Food Preparation & Packing Volunteer - South Bridgwater (TA6 6JE)

As a Food-Bagging Volunteer, you’ll be playing a vital part in making sure residents receive food parcels. With another volunteer, you’ll sort and organise surplus food delivered to our venue, ensuring bags are evenly made up and full of delicious food for our members each week. You’ll ensure that enough bags are made up while following social distancing and food hygiene practices. 

About The Local Pantry: 

The Local Pantry combines surplus food and the help of volunteers to create nutritious food parcels for the community. Members of the scheme will receive a weekly food box (containing between £15 - £25 worth of food) at a cost of just £3.50 per week, freeing up more money for essentials and reducing food bills as well as the amount of quality food being wasted. 

We have 3 main aims:

• To improve nutrition and reduce hunger 
• To strengthen communities while encouraging friendships 
• To stop food going to landfill 

Location: South Bridgwater Together Team Hub, 2-3 Grenville House, Hamp, Rhode Lane, TA6 6JE.

What does a Food Preparation & Packing Volunteer do? 

Each week, you’ll help with the receiving and unloading of food supplies, which are then packed into individual parcels ready for Pantry members to collect. Working with other volunteers, you’ll make sure the food is free from damage and is suitable for consumption, and you’ll ensure that all refrigerated food is stored correctly within the fridges. There’s plenty of time for a chat and some food before the members (local residents) start to arrive, when you’ll then help to pass out their food parcel. 

To apply for this role you should be: 

• A confident communicator with a good level of written/ spoken English
• A team player, working well with your fellow volunteers
• Well organised and able to multitask in a busy environment
• Able to (with correct posture and ease) lift and move heavy bags or containers of food
• Happy to learn about and uphold food hygiene standards.

Skills you’ll learn

• Teamwork: You’ll work as part of a team with one other volunteer, ensuring our whole service can take place by bagging up the food
• Relationship building: You’ll build lasting relationships with your fellow volunteers and the wider Pantry staff.
• Time management: you will be required to keep organised and bag up food in a timely and organised way, ready for members’ arrival
• Food Hygiene: In order to run our service you’ll be taught how to correctly manage and handle food in a community setting.  

What to expect from us:

• Ongoing, regular visits, support and advice from the Pantry Director
• Expenses covered in line with our volunteer policy
• Ad-hoc training, which might include safeguarding and first aid
• Impressive skills to add to your CV and a reference if/ when you need it
• The opportunity to work with a group of like-minded people
• The opportunity to make a difference during a challenging time.

For more information, please call Liam on 07826433720 

Safeguarding statement 

Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – The Local Pantry is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare / wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk. It expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.