Foodbank session helper - Openshaw

Who we are:

Manchester Central Foodbank provides emergency food for over 1600 people per month in central, north and east Manchester.

All foodbank clients come to our sessions to pick up their emergency food parcel. Our volunteers are the life blood of these sessions, and we could not operate without them! We need help to run our session in Openshaw. 

What are we looking for?

We need 2 or 3 volunteers to join our team at our Openshaw session. Staff oversee the sessions, and deal with client enquiries, but volunteers  talk to clients about parcel contents, and pack the parcel according to client needs.

We make our foodbank sessions as welcoming and dignified as possible, with refreshments available, music playing and lots of friendly smiles!

About you:

Volunteers need to be able to read and write, and carry weights of up to 10kg. It is a busy, fast moving environment, which does get noisy at times. You will need to be able to communicate well with clients, other volunteers and staff.

What would you be doing as a volunteer?

Main tasks:

• Receive packing lists from the foodbank session and prepare food parcels according to the notes on the packing list
• Check stock for imminent ‘best before’ dates, place out-of-date food in appropriate box in store room for disposal and record the action
• Welcome clients to the foodbank centre
• Make refreshments and tidy up as required during the session
• Complete parcel lists with clients
• Offer a listening ear and signpost clients, as required, to further support, using information from the signposting folder/leaflets
• Work under the guidance of the session lead and report any health & safety or safeguarding concerns to the operations manager / session lead