We simply wouldn’t be able to do what we do without volunteers! We do our best to make volunteering with us as easy, enjoyable, and educational as possible. Join us regularly during the season, or pop in occasionally as your schedule allows. All are welcome!
Take a look at our volunteer calendar to find opportunities that fit your interests and schedule.
If you are interested in volunteering in one of the below categories but don’t see it on our volunteer calendar, email volunteer@willinghands.org.
Gleaning is the time-honored tradition of collecting the extra food left in a field after the harvest. Willing Hands gleaners visit local partner farms and orchards to pick the extra vegetables, berries, apples, and mixed produce directly from their fields. We provide all the necessary tools and training for all tasks. Gleaning sessions are typically 1.5 hours long.
We have regularly scheduled gleans throughout the harvest season at local farms, such as:
- Crossroad Farm in Post Mills (Thetford)
- Honey Field Farm in Norwich
- Edgewater Farm in Plainfield
- Harlow Farm in Westminster
We will also hold “pop-up” gleans when there is extra food to be picked. Keep an eye on our volunteer calendar.
Willing Hands tends four gardens in the Upper Valley, which grow food to supplement the food donations we deliver. All the food grown is delivered to our recipient sites, which serve community members at risk of food insecurity. The gardens grow a wide variety of produce. Volunteers can expect to plant, weed, fertilize, harvest, wash, and box vegetables. We provide all the necessary tools and training for all tasks. Gardening sessions are typically two hours long.
Many willing hands make a greater impact! Volunteering as a group is a great opportunity for team building and connecting with the community. We welcome groups from area businesses, schools, and more. Contact us about setting up a volunteer session for your group by emailing volunteer@willinghands.org.
In the past, volunteer groups have joined us from Hypertherm, King Arthur Baking, Celdara Medical, Dartmouth College, Hartford Area Career & Tech Center, and others!
If spreadsheets and databases are more your thing than digging in the dirt, we are always looking for help running the day-to-day operations of Willing Hands. Sometimes that means stuffing and mailing envelopes, making phone calls, or keeping our food pick-up and delivery records updated.
The Willing Hands warehouse is the stopover point for produce traveling from the fields to our recipient organizations. Every day, our dedicated warehouse team moves produce in and out. Volunteers help keep the warehouse organized, process compost, do trash and recycling runs, and more.
Our trucks are on the road picking up and delivering food all week long. Occasionally we need extra volunteers to pick up smaller quantities of produce from local farms using their own vehicles. If you’re available for a more “on-call” opportunity, let us know!
Willing Hands periodically hosts events to celebrate the amazing work being done within our community of volunteers, donors, partners, and the broader Upper Valley community. We love having volunteers join us in planning, organizing, and running events.
Do you have some other talent that you want to share with Willing Hands? Photography, art, construction, composting prowess? We’d love to hear from you! Email volunteer@willinghands.org or fill out this contact form.