See our Health and COVID-19 Policy.

No problem. Please click on the cancellation link sent in the confirmation or reminder emails, and stay home.

Unfortunately, most events will not have handwashing stations available. Hand sanitizer may be available. Please wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before and after the event.

Most of our volunteers help us recover and donate fresh produce at various locations. Volunteers should be comfortable being on their feet throughout the shift and carrying boxes of fruits and vegetables. Below are two different types of volunteer events!

• Backyard Harvest
The Backyard Harvest Program coordinates volunteers to collect fruit from trees that would otherwise go to waste and connect it with local hunger relief organizations. We harvest citrus, persimmons, pomegranates, stone fruit, and more from private properties, as well as from public and commercial orchards and farms. Volunteers will receive an orientation from a trained Volunteer Event Leader and place harvested fruit into boxes. Volunteers should be comfortable carrying boxes that may weigh up to 20 pounds. We currently harvest in Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and small sections of Santa Barbara County.

• Farmers Market Recovery
The Farmers Market Recovery Program coordinates volunteers to connect surplus fruits and vegetables from farmers markets with local hunger relief organizations at weekly “gleans.” Volunteers pass out empty boxes to vendors, then pick up, sort, and weigh filled boxes. Volunteers should be comfortable carrying boxes that may weigh up to 40 pounds (or register with someone who can help). We currently glean 18 farmers markets every week in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Each property we harvest has different conditions. We cannot guarantee that there will be shade or that the ground will be flat and even. The type of tools you may need to use (your hands, hand clippers/pruners, fruit picker, extended fruit picker, and extended pruner) depends upon the type of fruit and where the fruit is located on the trees. Contact us if you have a question!

You’re on your way to fighting hunger and food waste with us! You will receive an email confirming that you’re signed up. Check your inbox (or your spam folder if you don’t see it!) for a confirmation email from [email protected]. You will also receive reminder emails 4 days and 24 hours in advance with the event address, meet-up instructions, and other important details.

Many of our volunteer events do not have restrooms available or public restrooms nearby. Please feel free to contact us in advance if you have questions or concerns.

The majority of our produce recovery events take place outside, so we always recommend bringing water and sunscreen or a hat. Closed-toe shoes are required, and please wear clothes you are comfortable in and don’t mind getting dirty. Feel free to bring gardening gloves and bug spray if you’d like. Otherwise, we supply all equipment needed!

Nope! We arrange transportation with the organization receiving the food or with the Volunteer Event Leader.

No. While we understand how busy you are, we do require that volunteers stay for the entire time. Most of our events have very small volunteer teams, and we need all hands on deck!

Age 5 for Backyard Harvest events and 12 for Farmers Market Recovery events. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who volunteers for the entire event. Each volunteer (children included) must be registered individually in advance with a unique email address.

We do not allow babies at our volunteer events for safety reasons. The minimum age to volunteer is 5 for Backyard Harvest events and 12 for Farmers Market Recovery events. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who registers and volunteers for the entire event.

Yes, they just need to sign up individually to volunteer for the same event you’re attending. We cannot accept walk-up volunteers; all must register in advance.

It depends! Please fill out our Group Volunteer Form and then check our volunteer calendar. If you see an event that works for your group, have each person register individually. Check back if you don’t see anything, as we post new events frequently! Please note: most events in Los Angeles County are small and can rarely accommodate more than 3–4 volunteers. We can sometimes accommodate larger groups at Backyard Harvest events in Ventura County.

If you’ve already registered yourself, you can register your child using a second email address you have or a placeholder email address, such as [email protected].

Please leave pets at home. For service animals, contact [email protected] well in advance to coordinate.

100% of the food is donated to hunger relief organizations. This ensures transparency and fairness to donors. To find food resources, check out these resources.

The Event Leader can often tell you where it goes. You’ll also receive an email following the event with these details!

Usually yes! We recommend signing up early as events fill quickly. We cannot guarantee that you’ll be able to complete a specific number of hours in a specific timeframe, but we are happy to sign off on any hours you do complete afterwards. Email [email protected] with questions.

Yes. Bring your form to the event or email [email protected] after the event.

Visit this page to learn about becoming a Volunteer Event Leader.

Post on local platforms or social media! Here’s our posting language.

We cancel for moderate to heavy rain, extreme heat (over 104°F), or unsafe air quality. Otherwise, events usually proceed. You’ll be notified via email and phone call in case of cancellation.