Volunteering at Martha’s Village & Kitchen reaches far and beyond just the kitchen. Although Martha’s is known for serving a quarter of a million meals each year, there is so much more to the village. Volunteers are welcome in all departments at MVK. We try our best to accommodate volunteer schedules, groups of volunteers and different age groups of volunteers as well.
Let’s take a tour around Martha’s Village & Kitchen and get a little more detail about what volunteers do in their departments.
Emergency Food Pantry:
Genevieve and her mother volunteer in the Emergency Food Pantry. Volunteers help sort and package USDA food and donated nonperishable items for our neighbors in need. Groups and individuals also sort through donated items to check for expired or damage packages so that they can be discarded. Monday through Friday from 8am to 10am, volunteers help staff with distribution of packaged food from the pantry. On the 3rd Wednesday of every month, volunteers also work to help staff with our USDA Food Distribution event for the community.
Administration:
The administration volunteer performs a variety of tasks depending on project needs and deadlines. This will include tasks assigned by various Development team members. This position helps to extend the resources of Martha’s Village & Kitchen by providing much needed support to our Admin team. As a result, this is a perfect opportunity for anyone who is interested in gaining hands on experience in the administration field.
Case Management:
Manuel is currently attending a local college and wants to start a career in social services. 
Manuel has been volunteering side by side with our Case Management team for several months to gain experience in this field. As a volunteer, he works hands on with helping with the intake of new clients. He also helps with writing their profiles, helping with testing and surveys and creating and maintaining their files. Manuel assists clients to help find permanent housing once they graduate the Residential program. At times, Manuel will also assist with our Career and Education classes helping residents create resumes or apply for a job.
After 90 hours of volunteering, Martha’s Village & Kitchen can be added as a reference on a job application. Therefore, we encourage anyone interested in wanting to learn a new field to volunteer with us and gain work experience. Also, community service also looks great on college applications. To find out more on how you can get involved please visit our volunteer page on our website.