Volunteer as an Interpreter (Cantonese, Mandarin, or Spanish) at our Pantry!

For the last ten years, Berkeley Food Network (BFN) has been fighting hunger in Berkeley and Albany using hyper-local, innovative, and non-stigmatizing approaches. Each week, we distribute healthy, high-quality, and fresh foods to nearly 6,500 people at our pantries and through our home delivery program, and to countless others through our network of 30 local organizations.

We are in need of interpreters fluent in speaking Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese to support members with limited English at our 9th Street Pantry located at our Warehouse on 9th Street and University Avenue in Berkeley. The 9th Street Pantry serves 1,400 households per week. If you like interacting with your community, this shift is for you!

Interpreters are needed to support members with limited English. Volunteers can help in four ways:

• • General member support: Help members get what they need during their visit.
  • Community Forum Registration: Support members with signing up for the community forum to be held in Jan 2027
  • Community Forum Interpretation: Help BFN communicate updates and capture community input
  • Registration (starting Mid November): Help new members register and current members re-register, as we switch to our new software, Pantrysoft

Volunteers will also support greeting members. The 9th Street Pantry is open 11 am - 6 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Volunteer shifts are:

• Morning: 10:30am-12:45pm
• Midday: 12:30pm-2:45pm
• Afternoon: 2:30pm-4:45pm
• Evening: 4:30-6:30pm

All volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application and attend an in-person training.

Training includes the basics of customer service in the context of food insecurity, an overview of de-escalation techniques, and information about public-facing volunteer roles.