Food Rescuer - Egg Harbor Township, NJ

Every year in New Jersey, 341,000 tons of prepared food goes to waste, while 994,800 New Jersey residents don’t have enough food to eat. Share My Meals is closing the gap between food waste and hunger by mobilizing volunteers to recover nutritious surplus meals from commercial kitchens and deliver them to local nonprofits that support individuals in need.

About the opportunity: Share My Meals is looking for dedicated volunteers to pick up meal donations from Egg Harbor Township and deliver them to a food pantry in Egg Harbor City (~20 minute drive). This volunteering opportunity will be on Thursdays and start at 2pm.

We are looking to build a community of volunteers who would be willing to share and support this route on a regular basis.

In order to adhere to food safety guidelines, Share My Meals provides all necessary equipment (i.e. insulated bags) to transport food donations safely and requires volunteers to track pick-up and delivery route start and end times using our smart phone app.

Volunteer Requirements:

• Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Parents may volunteer with their children.
• Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license.
• Volunteers must provide their own transportation and have the necessary auto insurance (minimum of $300,000 Single Limit or $100,000/$300,000 Split Limit auto liability limits).
• Volunteers must have a smartphone with the ability to download our food donation tracking app.

Volunteers will be asked to complete a brief Share My Meals onboarding as well as app and food safety online training before volunteering.

Please note: This is not a one-time volunteer opportunity; we are looking for volunteers who are available to regularly support the meal delivery program.

Sources: https://insights-engine.refed.org/food-waste-monitor?break_by=food_type&indicator=tons-waste&state=NJ&view=detail&year=2023; https://www-doh.nj.gov/doh-shad/indicator/summary/FoodInsecurity.html#:~:text=