Nonprofit
Published 1 month ago

Fight Food Waste at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays!

On-site, Volunteer must be in or near Santa Monica, CA
I Want to Help


  • Details

    Start Date:
    September 22, 2026
    End Date:
    September 21, 2027
    Available Times:
    Weekdays daytime
    Time Commitment:
    A few hours per month
    Commitment Details:
    Roughly 2 hours
    Recurrence:
    Recurring
    Volunteers Needed:
    100
    Cause Areas:
    Agriculture, Climate Change, Community Development, Environment & Sustainability, Hunger, Food Security
    Good For:
    Teens, Public Groups, Age 55+
    Participation Requirements:
    Background Check, Attend Orientation
    Age Requirement:
    16+
    Other Requirements:
    Volunteers must be able to stay for the entirety of the shift and lift boxes weighing up to 40 pounds. Volunteers under 16 must register and volunteer with a parent or guardian.

    Description

    Fight Food Waste at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays!

    Rescue surplus fruits and vegetables for folks experiencing food insecurity at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays with Food Forward's Farmers Market Recovery program.

    Why: We rely on our Glean Team Leaders to recover and donate thousands of pounds of surplus fruits and vegetables every week from our Farmers Market Recovery events. Joining our Volunteer Event Leader community also connects you with folks from all walks of life who are passionate about food access, food waste, sustainability, and agriculture. You'll have a regular opportunity to make a big impact, and you'll get to know local farmers and local produce in a whole new way.

    What To Expect: Glean Team Leaders (GTLs) are trained Food Forward volunteers who collect produce at farmers market "gleaning" events. If you are passionate about fighting hunger & food waste in your own community and are detail-oriented, you will love being a Glean Team Leader!

    At the Santa Monica Farmers Market, GTLs will lead the glean with a few volunteers from the public. GTLs are welcome to bring a friend/family member to glean with them!

    GTLs distribute empty boxes to participating vendors, collect the food donations at the end of the market, weigh and record the donations, and prepare the produce for pick-up by one of Food Forward's partner hunger relief receiving organizations.

    Food Forward provides liability insurance for the event.

    What's Required:

    • Availability on Wednesdays from 12:15 pm to 2:15 pm, six or more times per year.
    • Ability to life boxes weighing up to 40 pounds.
    • A smartphone to record donations or send a photograph.
    • A background check (free to you).

    First step: After filling out our Glean Team Leader Interest Form, keep an eye out for an email from our Volunteer Team! We will work together to find a date for you to check out a glean; please do not show up at the farmers market without emailing with us first. If you love it, we'll get you through the rest of our training process! Thank you!

    Location

    On-site
    Address will be sent upon registration, Santa Monica, California, US

    How to Volunteer for This Opportunity

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