I agreed to be a Loader. A Loader, I was told, had to have the ability to lift at least 50-70…read morepounds for three hours. Naturally, I saw this as a challenge, and I accepted. The Greater Boston Food bank employs 14,500 volunteers and provides 19.5 million meals to 320,000 people in New England annually, not just Boston. Volunteers allow the GBFB to defer nearly $600,000 in payroll costs. Wow. Volunteers help in many ways, but mainly by inspecting, sorting and re-packing food at the Roxbury warehouse. Here is what my team accomplished in an afternoon shift: . Number of volunteers: 43 . Total pounds of food sorted: 10,412 (Ten Thousand Pounds!) . Total pounds of food salvaged: 8,330 . Pounds of food sorted per volunteer: 194 . Meals made possible per volunteer: 149 . Total meals made possible by NAIOP volunteers: 6,407 There are many ways to help. You can donate money. You can donate food. You can volunteer for a less physically demanding job. Just do something.

If you're looking for a place to volunteer, this is it. Good for singles or groups. Call ahead,…read moresign in, get ready to sort. Huge new clean place used to sort donated food. It's awesome. You get a rundown on food safety, what to look for, how the process works, then you're off to the main room to sort. It's actually kinda fun. And the facility is nice and new so it's definitely safe and good. Bonus - they feed you expired candy and crap after you're done! Yay!?

I had the wonderful opportunity of volunteering at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and it was…read moresuch a great experience! The staff was wonderful and I loved how they have tips for staying healthy and low budget recipes to try which I can't wait to share with my friends and family. Thank you for all you do!!

Quote from Main Page "The Rhode Island Community Food Bank…read moreworks to end hunger in Rhode Island by providing food to people in need. We envision a day when all Rhode Islanders have access to nutritious food and a healthy lifestyle." The amount of goodwill provided by this organization is amazing. Through programs like the Community Kitchen, Kids Cafe and the Express Pantry, Rhode Islanders in need have access to food and can work on learning critical skills for life. Volunteers are always welcome here. I could not think of a better organization to become a part of. From sorting in the food bank, to working in a community garden or even helping out in the Community Kitchen, there is something for everyone. Please go to the website if you are in need of assistance or are looking to become a part of the organization!

Not enough food…read more More important, almost every review here is from a VOLUNTEER saying "this is a good place to volunteer." Shouldn't the key issue be the opinions of poor people who are actually eating the food, reviewing the quality of the food, the freshness, the amounts, the dignity with which they're treated (or not?) Rather than that of the volunteers?

It's a really awesome place to volunteer! There are no special skills required, and the people here…read moregive really clear instructions. The place is doing so well that they are expanding, but I'm sure they would appreciate donations. The first time I cam here I was really impressed by the professionalism. You have to waah your hand pretty thoroughly, wear gloves, an apron, and a hairnet. Hairnets are super weird balls of hair that magically unravel to cover your hair. If you want to be a cool kid, you can wear a hat so your hair doesn't fall in the food. Duties range all over the place, but don't expect to cook anything. You will be packaging a lot, moving things around, and also maybe cut up some vegetables or meat. If you pick the morning session, you will usually be rewarded with a meal at lunch that's pretty good.

This place helped me with homelessness and I wanna thank a specific person Antoinette Lasseur for…read morehelping me and being determined in making sure I found the perfect place to live and getting me all the help I needed in the process

Molly here obviously has an axe to grind. If she was homeless or took advantage of their services…read moreshe would feel very different. Bridge saved me during a real tough time in my life. They helped me find shelter, a job, and got me back in school. I am forever grateful. It's funny that Molly talked to several people, and they all happened to be rude to her. IDK Molly, maybe it's you. If you couldn't handle the stress of phone conversations, there is no way you should be volunteering with the homeless. Maybe you should assess your values and see if working with homeless people is something you would even want or be good at. On a related note, I just looked up Molly's profile. She has three reviews, all with one stars. Apparently she shares the same disdain for Lens Crafters and a sushi joint. She gave both one star and stated that that was "generous." The internet is the domain of miserable people, and Molly is Queen Bee.

My first time last night was easy and helpful. even in the cold. Things went well surprise me. they…read morehad guys help with the food going into the car .the food was surprise in how must I got. Thank you so much. William Cohen

Great market, great prices, fresh produce and really friendly volunteers there to help. Description…read morefrom their website. "Hope Market is stocked with donations from our partners in the retail food industry and is open to anyone who needs to stretch their weekly grocery budget. All proceeds from Hope Market help Feed RI deliver up to 150 pallets of food every month (free of charge!) to nonprofit organizations and community groups who feed their communities."

The food and the service from the kind and patient volunteers stood out the most to me. The only…read morenegative thing was that I walk with a cane and needed a chair, but there were none available. Unfortunately, I sat on the floor. My spine was in screaming pain ! I learned my lesson the hard way. I will definitely bring my walker next time...