Food Sorting & Repack

• Please remember these important food safety requirements before arriving for your shift.
  • Closed-toed shoes and shirts with sleeves (short-sleeved or longer) are required to volunteer. Sandals, flip-flops, tank tops, etc., are not appropriate for our project rooms.
  • Remove all jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, watches, and bracelets, ahead of your shift. Rings are allowed, as you will be wearing gloves.
• Print this handout before your shift to keep these reminders handy!

• Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before your shift start time to complete our volunteer sign-in process and attend our shift orientation.
• Our volunteer shifts start promptly to make every minute count! The shift orientation will include a brief overview of Second Harvest Foodbank and important food safety information, so please be on time or let us know in advance if you are expected to be late.
• It’s better to leave purses, bags, backpacks, and other valuables in your vehicle, as we do not have a secure place to store them. If you need to bring your items inside, we have volunteer cubbies available in our breakroom, however, they do not have locks.
• Remove all jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, watches, and bracelets, ahead of your shift. Rings are allowed, as you will be wearing gloves.

• Volunteer projects are completed while standing, lifting, and moving throughout the entire shift, and repetitive movements are common. A volunteer breakroom is available for your use anytime you need to take a break.
  • If you need accommodations to participate, please contact Volunteer Services by emailing volunteers@secondharvestsw.org or calling 608.216.7214 before signing up. We may occasionally have a project that allows for modified or seated work!
• During your volunteer shift, you may partake in a variety of projects that ensure we can distribute fresh, healthy foods to our community. Projects May Include:
  • Sorting food
  • Labeling food
  • Packaging bulk food into family-friendly portions
  • Helping clean the work area after the project

The strength of our efforts to end hunger in southwestern Wisconsin hinges on the exceptional commitment of our community partners and volunteers. A principal endeavor of Second Harvest Foodbank is to provide a safe, inclusive, and healthy atmosphere for all partners and collaborators, including volunteers and community members. Because of our commitment to safety and quality, we have created the following community agreement for all volunteers of Second Harvest Foodbank. By volunteering with Second Harvest you agree to the community expectations and will abide by the guidelines listed below.

Our community expectations of volunteers are:

1. Be respectful, kind, and courteous to everyone you engage with.
2. Contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all volunteers, partners, and staff.
3. Do not volunteer if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms: a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, chills, a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, new loss of taste or smell or any symptoms of a common cold.
4. Follow all warehouse protocols required by Second Harvest Foodbank- including wearing closed-toe shoes and shirts with sleeves, removing jewelry, wearing personal protective equipment.
5. Follow all food safety protocols required by Second Harvest Foodbank.
6. Follow all safety protocols required by Second Harvest Foodbank- including, but is not limited to proper lifting techniques, and appropriate use of pallets.
7. Record your volunteer hours for each shift through the appropriate sign-in system.
8. Wear a nametag when volunteering.
9. No tobacco use in the warehouse. This includes vape products.
10. Be on-time and responsible for completing your volunteer duties as agreed upon with the volunteer services coordinator.
11. Stay in contact with your supervisor and/or volunteer services coordinator with any questions/concerns regarding your volunteer experience.
12. Confidentiality of personal information is crucial. As a volunteer you agree that you will not disclose any confidential information received during the course of your volunteer assignment, during or at any time after the assignment has been completed.
13. We often snap photos of our volunteers & visitors at our sites. By volunteering on using your image and likeness as outlined in our full photo release policy.
14. Volunteer engagement is at will of Second Harvest Foodbank and may be ended at any time for any or no reason.
15. Report any accident or injury to the onsite Volunteer Coordinator or your direct supervisor as soon as possible.

By volunteering I consent to the photographing of my person and property and the use of my photograph, name, likeness, voice, and words (“Photographs”) and grant to SHF and anyone authorized by them (collectively, “SHF and its agents”) permission to use, reproduce, display, broadcast, alter, modify, and/or copyright and renew all Photographs or likeness, taken by SHF or provided to SHF, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, use in advertising, promotional, public relations, educational and fundraising materials, all media, including, without limitation, in broadcast, cable, electronic and print media (“SHF Materials”), without limitations or compensation (such use being defined herein as the “Use”). I agree that the Photographs, images and likeness become the property of SHF, and may not be returned. I understand that SHF, shall own all rights and I waive any right to inspect or approve of my images use in SHF Materials. I understand that I will not have any rights of ownership. I understand that my photograph and likeness will not necessarily be used by virtue of this agreement.

For more information, see our complete Photo Release Policy here.

We understand that life can be unpredictable, and there may be times when you are unable to make it to your scheduled volunteer shift. However, we ask that you let us know of your cancellation in advance to allow us to free your spot for another volunteer to sign up. You can contact Volunteer Services at volunteers@secondharvestsw.org or call 608-216-7214 to notify us of your cancellation, or remove yourself directly from the Sign Up Genius schedule.

By signing up to volunteer at Second Harvest Foodbank you are agreeing to our volunteer cancellation policy and will abide by the guidelines below.

1. Individual volunteers must inform Second Harvest of their cancellation at least 12-24 hours before their scheduled shift or remove their reservation on Sign Up Genius. If an individual volunteer repeatedly fails to show up for their scheduled shift without notifying us, we will notify them and remove them from the volunteer schedule.
2. If you are the organizer of a group, please notify Second Harvest if there is a change in the number of volunteers scheduled, or if you need to cancel 1 week before your scheduled volunteer date.
3. All volunteers participating in a group are expected to commit to the entirety of the shift that the organization has scheduled unless we are notified in advance.

Masks are optional and available at our front desk at Second Harvest facilities. This is in alignment with our commitment to following CDC guidelines.

You are invited to review the Second Harvest COVID Protocol ahead of your shift.

• We at Second Harvest encourage you to reflect on your experience and use the resources below to further your connection to the community:
  • Connecting the Cause
  • Morgridge Center for Public Service: Community Engagement Preparation Resources
  • TED Talk: How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them
  • University of Memphis’ Comparison Between Asset and Deficit Based Approaches

• Educate yourself and others about food insecurity and food systems.

• Food insecurity is a complex issue that isn’t always easy to solve. We’ve linked some resources to help you learn more and reflect on the ways our communities can tackle hunger:

• • Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap
  • Feeding Wisconsin’s State of Hunger
  • Hunger Stats

• Support community through other pathways to service:

• • Second Harvest recognizes that the opportunity to volunteer is not available to everyone in our community. We also thank those that choose to help end food insecurity by means of community organizing, advocacy, philanthropy, voting, and self-education.