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Volunteer


Thank you for your interest in helping Meals from the Heartland.

Meals from the Heartland  appreciates all of the time and effort volunteers contribute to the Big Packaging event each year. We could not do what we do without every single volunteer! If you wish to volunteer your time and resources to Meals from the Heartland, there are several ways you can help.

Upcoming events:
Our BIG Packaging Event will be held in downtown Des Moines, Iowa at Hy-Vee Hall from September 2nd to September 5th.  Please check back for volunteer details or you can sign your team up online today to start fundraising. Sign-up for packaging is open NOW!

 To see scheduling opportunities and sign up, please click on the job descriptions (in red) below.

I. Packagers:  You can sign-up as an individual or in a team of 8-10 people (from your church, school, business, organization, family or friends) for a two hour shift to package some of the millions of meals that are sent across the world each year.

Packaging opportunities will take place between the following times:

Thursday, 9/2……. 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 9/3……. 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, 9/4……. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, 9/5……. 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

mfth-09-disc-4-027_loII. *Volunteers: Our volunteers are critically needed to support the event in the following areas:

A. Event Hosts help coordinate and organize other volunteers during the packaging event. Responsibilities include registration/checking in meal packaging volunteers, guiding packaging volunteers through the training area and more. Training is provided. Shifts are four hours.

B. Supply Station/Dock Volunteers are responsible for preparing food materials for delivery to the packaging table; opening bags and filling bins, loading bins on manual transports, and stocking packaging areas as needed.  Maintaining a clean, organized work area, cleaning and re-stocking packaging areas between shifts is important.  Volunteers trained on location for their shift.  Physical requirements:  safely lift 50 lbs bags, operate a box knife.  Shifts are four hours.

C. Packaging Supervisors are responsible for supervising food packaging volunteers, and maintaining order in their assigned area. Preferred attendance at one of two pre-event training meetings (3pm, Sunday Aug 29 or 6:30pm, Monday, August 30). (Shirts and hats will be provided upon arrival at Hy-Vee Hall.) Shifts are four hours.

*T-Shirts are provided for ALL volunteers in the above three areas. All shifts are four hours long.