Volunteers are essential for Feeding Avery Families to fulfill its mission to address food insecurity. They donate more than 10,000 hours each year sorting, packing, driving, assisting and spreading love and good cheer.
To learn more about volunteering, please come to the FAF Center on Thursday or Friday mornings or call the office at 828-783-8506.
Get Started!
Volunteer Orientation is every third Thursday of the month, 12-1pm. Drop in volunteers are welcome! We will give a brief overview the day you arrive, but also schedule you for the next orientation. On Fridays, snacks and water are available in the conference room. Also on Fridays, we are running short on parking! Please carpool if possible and leave parking spaces nearest the entrance for our neighbors to pick up food.
Download the Volunter Handbook (PDF)
Fridays Distribution (9:30–11:30 am, 12:30–2:30 pm)
- Reception: Welcome clients to FAF and record their visit.
- Guide: Accompany clients as they shop.
- Serve: Assist clients with selections of meat, bread, desserts, dairy and produce.
- Loaders: Put clients’ items safely into their vehicles.
- Stockers: Keep shelves filled with products for our clients.
- Food Prep: Prepare samples from items available for shoppers.
- An additional Drive-Thru only pick-up is available on some Fridays 4-6 pm.
Thursdays (9:30–11:30am)
- Unloaders: Receive shipments from MANNA FoodBank and other partners (every other week).
- Stockers: Unpack, arrange and stock shelves.
- Boxers: Box Packing for Drive-Thru Prep
- Special Projects
- Volunteer Groups
Other Opportunities
- Bilingual: Help serve our Hispanic neighbors
- Food Pickup: Pick up donated food from Food Lion, Lowes Food and other organizations.
- Deliveries: Deliver food to remote distribution sites, schools and other locations.
- Special Projects: Volunteers are needed at various times throughout the year to support events and programs.
Here’s a great video on Warehouse Safety for volunteers from MANNA FoodBank: