GIVE TIME | VOLUNTEER

Roadrunner Food Bank has many opportunities to help out and volunteer. While the most common volunteer experience at the food bank is working in the warehouse in Albuquerque, we offer volunteer opportunities to assist in many other ways too. Every volunteer experience is different, but every experience helps provide access to food to our New Mexico neighbors in need. All you need to volunteer is a good attitude, and to reserve a time with us to get involved. We are confident that we have an opportunity that matches your ability, skills, and availability. 

Scroll down to learn about the many ways you can volunteer! If you live outside Bernalillo County and want to volunteer your time in your community, we can connect you to a partner food distribution site in your area. Note: court mandated volunteers must complete a pre-screening process prior to setting a time and date to volunteer. Click here to begin your court mandated volunteer request.  Thanks! 

Thank you for your gift of time and talents! We look forward to meeting you!

Warehouse Volunteers

Warehouse volunteers are trained to carefully check, clean, label, sort, repack, and box food and non-food packaged items. The bulk food items are then made available to our statewide network of partner agencies for distribution in counties across the state of New Mexico.

Warehouse volunteers should be able to lift up to 20 pounds and stand for extended periods of time. Volunteers may be working near large equipment such as forklifts and pallet jacks. Volunteers should be in relatively good health to perform tasks that may be physically demanding, such as lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending and reaching. Volunteers must register at least 24 hours in advance. Shifts in our warehouse typically last 2 hours.

Individuals and families as well as groups and court mandated volunteers are able to help out in our warehouse. Volunteers 8 and older may volunteer with adult supervision.

Learn More and Register to Volunteer

Food Distribution Volunteers

Food distributions are held out in the community away from our warehouse facility and often occur in parking lots, outdoors, or inside open areas within a building. Volunteers who help at these food distribution assist with traffic control, bagging produce, assisting people, and loading food in vehicles. Those helping in loading vehicles should be able to lift up to 20 pounds.

Since these distributions are held outdoors, indoors, in parking lots and other locations, volunteers should dress for the weather and be prepared to stand and walk for several hours. Volunteers must register in advance. Assisting at these locations is often a 2-4 hour commitment. Individuals and families as well as group volunteers 16 years or older are able to assist at these community-based food distributions.

Currently these volunteer opportunities occur in Albuquerque, Chaparral, Isleta Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo, Loving, T or C, and the Torreon Chapter House. It is our hope that volunteers will “adopt a site” where they commit to volunteering at a location they have selected once each month for a year.

Learn More and Register to Volunteer

HELP Center Volunteers

Our HELP Center assists people facing hunger with information and application help over the phone.  HELP Center volunteers assist in two ways. They are trained to answer our Food Assistance Hotline where volunteers connect people facing hunger with various food distribution locations near their home. These locations are made up of hundreds of food distribution sites and are located in every county throughout the state. The second way that HELP Center volunteers assist is providing application assistance for programs including  SNAP (food stamps), MedicaidMedicare Savings ProgramLIHEAP, and Cash Assistance.

This volunteer opportunity is perfect for individuals and service learning volunteers who are building skills as part of their educational experience. Volunteers must be 18 years and are asked to go through a background check. Training is also required along with advanced computer skills. Persons with excellent customer service and interpersonal skills are ideal for this opportunity. In addition, we are always seeking volunteers who speak multiple languages.  Currently this volunteer activity is available virtually.

Learn More About Volunteering with the Help Center

Additional Volunteer Opportunities

The volunteer activities listed below are ideal for individual volunteers or small groups.  The volunteer opportunities below often require specialized training or a background check.  Please contact our Volunteer Team for more information about any of our volunteer activities listed below prior to registering.

Healthy Foods Center (HFC): Volunteers help sort, organize, prep and distribute healthy food items especially produce. Healthy Foods Center volunteers also help orient people we serve to the services they will receive, register clients  and take on data entry activities. Plus, volunteers can assist with outreach (primarily over the phone) to people served by the Center in the following ways: check in’s in between weekly visits, conducting community resources assessments about the household’s barriers in accessing food and healthcare, and providing resources to additional services. This on-site medical referral food pantry is located within Roadrunner Food Bank’s Albuquerque facility. 

Front Desk/Reception: Volunteers help collect and weigh food donations, answer phones, assist with our volunteer database and other office tasks. 

Administrative Volunteers: Many of our departments benefit from the volunteer work of individuals who have specific administrative skills such as helping with fundraising events, database management, human resources, filing, general organizational needs, data entry or inventory management.  

Special Project Volunteers: Volunteer opportunities are occasional or may be short-term or seasonal projects.  These opportunities may include preparing bulk mailings, inventorying supplies, maintenance projects (painting, cleaning, etc.) or other tasks. 

Learn more about our specialized volunteer opportunities by using the link below.