The First Church Stoneham Food Pantry is staffed entirely by volunteers. There are several opportunities to serve at the Pantry. Volunteers are needed to pack food orders, pick up and process donations, and deliver food orders. 

 

• Volunteers MUST:

  • be able and willing to volunteer for a period of time and commit to a schedule

  • at least 18 years of age

  • complete and sign a release form

  • be capable of lifting at least 20 lbs

  • be vaccinated against Covid-19

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Pack client orders: (Need individuals who can fill in on an as-needed basis) Assist with packing orders Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. until as late as 12:30 p.m.  Must work quickly, be capable of repeatedly lifting bags weighing 10 lbs, and stand for the entire duration.  Some restocking also required.  Volunteers must be willing to commit to the same week each month. 

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Assist guests on order pickup days: (Currently no openings) Weekly on Thursdays between 9:30-1:00 pm. Duties include greeting customers, carrying grocery bags to vehicles, restocking shelves, and clean-up. Volunteers must be able to lift at least 20 lbs and capable of carrying multiple bags of groceries up a short flight of eight steps multiple times.  (Good knees and back are a must!)

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Transport food from Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell to First Church:  (Currently no openings) Most pickups are scheduled for Mondays at 10:00 am. The volunteer must have a valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle that can transport up to 600 lbs of food. A strong back is required to load and unload the order as some boxes weigh up to 50 lbs. The drive to the food bank, loading, return trip, and unloading at the pantry takes approximately 1.25 hours.

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Deliver Orders to Homebound:  (Currently no openings) On the third Wednesday of each month between 11:15 and 1:00 pm. Work as a team with other volunteers to pick up the orders from the pantry and deliver to the clients. Must have a valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle.  A strong back and good knees are a must for carrying orders up several flights of stairs.

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Process food donations:  Check dates, sort, and box up community food donations, and stock pantry shelves.  Requires being able to lift boxes and bags weighing up to 20 lbs.  Generally need volunteers on week days following delivery of scheduled food drive donations.  The busiest months for processing donations are May, November and December.  If you would like to be contacted when these opportunities arise, please send us an email to be put on the volunteer contact list.​​

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If you are interested in learning more about volunteering, please contact us at 781-438-0097 or email us at fccstonehampantry@gmail.com.