Volunteer Bloomington: Helping to feed local people in need – The Herald-Times

The City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is your source for information about volunteering locally. For a complete listing, visit BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org or call 812-349-3433. The inclusion of an organization in this list does not imply city endorsement or support of the organizations activities or policies.

Information and registration information for the following opportunities can be found online at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org.

Be a part of the people-power that will make this Thanksgiving Food Drive a big success. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest distribution days of the year for Pantry 279. This year, 2,000 Thanksgiving boxes will be assembled and distributed at the Monroe County Fairgrounds Community Building or delivered to homebound residents throughout a multicounty area. The work will be nonstop until everyone has been served! Individuals and groups can participate in this huge effort as helpers with Thanksgiving food box packing and assembly, as delivery drivers, or as on-site traffic volunteers. Two-hour volunteer shifts are available 2-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20. Groups are welcome! Volunteers are needed all month long for regular pantry duties as well. Sign up for a Nov. 19-20 shift here: https://bit.ly/30efxFo. Contact Cindy Chavez at 812-606-1524 or pantry279@yahoo.com.

Volunteers are the heart of the Community Kitchen of Monroe County. Open six days a week, Monday-Saturday, volunteers help prepare and serve free meals for in-house and carry-out patrons at two locations (South Rogers Street and the Express location at 11th and Summit streets). Indiana University students are an important component of the volunteer program, which makes school breaks and days around the holidays critical periods. The kitchen needs more than 100 volunteers each week most of the year to provide their meal services. There are two volunteer shifts daily Monday through Saturday. The six-volunteer prep shift, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., helps with dinner food prep, puts together the cold carry-out meals, and lunches for the after-school programs. Some cleaning and washing dishes may be included. The3:30-6:30 p.m. serving shift of seven volunteers consists mainly of serving the evening meal "cafeteria-style" and doing some cleanup afterward. Those ages 14 and older may volunteer independently. Youth 10-13 may volunteer if accompanied by an adult. Please contact June Taylor at 812-332-0999 or june@monroecommunitykitchen.com and provide a phone number for confirmation.

The kitchen at Beacon's Shalom Community Center serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week to individuals experiencing poverty. It takes lots of volunteers to keep the kitchen running! Families are welcome to volunteer together and individuals age 14 or older can assist with doughnut and bagel pickup, meal preparation, meal service and clean up. Scheduling is flexible, so pick your shift today! Contact Novella Shuck at 812-334-5734, ext. 113, or novella@beaconinc.org.

Middle Way House

Middle Way House is a domestic violence shelter and rape crisis center that offers services including emergency shelter, legal advocacy, transitional housing and support services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Contact Madeline Plant at 812-337-4510 or development@middleway.orgto arrange a donation.

Featured wishes:$10-20 gift cards (Kroger, Walmart, gas stations), USB wall chargers, brown paper bags, ethnic hair care shampoo, conditioner, and coconut oil, housewares, linens, childrens clothes sizes 12 months-6T especially long-sleeve tops, pants and coats for the winter season, and more!

View their full Wish List online.You can find current in-kind, material needs on the year-round Community Wish List at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org/communitywishlist.

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Volunteer Bloomington: Helping to feed local people in need - The Herald-Times