Give Time. Give Hope. Volunteer with Us.
Volunteers are essential to our mission. Donate your time to pack food, support events, or help from home. Every action brings food — and hope — to neighbors in need.
Volunteer Opportunities
Food, funds, your time, or voice — any action can help deliver nourishing meals to neighbors in need.
Become a volunteer
Through the passionate support of volunteers we provide food for our neighbors.
Create an Account
First, create an account to register and apply for volunteer opportunities.
Create an AccountRegister for a Shift
After you’ve successfully created your volunteer account, you can view the calendar of volunteer opportunities that are scheduled for specific days and times—and register for any open shifts you’d like!
RegisterGet in Touch
If you have any questions or have a group that would like to volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Services Department at volunteer@feedingwestchester.org or call us at 914.923.1100.
Additional Opportunities to Give Back
Community Service
We are able to offer and approve hours needed for community service. Given that our in-person volunteer opportunities remain limited, please reach out to our Volunteer Services Department for guidelines and information at volunteer@feedingwestchester.org.
Court-Ordered Time
Certain court-ordered volunteer time can be accommodated. (Court-mandated hours must be completed at our Distribution Center.)
Please call our Volunteer Services Department to schedule a required interview at 914.923.1100.
Corporate Engagement
Empower your employees to drive change through corporate volunteering. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to development@feedingwestchester.org.
Youth & Student Engagement
Student Help From Home Bags
This is the perfect student volunteer project, specially designed bags for students who need service hours. Please be sure to email us about the project, including your name and the name of your school/religious institution, and let us know if you need a letter of completion when you drop off your completed bags.
Instructions & Guidelines
Start a Food Drive at your School: encourage donations
Students have a real role to play in the fight against hunger. A school food drive turns a simple collection bin into a lesson in community, generosity, and impact, and it brings nutritious food to neighbors across Westchester County.
Whether you are an elementary classroom, a student club, an athletic team, or an entire district, we will help you plan a drive that fits your schedule and your goals. Many schools build friendly competition between grades or homerooms, tie the drive to a service learning unit, or pair it with a school assembly.
Most needed items
Canned soups, pasta, rice, canned vegetables and fruit, peanut butter, cereal, and other non-perishable items. Low-sodium and low-sugar options preferred. Please check that all items are unopened and unexpired.
How we support your drive
We can provide promotional materials, collection guidance, and coordination for pickup or drop-off at our distribution center in Elmsford.
Ready to get started?
Contact Danielle at dvasquez@feedingwestchester.org to plan your school food drive.
Soup-er Bowl Food Drive
Every can counts. Join the Soup-er Bowl Food Drive and help tackle hunger right here in Westchester. When our community teams up, more neighbors have the food they need. Bring your donations of canned soups, pasta, rice, and other non-perishable items to a designated drop-off location. Low-sodium options preferred. Interested? Contact Danielle at dvasquez@feedingwestchester.org.
Hunger Action Month (September 1 through 30)
Every September, the Feeding America network comes together for Hunger Action Month to elevate the voices of people facing hunger and inspire action nationwide. Across the country, network members host events, lead volunteer activities, advocate for change, and light up landmarks in orange.
This year, we are inviting Westchester schools to be part of it!
Host a Hunger Action Month Food Drive
With your school as the drop-off location, students, families, and staff can donate non-perishable items that support neighbors facing hunger right here in Westchester County. It is a straightforward way to give students a real role in the fight against hunger, and we provide the materials to make it easy.
Our Food Drive Instruction Guide will walk you through the setup, promotion, and pickup.
Most Needed Items
Canned soups, pasta, rice, canned vegetables and fruit, peanut butter, and cereal. Low-sodium and low-sugar options preferred. Please make sure all items are unopened and unexpired.
Most Needed Items ListTake the Hunger Action Day Challenge
On Tuesday, September 29, wear orange and share a photo on social media in honor of Hunger Action Month. Tag Feeding Westchester so we can celebrate your school with our community.
Add a virtual drive with #GiveHealthy
New this year, you can pair your traditional drive with a virtual one through our partnership with #GiveHealthy. This lets your school community contribute fresh fruits, vegetables, and other perishable items that are difficult to collect in a bin.
Register your school at givehealthy.org/feedingwestchester-drive. Once your drive page is live, we will send you a custom flyer with our most needed items and a QR code that links directly to your virtual drive.
Start a Food Drive at Your School: #GiveHealthy
A food drive is one of the most direct ways a school community can support neighbors facing hunger in Westchester County. Through our partnership with #GiveHealthy, your school can run a virtual drive that makes giving easier for families and delivers exactly the food our neighbors need most.
How a virtual drive works
Instead of collecting items in a bin, your school gets its own online drive page. Students, families, and staff choose from a list of most needed items, and #GiveHealthy ships the donations directly to Feeding Westchester. No sorting, no storage, no transportation to coordinate.
The biggest advantage: a virtual drive can collect fresh fruits, vegetables, and other perishable items that are difficult to gather in a traditional collection bin. Nearly 40 percent of the food we distribute is fresh produce, and it is among the most requested items from our partners and neighbors.
Why schools love it
- Families can give from anywhere, including grandparents and relatives outside Westchester
- Real-time totals let students track progress and build friendly competition between grades or homerooms
- Works on its own or alongside a traditional non-perishable drive
- Fits naturally into service learning, student government projects, and club activities
Get started in three steps
Register your school at givehealthy.org/feedingwestchester-drive
Receive your custom flyer from Feeding Westchester, featuring our most needed items and a QR code linking to your drive page
Share it with your school community through newsletters, social media, and backpack mail
Questions?
Contact Danielle at dvasquez@feedingwestchester.org to get set up or talk through what would work best for your school.
Help From Home
Help provide fresh, healthy foods to households facing hunger in Westchester.
Make an impact by crafting Help from Home meal bags. These bags, filled with seasonal meals, are perfect to put together remotely at home, with your co-workers, or your local community group.
Learn more about Help from Home bags, or if student service hours are needed, Student Help from Home bags, below.
Birthday Help From Home Bags
Instructions
Assemble bags with birthday favorites or desserts! To donate, please purchase the needed items listed and put them in a gallon-size Ziploc bags. Download a printable flyer here.
Guidelines
- All food items must have nutrition facts and ingredients on labels
- Must fit into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag
- Items must be newly purchased (items past “best by date” will not
be accepted)
- Low sodium preferred, fruit in juice or light syrup, please.
- No glass
- Peanut-free only
Drop Off Instructions
Drop off completed bags in the collection bins outside of our building every Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Reach out to Director of Volunteer Services, Jandery DeLaCruz, at jdelacruz@feedingwestchester.org for more information.
Help From Home Bags
Instructions
To donate, please purchase the needed items listed and put them in a gallon-size Ziploc bags. Download a printable flyer here.
Guidelines
- All food items must have nutrition facts and ingredients on labels
- Must fit into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag
- Items must be newly purchased (items past “best by date” will not
be accepted)
- Low sodium preferred, fruit in juice or light syrup, please.
- No glass
- Peanut-free only
Breakfast Bag
- Small box of cereal
- Shelf-stable milk box or juice box
- Cereal bar
Lunch Bag
- Small box of cereal
- Shelf-stable milk box or juice box
- Cereal bar
Dinner Bag
- Microwaveable ring-top pasta meal cup or microwavable mac and cheese cup
- Shelf-stable milk box or juice box/pouch
- Applesauce squeeze pouch or applesauce cup
- Fruit snack or fruit roll up
Drop Off Instructions
Drop off completed bags in the collection bins outside of our building every Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Reach out to Director of Volunteer Services, Jandery DeLaCruz, at jdelacruz@feedingwestchester.org for more information.
Student Help from Home Bags
Instructions
This is the perfect student volunteer project, specially designed bags for students who need service hours. Please be sure to email us about the project, including your name and the name of your school/religious institution, and let us know if you need a letter of completion when you drop off your completed bags.
Download a printable flyer here.
Guidelines
- All food items must have nutrition facts and ingredients on labels
- Must fit into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag
- Items must be newly purchased (items past “best by date” will not
be accepted)
- Low sodium preferred, fruit in juice or light syrup, please.
- No glass
- Peanut-free only
Pasta & Sauce
- Box of pasta (1 lb)
- Can or plastic jar of sauce
Hours Earned
- 15 bags = 2 hours
- 21-30 bags = 4 hours
- 31-40 bags = 5 hours
- 41-55 bags = 8 hours
- 56-60 bags = 9 hours
- 61-74 bags = 10 hours
- 75+ bags = to be determined by Volunteer Services Department
Drop Off Instructions
Drop off completed bags in the collection bins outside of our distribution center, 200 Clearbrook Road, Elmsford, NY, every Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Reach out to Director of Volunteer Services, Jandery DeLaCruz, at jdelacruz@feedingwestchester.org for more information.
Together we feed for a better tomorrow
There are great ways to help us. Take action today, and change lives.
Donate
Help stock our shelves and nourish Westchester. Your support brings meals to our neighbors.
Find Help
Whether through a meal program or food pantry – find the help you need today.
Start a Fundraiser
Turn your passion into impact. Create or support a fundraiser to help nourish our community.
Host a Food Drive
Draw on the community around you by hosting a food drive to help those in need.
FAQ
What types of volunteer opportunities does Feeding Westchester offer?
You can volunteer by packing food at our distribution center, sorting shelf-stable items, assisting at events, helping remotely from home, or serving as part of a corporate group.
How do I sign up to volunteer?
First, create a volunteer account through our portal. Then browse available shifts, choose one that fits your schedule, and register online. If you have questions or want to volunteer as a group, contact our Volunteer Services Department at 914.923.1100 or volunteer@feedingwestchester.org
Can my business or organization volunteer together as a group?
Yes. We welcome corporate volunteer groups (up to ~20 team members) for packing and sorting opportunities at our Elmsford facility. A $2,500 engagement fee supports our mission to distribute millions of pounds of food. Custom group projects are also available (fees vary starting at ~$3,500).
What is required to volunteer (age, time commitment, etc.)?
Yes. We accommodate community service and court-ordered volunteering at our Distribution Centre. Please contact our Volunteer Services team to schedule and interview for approval.
What Volunteer Opportunities are Available?
Requirements vary by program. Generally, teams must register in advance, and some shifts (especially group or corporate ones) involve fees. If you’re a group, team size, hours and roles determine cost or commitment. If volunteers have specific constraints or needs, contacting Volunteer Services ahead of time is recommended.
Stay Connected
Learn how you can take action in the fight against hunger. Join our mailing list. You’ll receive stories about the people your support helps, the people who help, and other ways you can make an impact and use your voice.