March 1, 2024 | Volunteering

Greetings, Volunteers!

Happy March! Can you believe it's almost Spring? Hearing the birds chirping is making me so excited for warmer weather. Volunteering in our community is a great way to break out of the Winter hibernation!

To sign up for an event this month and receive a month of free Garbage to Garden service, RSVP by email and we will help answer any questions you may have. Then simply send confirmation of your volunteer hours to volunteer@garbagetogarden.org to receive credit.

Just a reminder or a notice for those who are new to volunteering, we do ask that you try different opportunities each month! 

Happy Composting,

Furniture Friends is a small nonprofit in Westbrook, ME. They provide donated furniture to Mainers in need throughout Greater Portland. Their mission is simple, but providing essential furniture is so important to helping people feel safe and comfortable in their homes, and their work often has a profound impact on our clients' lives.

At Furniture Friends, they work with an amazing crew of volunteers who help them in their warehouse, on furniture deliveries, with our clients, and in the office assisting with fundraising efforts, marketing campaigns, and event planning. To join the volunteer team, fill out the Volunteer Interest form at furniturefriends.org/volunteer and they'll be in touch!

At the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, their mission is to
improve the legal, social and economic conditions experienced by
Maine’s immigrants – enhancing their lives while strengthening
Maine – through advocacy, information sharing and collaboration
both through and among our member organizations.

The meal program runs 6 nights a week, Monday thru Saturday, and serves 180 hot culturally-appropriate meals for dinner to the clients at the shelter. We look for 4-6 volunteers each day to support the program.

Sign up Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CAEAE22A6F5C16-mirc#/

The MMC Food Pantry provides healthy food to our community members who are experiencing food insecurity.

Unloading / Re-Stocking Support: Monday & Wednesday (12:00pm-2:30pm) at 950 Congress Street in Portland

Assists on delivery days to unload pallets/vehicles and restock the main pantry area, as well as the back storage room. MONDAYS: This is a physically demanding shift and the ability to lift 25-50 lbs is preferable for the safety of volunteers. WEDNESDAYS: This is a good opportunity for volunteers with lower lifting capacity.

Anyone interested needs to complete an application on Volunteer Local. Once an application is complete, someone from their team will reach out.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the MMC Food Pantry or the work they do, please email mmcfoodpantry@mainehealth.org or visit their website.

In partnership with the City of Portland, we are working to promote composting efforts across Portland. We will be leading street teams to help distribute door hangers. 

Thursday March 28th, 3 - 5pm

To sign up for a shift, OR, if you are not available at the above time but interested on door hanging at a different time, email us!

See the below opportunities:

Green Bag Packing: 9:30am to 11am Monday through Thursday at our warehouse in South Portland
These shifts would include packing bags of fresh produce to be sent out to food insecurity families throughout the greater Portland area. 

Purple Bag Packing: 1:30am to 3:00pm Mondays at our warehouse in South Portland
These shifts would include packing bags of dry goods and pantry staples to be sent out to food insecurity families throughout the greater Portland area. 

Fresh Food Events: Time and location vary depending on the event
These shifts would include helping staff set up and hand out fresh food in different schools and community locations, similar to a free farmers market.

Standard Baking Pickup: 5pm to 6:30pm Monday through Thursday at our warehouse in South Portland

These shifts would include driving to Standard Baking Company to pick up their baked goods donation and bring it back to our warehouse to be bagged for distribution. 

All available shifts can be found on our SignUpGenius page, we ask that all first time volunteers fill out the new volunteer form on our website first.