Volunteer

Volunteer Opportunities

There are a variety of ways to get involved – find the right one for you!

Individual Volunteering (16+ years old)

We are truly powered by our individual volunteers. With more than 350 shifts each week there are a variety of tasks and day/time combinations to choose from. To get started, each individual must create an account through Better Impact and participate in a one-hour orientation session. Our orientation is designed to help new volunteers understand the variety of shift options as well as learn how to navigate the software. Our volunteers always select their own shifts, which vary from sorting food and filling boxes to doing more trained work with our clients.  Individuals must be 16 years of age or older.

Teen Volunteering (Ages 14-15 High School Students)

Our teen volunteers are making an impact in the lives of others.  Individuals who are ages 14-15 and are in high school, are invited to join us for Teen Time at the Naperville Market.  These shifts are special teen only events designed to familiarize teens with volunteering and Loaves & Fishes.   

Family Volunteering

Family Program – will return in the Fall of 2026

During this fun 90-minute family volunteer experience, you will have an introduction to Loaves & Fishes, receive a tour of our new Food Distribution Hub and then work in various food packing areas. Learn about the importance of eating nutritious food, giving back to others, and ending food insecurity. Children must be ages 6 to 18 years old, and at least one parent, grandparent or guardian must attend. 

Due to safety reasons, we cannot permit younger siblings to come along.
Please wear close-toed shoes and dress for a cool warehouse environment. A sweatshirt, tennis shoes, or flat boots are perfect. Each session is limited to 15 so that all who attend are engaged and supervised. 

Kindly note that this is NOT a drop-in event. 

For more information contact, Susan Ochoa at sochoa@loaves-fishes.org

Corporate and Community Work Groups

At Loaves & Fishes, we love to host socially responsible corporate groups to help us achieve our vision: Ending Hunger and Transforming Lives!  When employees feel engaged in their community and workplace, everyone benefits!  

Our typical corporate group volunteering opportunity includes a 2.5-hour service event where your group will participate in an introduction to our mission and community impact and a tour of our 32,000-square-foot warehouse in Aurora. For the remainder of the time, your group will actively pack boxes, fill bags, and/or sort through food donations. We invite adult work groups to our Hub on Tuesdays from 9-11:30am and/or Wednesdays from 12:30 – 3:00pm. We can easily accommodate groups of 6 – 20. If you have a larger group please contact us.   

We do encourage our volunteer groups to make a contribution in addition to time you are generously giving. This contribution could be a monetary donation, a direct purchase of food through our virtual food drive, or bringing items from our most needed list with you on the day of your volunteer experience.  

Interested in finding out more about bringing your team? Complete the interest form linked below.

Youth Group Volunteering

On Wednesday’s afterschool we host a 1-hour session for Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Church youth groups, etc.  We ask that the group make a food donation to us. This can be a food drive organized through their school, church, or neighborhood. 

We will take a quick tour of the warehouse, weigh the donated food, then sort the food donations that the group brings. We will wrap things up with a group photo. 

Please contact Susan Ochoa at sochoa@loaves-fishes.org for more information.

Court Mandated Community Service (16+)

Loaves & Fishes will provide verification of volunteer hours for court proceedings. We do not accept all charges, and you will be asked to submit documentation of your charge. We do not accept volunteers with felonies of any kind, any charges that are violent in nature, involve theft, disorderly conduct, or involve a firearm.  

To start this process, please create an account with us using the link below. You will then be prompted to email your documentation to volunteer@loaves-fishes.org.

FAQ’s

What sorts of things will I do as a Loaves & Fishes volunteer?  

Volunteers help with nearly every aspect of our food operation as well as our CARES programs. This could be helping on the production side; sorting and packing food, or in distribution helping handout our food to our clients. Volunteer roles are inside and outside and almost always standing and moving. We’ll spend much of our orientation session walking you through what you can anticipate in each role. The best part – you get to pick. Our volunteer roles are self-scheduled so you can decide what you are comfortable doing.  

How old do I need to be?  

Individual volunteers who are 14 and in High School can participate in our Teen time. At 16 years old you will be able to participate in most of our individual volunteer shifts. Have a child under the age of 14? Check out our Family Volunteering program.  

Can I bring a child with?  

We do not allow children to accompany adults to their volunteer shifts.  

Can I just show up?  

Unfortunately, no, Volunteers must sign-up for open shifts. If there is an open shift for the current day and you are available, please sign-up and join us!  

Do you have any seated volunteer activities?  

We do have just one role that is seated for our general volunteers – it is creating mesh bags for our produce. While there are a number of shifts each week, they do fill up fast.  

Have additional questions? Please email Volunteer@loaves-fishes.org