We love our volunteers and couldn’t do this without them. Want to join in?

Check back on May 1st to sign up for our summer schedule!

Packing Meals

The most common type of volunteering at Cultivate is packing meals. Companies use it as a team building initiative, church groups use it as a service project, sports teams use it to build chemistry, and groups of friends come in together for a fun and impactful afternoon. 

In a typical two-hour shift, groups will pack between 500-1,500 meals (although the record is 5,749 in three hours!) We use an assembly line method that allows for maximum efficiency and creates a collaborative team environment.

Some of these meals go to food banks and homeless shelters while others are packed into backpacks for some of the most vulnerable kids at our local elementary schools.

Making Meals

We’ve got regular volunteers that come in and process the food we rescue and turn the raw ingredients into meals. This team makes sure there is food to pack into meals and ensures any perishable ingredients that are donated to Cultivate get used.

While this type of volunteer shift is available (and we’re always looking for extra hands!), we’re looking for people who can come in weekly to fill specific shifts.

Rescue Drivers

This is another specialty group of volunteers. While you don’t need a CDL to operate one of the Cultivate Rescue Trucks, you do need some serious experience. These volunteers are the logistics glue that keep our organization feeding our hungry neighbors. If you want to apply to fill this role, please complete the information in this form.

Operations staff and volunteers also rescue food at all Notre Dame home football games!

Dishwashers

Perhaps the largest unsung heroes at Cultivate–our dishwasher volunteers. What do you say about the wonderful, humble, warm-hearted people that come in and do the dirty work with bright smiles on their faces? Our operation could not continue the way it does without these volunteers. We are looking for more people with the same passion for doing good work that makes an impact, and sometimes prefer staying out of the spotlight to join this team. Sound like you? Get started here.

Thank you to our wonderful dishwasher team. Many dishes are created in the process of delivering thousands of backpack meals each month!

Special Event Volunteers

When you host numerous events, including a golf outing and 700-attendee fundraiser each year, it takes additional volunteers.

Coordinating and executing events like this is no small task and this special group of people pulls out all the stops to make sure our guests have a great experience. We could not raise the money we do without them.

Hear from our Volunteers:

Our Impact