We have numerous ways an individual or large group can get involved. Our mission would not be possible without the volunteers who help out each week.
Volunteers range from elementary school children to retirees. Civic, corporate, government, and religious groups, office colleagues, teens, families and friends make up the core of The Corner Table's volunteers.
Download The Corner Table Group Volunteer Ideas sheet
Volunteer Opportunities:
Cook Teams:
Do you have a passion for cooking? Bring your talents to The Corner Table and make yourself at home in our kitchen. Some teams purchase their own food, while others use what we have on hand to maximize our incoming food donations. It is up to you! Cook teams consist of 2-5 individuals who will be assisted by our Food Service Manager.
If you are interested in volunteering in the kitchen please read our safe food handling practices.
Lunch Service:
We serve Monday-Friday from 11:30-12:30. In one hour, we serve an average of 165 guests. It takes at least 20 volunteers each day to help the lunch service run smooth and meet the needs of our guests. Unlike most community kitchens, we operate similar to a restaurant. Our guests come in and sit down, and we assign servers to wait on them. It makes for a different experience for many of our guests. Lunch Service volunteers help out with serving tables, preparing trays, filling drink orders, handing out desserts and silverware, bussing tables, handing out to-go bags, taking out trash, washing dishes, and other duties leading up to lunch hour.
Pack Backpacks:
Each week during the school year more than 1,200 students receive food to take home on the weekend through our Backpack Program. The food is bagged individually in our warehouse and delivered weekly to 40+ school sites, here in Catawba County. We utilize the help of 175 volunteers each month to fill a variety of roles within our warehouse. Duties include: stocking shelves, filling bags, breaking down and disposing of cardboard, delivering bags to a school near you, picking up donations and delivering them to the warehouse, and assisting with fundraising efforts. We welcome young individuals to work inside our warehouse, we just ask that an adult be present. Packing sessions vary each week. For more information or to schedule a packing session for your group, please contact backpack@thecornertable.org or call 828-464-0355. Please note this program is located at: 1925 Tate Boulevard SE, Hickory.
Stockroom Helper:
We are looking for those that love to work behind the scenes for our stockroom team. Duties include: weighing food, checking expiration dates, organizing food within our shelving units, stocking donated items and assisting with deliveries to pick up donations. To learn more or inquire further about this opportunity, please contact dhefner@thecornertable.org or 828-464-0355.
Delivery Driver and Assistant:
One of the most important operations at The Corner Table is donation pick-up. Those who wish to donate food cannot always come by the building to drop off food or supplies. This is where volunteers with a passion to make a difference come in. These positions pick up donations from a retail donor in a company vehicle and deliver the items to the Community Kitchen and/or Backpack Program. These positions are available for one or two days per week for 2-4 hours each day.
Friday To-Go-Bags:
You or your group can volunteer to provide or make to-go-bags to hand out to our guests on Fridays. We have groups who purchase the materials and other groups who volunteer just to assemble the bags. Each Friday we hand out more than 150 bags to our guests. Bags include items such as a sandwich, peanut butter crackers, Vienna sausages, cookies, pudding or fruit, etc. This job is great for children & youth groups, or volunteering with your children.
Saturday Bag Lunches:
Saturday Bag Lunches are for groups, individuals and organizations who cannot participate during the week. This job is supported by those who are interested and willing to purchase supplies to hand out more than 200 bags to guests. Because we are closed Saturday-Sunday, this gives guests an opportunity to pick up (4) four bags on a Saturday morning to assist them over the weekend. Bags can be assembled on or off site. Groups are assisted by a staff member the morning of.
Special Events:
We have several events that take place throughout the year. With limited staff, our volunteers play a huge role in the preparation and completion of events, and have the opportunity to serve on event committees. Events consist of the Standup to Hunger Comedy Event, Holiday Candy Sales, Feed The Flock Gala, and more.
Internships:
You can gain a wealth of knowledge in the non-profit industry by interning with The Corner Table. Interns are individuals in high school or college looking for experience in marketing, public relations, development, finance, volunteer management, and more. To learn more about available opportunities, please contact our office at 828-464-0355, or visit internship opportunities.
FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS
To sign up to volunteer, please contact Lorraine Swagger at lswagger@thecornertable.org or call 828-464-0355 ext. 102.
