From Pallet to Plate: How Volunteers Move Food Into the Comunity

From the moment a food donation arrives at one of our four warehouses to the moment a neighbor carries groceries home, volunteers play a vital role in transforming resources into real nourishment. We are so grateful to the more than 1,900 amazing volunteers who make up our volunteer community and support our work in dozens of ways. For National Volunteer Month, we’re highlighting a handful of these roles and how they advance our mission.

Warehouse and Operation Roles

Food recovery volunteers

Food recovery volunteers keep the backbone of our charitable food system strong. By sorting donations, organizing inventory, and preparing items for distribution, they ensure food moves efficiently and safely through our warehouses. Every rescued item expands our ability to provide high‑quality food to the community. Since July 1, 2025, food recovery volunteers have processed more than 263,600 pounds of donated food. This food is packed into emergency food boxes for guests to our warehouses and made available to our partners to add to their food orders. 

Warehouse volunteers

Warehouse volunteers build on the great work of our food recovery and nutrition box volunteers. By preparing deliveries for our program and pantry partners, they directly support our warehouse staff and help ensure we meet the growing need across our network. These volunteers literally carry our mission forward, and they ensure that every pound of food moves swiftly and safely into the community.  

Warehouse cleaning and painting volunteers

These volunteers maintain a clean, safe, and bright environment where food can be handled with care. Their work protects food quality and ensures the warehouse reflects the respect we have for the people we serve.  

Nutrition box packing volunteers

Packing volunteers assemble food boxes that become dependable sources of nutrition for households living with food insecurity. Their care ensures that each box is balanced, thoughtful, and ready for immediate distribution. Since July 1, 2025, volunteers across our region have packed more than 43,800 boxes, delivering more than 980,000 pounds of produce and shelf-stable food to local families who need it. 

Did you know…
…that each of our warehouses packs different nutrition boxes that are distributed across our 25-county service area? To learn more, check out this blog article. 

Community Distribution Roles

Neighborhood Produce Markets (NPM) volunteers

Neighborhood Produce Markets are free, pop-up distributions that bring fresh fruits and vegetables directly into city neighborhoods where access to such foods may be limited. By helping set up, distribute produce, and welcome guests, volunteers make healthy food more accessible and help families incorporate more fresh items into their diets. 

Mobile Food Pantry (MFP) volunteers

Mobile Food Pantry volunteers help us deliver food to rural communities where access to fresh food is limited. Their warm, dignified service ensures every guest feels supported while receiving the groceries they need. 

Good Food School Market (GFSM) volunteers

Good Food School Market volunteers help students and staff access fresh food at their school pantry. By distributing produce and pantry staples at schools, they reduce barriers for busy families as well as stigma, and support children’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive. 

Lead volunteers

In every volunteer category, we have amazing team leaders who guide our volunteers with confidence and compassion. By supporting new volunteers, directing volunteer projects, and keeping operations running smoothly, they amplify the impact of every shift. From coordinating the work at food distribution sites to leading our box assembly lines, their leadership ensures food moves safely and efficiently from one stage to the next.  

Specialized volunteers

Our specialized volunteers bring a powerful mix of professional expertise and experience to our mission. Whether they’re leading nutrition education, assisting with SNAP applications, supporting data projects, or stepping into administrative roles, these volunteers strengthen our capacity at every level. By plugging into critical projects across the organization, they extend our reach and help ensure more neighbors have access to the resources they need. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg  

The roles above reflect just a small portion of how volunteers engage with our mission. Thanks to our volunteers, our network is able to provide essential food support for an average of 177,000 guest visits every month. 

Looking to get involved? Visit our page on our website or email volunteer@brafb.org.