3400 North Desert Drive, Atlanta

Atlanta Community Food Bank’s (ACFB) mission is to fight hunger by engaging, educating and empowering their community. To do this, ACFB relies on its network of over 1,700 monthly volunteers, 150+ staff, various food donors from the manufacturing, wholesale, retail, restaurant industry as well as farmers and individuals, to obtain and then distribute over 9.7 million pounds of food each month to those in need. Food is trucked to more than 700 community partners, such as food pantries, childcare centers, senior center, and shelters, in 29 counties across the Atlanta metro and north Georgia area. This means that over 8 million meals are provided each month. You read that correctly: 8 million meals! What’s even more incredible? Over 600,000 individuals facing food insecurity or hunger are cared for by ACFB. It truly is an amazing operation! ACFB a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity.

Forget the gym - time to work out for a cause! Join the fight to end hunger with a high-energy session of activities at ACFB's Atlanta warehouse. As a Hunger Action Center volunteer, you may assist with a myriad of tasks including sorting and packing recently donated food, repackaging produce or grains for families,  or boxing non-perishable items for seniors across Atlanta. 

There are a number of projects that happen in our Hunger Action Center that all guarantee an amazing day of volunteering! ACFB will train you on your day of service for the project of the day. Rest assured that the music is loud, the packing is fast-paced and the personal reward of making a difference can't be replaced. 

Volunteer Guidelines:

Please arrive 10 minutes prior to the start time to check-in. Orientation begins promptly at the start of the shift. Late volunteers may be unable to serve. 

Age Requirement: Volunteers must be 8 years or older to volunteer. All volunteers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. (Don’t worry; an adult DoGood team member will act as chaperone if your parent/guardian cannot come.)

Chaperone Requirements: Every volunteer group with children must follow the chaperone ratio: 1 adult per every 4 youth age 8-11 and 1 adult per every 8 youth age 12-17. Chaperones are required to remain with underage volunteers at all times. (Please note that at least one DoGood team member adult will be onsite. We will be monitoring the registration to see how many chaperones will be required. We encourage parents and guardians to volunteer with their fencer!)

Physical Requirements: Volunteers must be able to stand for extended periods of time. Some individuals may be asked to lift boxes up to 40 pounds.

Dress Code: Closed-toe and closed-heel shoes are required. Sneakers or work boots are recommended. Volunteers not wearing closed-toe shoes will not be allowed to enter the warehouse to participate in the event. Some volunteers will be sorting refrigerated product. Please wear long pants and bring a sweatshirt or light jacket with you. In the event you are working elsewhere, we do have lockers onsite to place your outerwear. 

Available dates & times to volunteer:

Saturday, December 7th, 1:30-4:30 PM

The Hunger Action Center of ACFB is a 10-minute drive from the Georgia International Convention Center.

There is a registration cap of 15 volunteers.

666 Rankin St NE, Atlanta

Trees Atlanta is a nonprofit community group that protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating. Since 1985, Trees Atlanta has been working to improve the greenspace in and around Atlanta. Its goal is to plant new trees, conserve existing trees, and educate the public on the many benefits of trees.

Get ready to dig in the dirt! Help us plant 52 trees in Old Fourth Ward to help sustain our urban forest. These trees will provide cleaner air, cool shade, and all around improved habitat for humans and wildlife living in our community. Planting tasks include digging holes with shovels/mattocks, untangling roots with your hands, mulching, watering, and cleaning up your area. Physical activity such as bending, lifting, and kneeling is required. Tree planting can be physically strenuous - be ready to break a sweat and get dirty!

What to wear and bring with you:

Gloves: Bring your own work gloves.

Recommended clothing:Wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting muddy. Long pants are recommended as you may be kneeling on the ground. All volunteers need closed-toed shoes or boots, clothes that can get dirty.

Tools: Trees Atlanta provides necessary tools, but if you'd like to bring your own, any of the following tools would be helpful: shovels, hand trucks, mattocks, and hand cultivators.

Drinking water: We strongly recommend you bring drinking water in reusable containers. No one-time-use plastic bottles, please.

Allergy medication: If you've experienced life-threatening allergic reactions to insects, please come prepared with your own emergency medicine, such as an auto-injector or oral medication. Please notify the coordinator of your need for medication in the case of an allergic attack.

You may also want: Sunscreen and bug spray as needed, snacks as needed (Trees Atlanta will not provide any of these items).

Liability Release

All volunteers will sign a waiver upon arrival at the project. You can preview ourliability and photo release waiver here. There is no need to print a waiver ahead of time unless you are 16 or 17 and attending without a parent/guardian.

Age requirements

All ages are welcome at this project. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Volunteers who are 16+ are allowed to attend without a parent/legal guardian present if they bring asigned waiver with them to the project.

Weather

Projects happen rain or shine, so please check the weather beforehand and come prepared. We will cancel projects if inclement weather such as lightning occurs and is forecasted to persist for the duration of the project. Because weather is sometimes unpredictable, the decision to cancel is typically made at the project start time. We will contact you via email if we choose to cancel in advance.

No restrooms are available on site

Most of our work sites are in public parks and greenspaces that do not have public restroom facilities available. Volunteers will need to leave the site to use the restroom at a local business.

Available dates & times to volunteer:

Saturday, December 7th, 9am-12pm

The Old Fourth Ward Playground is about a 20-minute drive from the Georgia International Convention Center.

There is a registration cap of 20 volunteers.

Project Held Offsite: Hygiene Kit Assembly

Since 2013, Love Beyond Walls (LBW) has been raising awareness about the realities and needs of homeless individuals in the Atlanta area. Their mission is to build meaningful relationships while also mobilizing volunteers to provide immediate relief for basic needs, such as shelter, food, laundry, clothes and wellness services.

As a volunteer, you will help assemble Hygiene Kits. These Hygiene Kits contain items like soap, shampoo, toothbrushes - small-sized items that help homeless individuals maintain their hygiene. LBW will distribute these at their holiday event later in December.

Available dates & times to volunteer:

Saturday, December 7th, 5-6:30 pm

We will meet in lobby of the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway at 4:45 pm, then proceed as a group to the meeting spot.

There is a registration cap of 25 volunteers.

Donations for Hygiene Kit

Since 2013, Love Beyond Walls (LBW) has been raising awareness about the realities and needs of homeless individuals in the Atlanta area. Their mission is to build meaningful relationships while also mobilizing volunteers to provide immediate relief for basic needs, such as shelter, food, laundry, clothes and wellness services.

Volunteers will assemble Hygiene Kits. These Hygiene Kits contain items like soap, shampoo, toothbrushes - small-sized items that help homeless individuals maintain their hygiene. LBW will distribute these at their holiday event later in December.

If you cannot donate your time, we ask that you volunteer by purchasing and donating some of the items that we need for the Hygiene Kits. Below is a link to the items on Amazon. Please have any donated items sent to Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway, 2020 Convention Center Concourse, Atlanta, GA 30337, c/o Linda Lin.

Georgia International Convention Center

Why not start the winter season off by doing something kind for your neighbor and learning a new skill?

Founded in 2022, Knit Knot Knoop’s mission is to educate young people about the homelessness epidemic in a creative way. We knit scarves and donate them to the homeless though our partner organization, Ezra. Knit Knot Knoop was created by Kate Elterman, a women’s epee fencer who wanted to do something kind for the homeless in her community during the pandemic. Kate has taught over 40 fencers how to knit and the organization has since grown to three chapters in the US.

Scarves knitted by Knit Knot Knoop volunteers give homeless individuals the extra layer of warmth they need in the colder months. It’s a layer of love and kindness. We will teach you how to knit and provide all the supplies. This is something that once you learn how to do, you can do at every tournament or in your spare time.

All knitting levels are welcome, from beginner to experienced.

Available dates and times to volunteer:

Sunday, December 8th, 2:00 pm

We will meet at the USA Fencing check-in desk and work in a quiet space in the Convention Center.

Georgia International Convention Center

Blades Against Hunger is a charitable initiative dedicated to uniting the fencing community in the fight against hunger. By collecting and donating surplus unused, non-perishable food and drinks from tournaments, we aim to reduce food waste, support local food pantries, and make a meaningful impact on those in need. Together, we strive to demonstrate that small acts of generosity can create positive change, both on and off the strip.

The volunteer will collect the donation bin from beside the USA Fencing check-in desk at the Convention Center, and drop it off with Mr. Javan Smith at the Atlanta Mission, 2353 Bolton Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 anytime between 9 am and 6 pm. Once this task is completed, a photo of the dropped-off donations at the Atlanta Mission should be sent to Samuel Hung at bladesagainsthunger@gmail.com.

Available dates & times to volunteer:

Sunday, December 8th, 9 am-6 pm

This volunteer project will earn a service credit of two hours. There is only 1 volunteer needed for this project.