Volunteer.
The Reading Food Pantry operates entirely through volunteers. Our community is vital to continue the mission of the Pantry. We need you!
There are several ways you can help! Here are brief overviews of our volunteer opportunities:
Delivery Program: Delivery volunteers call their assigned delivery neighbor two Tuesdays a month to get their order, then shop at the Pantry between 12pm and 4pm the next day (Wednesday) to gather and deliver their groceries. Time commitment is just a couple of hours a month (usually second/fourth Tuesdays/Wednesdays) and it is a great way to build a relationship with another community member!
Shopping: Shopping happens every Wednesday and takes about an hour. Interested volunteers sign up in advance for the Wednesday of their choice. Shoppers come to the Pantry at 4pm to pick up a voucher, shopping list and bags. Using the provided list, they shop at Market Basket, then return the purchased food to the Pantry by 5:30pm.
In-Person Service: Volunteers fill food orders for neighbors in person at the Pantry and assist with opening and closing the Pantry. Hours are Mondays from 5:45pm-7:30pm or Fridays from 10am-11:30am. We ask that volunteers make a commitment to come most weeks.
Shelf Stocking: Every Wednesday, between 4:30pm and 6pm, we check donations, stock the shelves and organize the Pantry. This opportunity is open to high schoolers, but space is limited.
Interested volunteers can contact us to inquire about upcoming opportunities. We are often at volunteer capacity, so we may ask you to assist in another way - by hosting a fundraiser or a food drive!
Food Drives are so important to our mission. Below are the steps to hosting a food drive in our community!
Here are the steps to run a food drive:
Decide what kind of food drive you would like to run. We can provide a list of our current needs or you can run a theme-based food drive, such as a dinner food drive (canned meats, canned vegetables, boxed mashed potatoes, pasta, jarred sauce, rice, etc.), a breakfast food drive (cereal, shelf stable milk, pancake mix, syrup, breakfast bars, oatmeal, etc.), a paper goods/household food drive (paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, laundry detergent, dish detergent, etc.), a back to school food drive (peanut butter, jelly, granola bars, applesauce, snacks for lunches, etc.). We are always in need of gift certificates to Market Basket in increments of $20 or $40.
Food drives usually run for 10 days to 2 weeks.
Advertise on Facebook on the Reading Parents Network page, Reading Pay it Forward and we'd be glad to advertise on the Reading Food Pantry page, as well. Include the dates of your food drive, your donation drop-off address, and a list of food/household items that you are collecting. Use your personal email contacts to let your friends and family know that you are running a food drive. Make flyers and hang them around town, if permissible. We have lots of community members, including children, who run food drives for us—they are easy to run and they are so helpful to us!
When your food drive is over, drop off the items you have collected to the Reading Food Pantry on any Wednesday between 4:30 pm and 6 pm at 6 Salem Street, Reading. Our door is located in the back of the Old South United Methodist Church—follow the driveway around to the back and you will see our sign.
We love to post pictures of the donations that we receive on our Facebook page, with your permission, of course. It highlights your commitment to community service and lets the community know that food drives are doable and are a great way to stock our shelves!
