take photos or videos of your volunteer experience, please let us know. Attached is our Media Consent and Release form.
Individual volunteers: The GVFB requires a minimum of 24 hours notice to cancel a volunteer shift.
Group/Event volunteers: The GVFB requires a minimum of 48 business hours notice to cancel a volunteer shift.
We require volunteers to arrive on time and stay for the entire shift to avoid disrupting the operational flow of our orientation, health and safety briefing, and volunteer work.
