Nourish the Community

The Food Center, hosted at University United Methodist Church, has ongoing opportunities for volunteers throughout the year. Almost all opportunities require volunteers to work both inside and outside, and to work with the general public and other volunteers. All opportunities require hands-on active engagement, volunteers need to be engaged, on their feet and ready for manual work the entire time they are on site. Much of the center’s efforts focus around moving large amounts of food out to Syracusans. The center is an Emergency Food site for the city of Syracuse providing two food distributions weekly. Trucks need to be unloaded, food needs to be sorted and reorganized to ready for distributions. Additionally, the center hosts a large community clothing closet, and serves as a distribution site for the CNY Diaper Bank and network with many community members/agencies who deliver donations to the site. Volunteers assist with all of these varied tasks. All volunteers must complete a minimum of 12hrs on site. It is HIGHLY preferred that volunteers are interested in learning from the center’s efforts and seeking field work in the areas of: Food Studies, poverty services, Social Work, City/urban planning/organizing, Sociology, supply chains, Psychology, race theory, social services, economics and nutrition.
Volunteers MUST be ready and equipped to work outside in every type of weather and remain physically engaged at all times they are on site.
Volunteers MUST be comfortable with engaging with the general public and many other volunteers the entire time they are on site.
Volunteers MUST connect with Outreach/ Food Center Coordinator PRIOR to arriving to their volunteer experience. Work falls on specific days and hours each week. This schedule is pre-determined by truck deliveries and food distributions. Our efforts generally fall on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings into early afternoons. The volunteer coordinator is Galyn Murphy-Stanley. To volunteer, contact outreach@uumcsyracuse.org.