Skill-Based Volunteering

Explore a variety of volunteer and internship roles that offer flexible options to contribute your skills weekly or monthly.

Check back regularly for new needs and opportunities!

Explore Our Current Volunteer Opportunities:

  • We are looking for individuals and groups for daily food repack shifts at our Madison distribution center, Monday through Saturday, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am and 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
  • Learn more and sign up to volunteer here!

Distribution Center Support volunteers help gather food orders onto pallets, using a pallet jack to move and prepare food for distribution to our partner pantries.

Lead Project Support volunteers play a supportive role in our volunteer project spaces by being a resource for questions during volunteer shifts, helping move pallets of finished food, and assisting with project clean-up. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to use their Second Harvest volunteer expertise to support a positive volunteer experience.

Bakery volunteers help sort, inspect, categorize, and package bakery items following provided guidelines.

  • This role requires a volunteer application, training, and onboarding before service begins.
  • Learn more and apply for this role by visiting our Volunteer Opportunity Directory!

Dry Goods Sorting volunteers inspect, categorize, and package shelf-stable, dry goods donations into 17 different categories to prepare them for distribution to our 16-county service area.

  • This role requires a volunteer application, training, and onboarding before service begins.
  • Learn more and apply for this role by visiting our Volunteer Opportunity Directory!

Donation Desk volunteers assist our partner pantries with their pickup orders and receive all drop-off donations at our Madison distribution center.

  • This role requires a volunteer application, training, and onboarding before service begins
  • Learn more and apply for this role by visiting our Volunteer Opportunity Directory!

Volunteer drivers deliver up to 5 pallets of food to our partners throughout our service area, using a Second Harvest vehicle.

  • This role requires a volunteer application, background check, motor vehicle registration check, onboarding, and training before service begins.

Your Guide to Skill-Based Volunteering at Second Harvest

To learn more about what’s required for a specific volunteer role, view our Current Volunteer Opportunities above.

  • For our Skill-Based roles, most have a minimum age requirement of 18 years or older. To learn more about what’s required for a specific volunteer role, view our Current Volunteer Opportunities above.
  • For our Food Sorting & Repack role, volunteers must be 12 years or older, and volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of their shift. For every 5 youth, 1 adult should plan to volunteer with the group.

Depending on the role, we ask volunteers to commit their time on a weekly or monthly basis, with a commitment of up to 6 months. To learn more about what’s required for a specific volunteer role, view our Current Volunteer Opportunities above.

Some volunteer roles may be subject to availability and may require an interview, volunteer application, background check, motor vehicle registration check, or additional training before beginning service. To learn more about what’s required for a specific volunteer role, view our Current Volunteer Opportunities above.

Connect With Us!

Still have questions or unsure where to start? Contact Brie McNett, our Volunteer Services Coordinator, or sign up for a volunteer orientation and tour!

Brie McNett
she/her/hers
Volunteer Services Coordinator

 608-216-7214 volunteers@secondharvestsw.org