S ection 8
Managing Your Program Working with Volunteers Volunteers are the lifeblood of the nonprofit world. They provide the human power that enables thousands of organizations to fulfill their missions. This section is designed to help you find, train, and retain the kind of volunteers that can make your EFP more effective. Before you begin recruiting people to help, be sure you know what you want them to do. Spend time organizing the tasks involved in either preparing a meal or running a food pantry. Ask yourselves some questions: How many people do you need and how long will you need them? Do you need people for one-time jobs or will you need to schedule volunteers on an ongoing basis? What special skills are required?
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• Families and friends • Job training programs in food service • Military units and retired military personnel • New York Cares and other organizations that recruit volunteers (Please see Useful Resources in Section 8) • Rehabilitation agencies/programs • Retired executives and teachers associations • Schools • Scout troops or other youth groups • Senior citizens groups/Senior Corps Program
Where to Look for Volunteers
• Service organizations like Kiwanis,
Volunteers can be found throughout your community. The following list should give you some ideas about where to look. Just like fundraising, the first rule is to ask!
• People who use your food program
• Business and professional organizations
• Chambers of Commerce
• Churches and other religious groups
• Community service restitution programs
Section 8
Rotary Club
• Sororities and fraternities • Students seeking internships and service opportunities • University/college/community college organizations
Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry Best Practices Guide