Volunteer with ALIVE!
ALIVE! depends greatly on our volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks such as food distribution, administrative assistance, and translators. Corporate groups, schools, service hours, and days of service welcome.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
May 10th – Stamp Out Hunger
Are you looking for an easy way to help alleviate food insecurity? The Stamp Out Hunger on May 10th results in more than 10,000 pounds of food donations benefiting ALIVE!. That’s roughly equivalent to 8,300 meals. Food drives like this help ensure ALIVE! has the resources it needs to provide essential food to the 20,000 Alexandrians it serves each month.
All you need to do is leave a bag of non-perishable items next to your mailbox on the morning of May 10th. Please remember to avoid donating items in glass containers and include spare reusable grocery bags as they help keep our costs down. If your donation is not picked up items can be brought to the ALIVE! Warehouse at 801 South Payne Street. We are open Monday through Friday from 9am – 4pm and Saturdays from 9am – 12pm. If no one is present, you may also leave your donation on the loading dock in the plastic bin provided.
We also need three volunteers to drive the ALIVE! Truck to one of the four locations to accept the donations. Must be 21 years old to participate and have a valid driver’s license, and insurance. A Commercial Driver’s License is not required.
Sign up online to reserve a volunteer shift
May 30th – Friday Night Material Set Up Team
Unload food and materials from the ALIVE! delivery trucks and help get the space organized for the Saturday morning distribution.
Children ages 15-17 must be accompanied by an adult.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (25 West Reed Ave)
William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Ave)
May 30th – Friday Night Set Up Delivery Drivers
Pickup an ALIVE! truck on Friday night and drive food and materials to the distribution site.
Volunteers who sign up to drive the ALIVE! truck must be at least 21 years old, must have a valid Driver’s License, and provide proof insurance. A Commercial Driver’s License is not required.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
ALIVE! Warehouse (801 South Payne Street)
Click here to review a short truck safety video
May 31st – Food Distributors, Traffic Marshals, and Translators
Help distribute fresh produce, chicken, eggs, and bread to our Alexandria neighbors in need at these outdoor food distributions.
Children ages 15-17 must be accompanied by an adult. Spanish, Dari, and Pashto language skills needed.
7:30 am – 11:30 am
Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (25 West Reed Ave)
William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Ave)
May 31st – Truck Drivers at ALIVE! Food Distribution
Must be age 21 and older to participate and have a valid driver’s license.
6:30 am – 12:30 pm
Meeting at 801 South Payne Street
Click here to review a short truck safety video
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer in the Warehouse
Assist with unloading food donation deliveries, sorting food, preparing orders for delivery, vegetable gleaning, re-stocking shelves, organizing and cleaning, and administrative assistance if needed. Standing for long periods and/or constant walking back and forth will be required. Lifting items up to 50 pounds and bending might be required. Advanced registration is required.
Mondays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Seeking a Volunteer to Keep Our Furniture Storage Unit in Ship Shape!
Are you a master organizer? Our Furniture Program needs you! We are looking for someone who could visit our storage unit on Eisenhower Avenue 2-4 times a month to inventory, photograph, label and organize the items inside. You can do it at whatever time is convenient for you – including weekends or evenings. Interested in learning more? Contact Nancy Lopez, Furniture Chair, at furniturechair@alive-inc.org.
Furniture Program Scheduler (Virtual)
We are looking for 3-5 additional Furniture Program Schedulers. Being a Furniture Program Scheduler is a virtual activity that involves responding to furniture program emails, reviewing the list of furniture donations, matching donated items with furniture requests, and creating the routes for the Saturday furniture delivery truck. There’s no lifting required!
If you are someone who enjoys working with spreadsheets and calling to confirm pickup/dropoff times, this could be the role for you! Training is provided. It takes 8-10 hours during the week to put the furniture schedule together; the work is virtual and flexible to your schedule. We ask schedulers to sign up once every 4-6 weeks, and to commit to helping out for at least 3 months.
Contact furniturechair@alive-inc.org to express interest and learn more.
West End Food Hub Assistant (Most Needed)
Assist clients by greeting, registering, and introducing them to the food selection process, translating as well as organizing groceries and light cleaning. We are especially looking for people who are flexible, comfortable working with and serving others, speak languages other than English, and are excited about helping people find food and other resources.
Children ages 14-17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tuesdays – Thursdays 10 am – 12 pm | 11 am – 2 pm | 2 pm – 4 pm | 4 pm – 6 pm | 5 pm – 6 pm
Saturdays 9:45 am – 2 pm
Meeting at 510-F S. Van Dorn Street
Del Ray Food Hub Assistant
Assist clients by greeting, registering, and introducing them to the food selection process, translating as well as organizing groceries and light cleaning. We are especially looking for people who are flexible, comfortable working with and serving others, speak languages other than English, and are excited about helping people find food and other resources.
Children ages 14-17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tuesdays – Thursdays 11 am – 12 pm | 12 pm – 2:30 pm | 2 pm – 4:30 pm | 4:30 pm – 6 pm | 5 pm – 6 pm
Saturdays 9:45 am – 2 pm
Meeting at 2601 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Furniture Program Volunteers (High Priority)
ALIVE! will provide a list of addresses where donated items are scheduled for pickup, a list of addresses for families scheduled to receive donated items, and an ALIVE! truck with a driver. Sign up to help load and unload the furniture truck on an upcoming Saturday morning.
Minors ages 12-14 must be accompanied by a parent for the duration of the volunteer activity.
Minors ages 15-17 can volunteer with an adult chaperone.
Saturdays 8 am – 1 pm
Meeting at 801 South Payne Street
ALIVE! Delivery Drivers and Navigators
Sign up to help drive an ALIVE! box truck to one of our upcoming food distribution events. Must be 21 years old or older with a valid drivers license and proof of insurance. A commercial license is not required.
Also, if you’d like to assist the driver with directions, unloading the truck, and communication to site leads consider signing up as a Navigator and assist the driver on deliveries. Must be 18 years old or older. Contact volunteermg@alive-inc.org
Click here to review a short truck safety video
Host a Food Drive
Help address hunger and host a food drive. Get involved and donate items.
Learn More About ALIVE!
Would you like to learn more about the work ALIVE! does?
Watch this short video from Carlton Willis, the Vice President of ALIVE!’s Board.
Volunteer Requirements
- Sign up in advance and arrive on time.
- Wear closed-toe shoes.
- For community service hours, contact the ALIVE! Volunteer Manager at least a week in advance to request a verification letter.
- For groups, please ask each member of your team to complete the Volunteer Waiver online or print a copy here.
- Learn more by reviewing the Volunteer Handbook. Linked Here
Age Requirements
- Adults accompanying minors must sign a volunteer waiver for each minor.
- Minors ages 14-17 must be accompanied by an adult for the entirety of volunteer activities at the food warehouse and food distribution sites.
Contact Us
For more information, contact the ALIVE! Volunteer Manager at volunteermg@alive-inc.org.
