How you can help the Food Bank

 

The High Plains Food Bank also processes product recovery and salvage for our distribution to 28 counties in the Texas Panhandle. This is a VERY important process to the Food Bank. 

Perhaps you believe that volunteers must have special skills or talent to make a difference. In reality, all that is needed is the willingness to give of yourself. Due to the incoming recovery of food items on daily basis, volunteers are needed to help sort and repackage incoming food items. Food that is donated to the High Plains Food Bank locally comes through our Product Recovery and Salvage Room. Here it is inspected, sorted, cleaned and repackaged. After this process, the food is then placed on the Food Bank's shelves for distribution.

When an individual or organization donates food, we receive that product through our Receiving room. However, until volunteers have gone through this food to inspect, sort and repackage the food, the Food Bank does not have access to this food. Not one donated food item can be placed on our shelves until it has been cleaned, inspected and repackaged by our volunteers. This is why we depend on volunteers to help sort through donated food.

Since we depend heavily on volunteer support, this food would not be able to be sent if it was not for the help of people just like you. The faster we can repackage the incoming food, the faster we can distribute it to those in need in the Panhandle! To stress the importance of sorting and repacking donated food, the High Plains Food Bank's staff (both administrative and warehouse staff) sorts food one day each week. Our staff takes an entire day to help move donated product to our shelves. In fact, we even have a competition going to see how many pounds we can sort in one day. You can also help us move the donated food and join in on the competition!

Volunteers are needed daily to help in our Product Recovery and Salvage area. You can make a difference by becoming a volunteer. Whether it is on-going or for a one-time event, your generosity will improve the quality of life in the Texas Panhandle. Ideally, the High Plains Food Bank needs volunteers who would be willing to make volunteering a weekly or monthly activity. Twenty people can sort through 10,000 pounds worth of food in 2 hours! This is how quickly donated food and product can be sorted and placed back on our shelves! You will be amazed at the amount of food that comes through and goes out of the Food Bank on a monthly basis! The Food Bank will also keep track of the amount of food that you sorted. We will recognize the groups that help us the most throughout the year! We are looking for volunteers to help us for the following times:

Weekdays - we need volunteers during the weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to help sort and repackage food. Although no appointment is needed to volunteer for this time frame, you will need to call to tell us of your arrival (this allows us to better prepare for the number of volunteers that will be working). We are looking for volunteers to help work between the times of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. You may work any time during these shifts. Please note: Please call for more information if you are under 18. If you are a community service volunteer, please call for details on items or information that you may have to bring before volunteering.

*Weekday evenings (6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.) - we know most people work during the weekdays but would still like to come out and volunteer. We have opportunities for you! Weekday nights are perfect for groups, organizations or individuals to help out! These shifts are by appointment so you will need to call and setup a day and time to volunteer (We follow this procedure so we will know how many volunteers to prepare for at the Food Bank). We ask that you wear close-toed shoes when you volunteer at the Food Bank. We also ask that a parent or guardian accompany volunteers under the age of 16. If you are a community service volunteer, please call for details on items or information that you may have to bring before volunteering.

*Please contact us to see what weekday nights are available for volunteering in our Salvage Room.

Saturday mornings (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) - a perfect weekend opportunity to volunteer at the High Plains Food Bank! This shift is by appointment so you will need to call and setup a time when you would like to volunteer. We follow this procedure so we will know how many volunteers to prepare for at the Food Bank (Note: we will not open our Salvage Room on Saturday mornings unless we have groups that are scheduled to volunteer). We ask that you wear close-toed shoes when you volunteer at the Food Bank. We also ask that a parent or guardian accompany volunteers under the age of 16. If you are a community service volunteer, please call for details on items or information that you may have to bring before volunteering.

To setup a time for you or your group to volunteer at the High Plains Food Bank, please contact Kusay Ismael at (806) 374-8562.

Directions to our Product Recovery & Salvage Room: The High Plains Food Bank is located at 815 Ross Street in Amarillo. The Food Bank is exactly a half-mile north of Interstate 40 on Ross Street (exit 71 from I-40). Turn east onto 9th Avenue off of Ross Street and drive to the end of the warehouse. You will see a handicap ramp at the end with a white door at the top of the ramp. Enter through this door to our Salvage Room and ask for Kusay.

 

A very big thank you to our on-going volunteer groups:

 

Amarillo High School-Key Club

American Quarter Horse Association Foundation

Arbor Christian Academy

Amarillo Community Federal Credit Union

Caprock High School-National Honor Society

Central Church of Christ

Church of Jesus Christ-Latter Day Saints

Enterprise Rent-a-Car

First Baptist Church of Amarillo

4-H Club

Golden Plains Church of Christ

High Plains Food Bank staff & Board of Directors

Junior League of Amarillo

Mission in Amarillo

Polk Street United Methodist Church

Randall High School-Key Club

Rotary Club of Amarillo South

Rotary Club of Amarillo West

Texas Tech School of Pharmacy

Trinity Lutheran Church

Troop 80

Valero Energy

 

 

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