Starting May 4, volunteers are required to wear a mask to volunteer shifts. We will have a very limited supply of face masks available on site. We strongly encourage volunteers to bring their own face mask. Here is a great resource from the CDC regarding face mask guidelines and how to make your own.
Volunteer
We Depend on You
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Second Harvest Heartland.
We are committed to protecting the health of our entire community while continuing to meet the critical need for meals that will increase due to the coronavirus. To ensure the safety of our staff and other volunteers, you will need to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Only volunteers age 18 and over can volunteer.
- Have you had a fever, cough, or shortness of breath in the last 7 days? If yes, you cannot volunteer at this time.
- Have you been around anyone with symptoms or diagnosis of COVID-19, or Influenza A or B in the last 7 days? If yes, you cannot volunteer at this time.
- Have you been within 6 feet of individuals that do not live in your household for more than 15 minutes? If not, you are able to volunteer.
- If yes, were these individuals wearing masks? If yes, you are able to volunteer.
- If not, you cannot volunteer for 14 days from date of potential exposure.
If you are healthy and available to volunteer to help us pack the emergency food boxes and other high-demand items, schedule a shift below.
Help fund urgently needed meals. We need your help to prepare our neighbors for this tough time.
COVID-19 FAQ
For the most up-to-date information, please reference these COVID-19 FAQ answers. During this time, not all general FAQs below may pertain or have the updated information.
Yes! We are still using volunteers in a limited capacity for packing shifts at both locations and other areas of critical need. Most ongoing program volunteers are currently on pause or have transitioned to virtual projects to ensure safety. Please contact us at volunteer@2harvest.org or 651-282-0901 for more information.
Second Harvest Heartland has procedures in screening and safety before and during packing sessions to help reduce the risk to both employees and volunteers. We have added guidelines (that match closely with the CDC) and extra precautions (listed below).
- We have gloves for each volunteer, and we are requiring volunteers to wear masks starting on May 4th. If volunteers do not have a mask, we have a very limited supply of masks available for use, or volunteers can make one! Here is a great resource from the CDC regarding mask guidelines and how to make your own.
- At both of our locations, volunteer stations are set up are 6 feet apart. We ask that volunteers maintain at least 6 feet of space at all times and stay within their designated space during the shift.
- Every volunteer is checked by a thermal thermometer before they enter and if they are above 100 degrees Fahrenheit they are not allowed to volunteer.
- Every volunteer is also asked 3 screening questions before entering. If any of these questions are answered with a “yes” the volunteer will not be allowed to volunteer:
- Are you over the age of 18? ALL Volunteer must be over the age of 18.
- Have you had a fever, cough or shortness of breath in the last 7 days or have you been around anyone with symptoms of or a diagnoses of COVID -19 or Influenza A & B within the last 7 days? If so, you are not able to volunteer.
- Have you been within 6 feet of individuals that do not live in your household for more than 15 minutes? If not, you are able to volunteer. If yes, were these individuals wearing masks? If yes, you are able to volunteer. If not, you cannot volunteer.
- We have a limited number of volunteer spots per shift and are practicing increased handwashing (before, during and after shifts).
In addition, Second Harvest Heartland has taken steps to keep our spaces virus-free, including enhancements to our already rigorous cleaning routine that include increased surface cleaning and deeper cleaning during evening cleaning shifts. We have decreased our lobby access for visitors to limit the number of people present. Ample supplies of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes are available as well.
Starting May 4, volunteers are required to wear a mask to volunteer shifts. If volunteers do not have masks, we have a very limited supply available, or volunteers can make a mask. Here is a great resource from the CDC regarding mask guidelines and how to make your own.
During this time, we do not have volunteer shifts on evenings and weekends. Please stay tuned to our website for updates on future opportunities.
We do not have youth volunteer opportunities currently. All volunteers must be age 18 and up.
Brooklyn Park - 7101 Winnetka Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Maplewood - 1140 Gervais Ave, Maplewood, MN 55109
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
We appreciate your interest in volunteering on a short-term or long-term volunteer project with Second Harvest Heartland! We are temporarily pausing on new volunteer projects due to safety precautions. If you are interested in volunteering on a regular basis in the future, please continue to check our website for openings. These types of volunteer opportunities usually require a minimum of 3, 6, or 12 month commitment and may involve a variety of projects, such as client interaction, data entry, phone calling, or pro bono consulting.
If you would like to support Second Harvest Heartland more immediately, please register for an upcoming packing shift or consider a donation to support our work — a gift of $25 provides food for a family of 4 for a week.
Volunteer Appreciation Video
Did you know?
Second Harvest Heartland is now a Service Enterprise! Second Harvest Heartland was recently certified through Points of Light with this national accreditation standard recognizing that we uphold best practices in how we engage volunteers throughout our organization.
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