Thank you for your interest in donating your time and energy to Project MANA! As a volunteer you will play an important role in our mission to reduce the incidence of hunger and promote nutrition through education and awareness throughout North Lake Tahoe and Truckee.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at 775-298-0104 or volunteer@projectmana.org.

Volunteer Opportunities

EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Objective: Assist Project MANA in distributing food at any of our emergency distribution sites

Impact: Weekly Emergency Food Distributions are the primary way in which Project MANA provides food to community members who need it. Volunteers are an essential part of making our distributions run smoothly.

Project MANA distributes food each week at the following sites in the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee area:

We also have Seasonal distributions at Squaw Valley and Soda Spring.

Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per week, no minimum commitment. We ask that volunteers arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time of the distribution to help with set-up

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to distribution site

Position Description

• Assist with distribution set-up
• Help hand out food and maintain an orderly, smooth flow during the distribution
• Assist with clean-up after distribution

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator or Program Coordinator

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FOOD AND COMPANIONSHIP EXCHANGE (FACE)

Objective: Assist in providing weekly deliveries of groceries to homebound community members who cannot physically attend our weekly food distributions.

Impact: FACE Volunteers not only provide food to individuals who have trouble meeting their nutritional needs, they also provide them with companionship and connections to other social services.

Time Commitment: 2 hours per week, year-round opportunity, with a 3 month minimum commitment

Vehicle: Required, for deliverers must be suitable for transporting groceries

Position Description

1. Packer: Pack grocery bags with produce or canned goods according to each individual’s requests and dietary needs.
2. Deliverer: deliver grocery bags to homebound individuals and provides them with other services if necessary, and if desired.

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator

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WAREHOUSE MAINTENANCE

Objective: Assist with maintaining organization and cleanliness in our warehouse

Impact: Warehouse maintenance ensures that the food Project MANA receives from the generosity of the community can be promptly distributed to those who need it

Time Commitment: Flexible, based on availability of volunteer and food supply

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to offices

Position Description

• Sort, date-check, and properly store incoming donations
• Categorize foods and restock FACE bag packing area
• Rotate food so that soon-to-expire food is distributed first
• Pack emergency food bags
• Ensure that kitchen and all food sotarage areas are organized and clean
• Portion bulk foods
• Weigh and record donated and rescued food

* This job may require some heavy lifting

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator and Warehouse Manager

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FOOD EXPRESS

Objective: rescue discarded perishable food from local supermarkets, farmer’s markets, and bakeries so that it may be distributed to community members.

Impact: Food Express volunteers help save perfectly good food from being wasted while providing things like bread, dairy products, and deserts to hungry people in local communities.

Time commitment: 1-2 hours a week

Vehicle: Required, vehicle with ample storage space recommended

Position Description

• Pick up food from Safeway, SaveMart, New Moon, Raley’s, and participating stores.
• Weigh and record rescued food at Incline office.

* This position may require some heavy lifting and driving

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator and Warehouse Manager

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OFFICE ASSISTANT

Objective: Assist with various tasks in the office such as data entry, filing, organizing, and answering phones

Impact: Office Assistant volunteers help increase the capacity of Project MANA’s small staff so that we may ensure that our programs run smoothly and we are able to serve those in need to the best of our ability.

Time commitment: Flexible, as needed

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to Incline Office

Position Description

• This position requires some basic knowledge of office work, computers and phone etiquette. Duties may include, but are not limited to: filing, data entry, answering phones, organizing, and assisting clients.

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator and Office Manager

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COMMUNITY GARDENS *Seasonal: Spring and Summer only

Objective: Assist with maintaining and improving Project MANA’s three community gardens in Incline Village, Kings Beach, and Truckee

Impact: Our community gardens serve as a space for community members to be involved in and learn the importance of growing fresh, local produce. Project MANA uses our gardens to hold various classes about gardening and nutrition for both children and adults.

Time Commitment: Flexible, dependent on season and volunteer availability

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to garden

Position Description

• Assist in the preparation of the garden at the beginning and end of the growing season, including repairs and planting.
• Assist in the planting of the garden in the spring, maintenance throughout the season (weeding, watering), and harvest in the summer and fall months.
• Instruct/Assist with gardening classes for adults and youth.

Report to: Program Coordinator

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STONE SOUP

NUTRITION EDUCATION *Seasonal, limited availability

Objective: Assist with developing and implementing Interactive classroom programs and presentations designed to educate youth and community about basic nutrition, healthy eating habits, and local and global hunger issues

Impact: Nutrition Education Volunteers help us improve the health of our communities by teaching everyone from children to adults how to make healthier food choices.

Time commitment: Varies

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to Incline Office or education site

Position Description

• Assist with planning classes and developing lessons
• Instruct or assist with teaching nutrition lessons, cooking classes, and food safety.

Report to: Nutrition Education Coordinator

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 LET'S TALK TURKEY *Seasonal: Fall ONLY

Objective: Assist Project MANA in preparing for and executing our annual Thanksgiving food distribution

Impact: Each year through Let’s Talk Turkey, Project MANA partners with numerous agencies throughout North Lake Tahoe and Truckee to identify families in need and provide them with turkeys and other items to make a hearty Thanksgiving meal. In 2011, with the help of our volunteers, over 700 turkeys were distributed.

Time Commitment:
Dates prior to distribution as needed
1-2 hours on the day before distribution
9AM-3PM on the day of distribution

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to distribution sit

Position Description

• Assist in the identification of families/individuals in need of a Thanksgiving meal.
• Coordinate a food drive to collect non-perishables for the event.
• Help sort and pack food on the day before distribution in preparation for distribution.
• Help with set-up, clean-up and distribution of food on the day of distribution at one of our three distributions sites: Incline Village, Kings Beach, or Truckee.

*May require some heavy lifting

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator

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FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS

Objective: Provide support in preparing for and putting on our various fundraising events throughout the year. These are usually temporary and seasonal opportunities.

Impact: Fundraising events are vital for funding all of Project MANA’s programs and often would not be possible without the help of volunteers.

Time commitment: Flexible, dependent on fundraising event and availability

Vehicle: Not required, must have transportation to Incline Office or event

Position Description

• Assist in the development of fundraising plans.
• Support Project MANA staff before and during our yearly fundraising events as needed.

Report to: Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, Executive Director, and Program Manager

Other ways to get involved

HOST A FOOD DRIVE

Objective: Collect food donations for Project MANA that are distributed to hungry community members in North Lake Tahoe and Truckee.

Impact: Project MANA relies on donations made through food drives for much of the food that we distribute in the community.

Time Commitment: Variable, food drives are generally organized and carried out independently by volunteers so time commitment depends on the scale of the food drive

Vehicle: not required, Project MANA can pick up food donations if necessar

Position Description: 

• Volunteers who coordinate food drives work with groups or individuals to gather nonperishables that are un-opened and un-expired to be donated to Project MANA. Volunteers are responsible for organizing all aspects of the food drive with support from Project MANA Staff as needed.

Report to: Nutrition Education Coordinator