Volunteer Positions
Event Leader Opportunities
Event Leaders are the (apple) core of our organization. Event Leaders are trained volunteers who are able to choose when, where, and with whom they volunteer based on our available food rescuing opportunities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Event Leaders must be at least 16 years old, and those 16 – 17 years old must have a parent or legal guardian who trains and volunteers with them.
Our Event Leader training is as easy as one, two, pea! It takes 1-2 months to complete the steps below, depending on your schedule.
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- Fill out our Harvest Leader or Glean Team Leader Interest Form, and join a fruit harvest or farmers market glean event to make sure you love it.
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- Complete a 2-minute application and have a quick phone call with a Food Forward staff member.
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- Complete a free background check, and sign Food Forward agreements.
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- Attend a virtual training, along with in-person trainings during your first two events.
Harvest a fruit tree in the community!
Harvest Leaders are trained volunteers who harvest fruit trees in backyards, orchards, and other properties. Food Forward coordinates the fruit donor and the fruit recipient—all the Harvest Leader has to do is harvest the juicy goods and deliver them to a nearby hunger relief organization!
Collect surplus produce from a farmers market!
Glean Team Leaders are trained volunteers who collect fresh, surplus produce at farmers markets. Glean Team Leaders distribute empty boxes to participating vendors, collect and weigh the boxes filled with produce donations, and help load them into the hunger relief organization(s)’s vehicle. Everything happens on site!