As we head into the holiday season, many families choose to spend time together giving back to their neighbors and embracing the values of kindness and compassion to help make other families’ holidays a little bit brighter. Volunteering as a family during the holidays can be a profoundly rewarding experience, as it not only helps people in our communities in need of extra support, but also strengthens the bonds within one’s own family.
Volunteering as a family during the holidays can be an excellent opportunity to help children recognize the challenges that other people face and understand how much of an impact they can make by donating their time to support their community. Volunteering at a food bank can be a particularly rewarding experience for people of all ages. In addition to actively supporting community members experiencing hunger access the food they need to thrive, giving back at a local food bank or food pantry can be a great way to meet new friends, stay active, and enrich one’s community.
Volunteering as a family can also become a cherished holiday tradition that creates meaningful memories and brings family members closer together as they work toward a common goal. It provides an opportunity to enjoy quality time, develop shared values, and experience a sense of accomplishment. When families partake in holiday volunteering, they’re not just creating a temporary feel-good experience, but sowing the seeds for a lifelong commitment to service.
Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region and helps provide enough food for upwards of 181,500 meals every day to community members in need. And this year, we’ve seen more community members in need than ever: an average of 40%-60% more people are seeking services at our mobile pantries in 2023 compared to 2022.
Food Bank of the Rockies’ incredible volunteers power our ability to answer the challenge of hunger in our region. More than 18,000 individuals sign up to help us sort and distribute food and necessities in a typical year. Last year, volunteers donated over 112,900 hours to help nourish their community. That’s the equivalent of 54 full-time employees! These dedicated people ensure that our 800+ Hunger Relief Partners are well-stocked with nourishing food and other necessities to support our neighbors in bringing food home.
Food Bank of the Rockies Family Volunteer Ideas
There are a variety of ways your family can volunteer with Food Bank of the Rockies this holiday season. A few of them include:
- Volunteering at our distribution center or mobile pantries. We allow kids ages 10 and older to volunteer, although kids under age 16 need to be accompanied by an adult. Some of these volunteer jobs include sorting and packing food, preparing meals in our kitchen (individuals must be at least 16 years old), assisting with distribution of food to community members at mobile pantries, and delivering food boxes directly to community members.
- Raise money for the Food Bank through a variety of holiday activities like a hot chocolate stand or holiday cookie stand (similar to this lemonade stand) in your neighborhood. Every $1 raised helps distribute enough food for 3 meals thanks to our robust purchasing power, Food Rescue Program, government allotments, donations, and lower bulk pricing.
- Host a virtual fundraiser in honor of the season to recognize a special family member or friend, engage your neighbors, or make new memories through an athletic event where you run, walk, bike or move in other fun ways to raise funds.
Learn more about how your family can join us as a volunteer during the holidays and celebrate the season’s spirit of giving.
Erin Pulling is the President and CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies.