Opportunities From: Volunteer Iowa

The Delivery & Back Door Coordinator plays a vital role in helping The Gathering meals run smoothly and efficiently for our neighbors across Iowa. This volunteer helps organize delivery operations, coordinate meal packing, and support delivery drivers with kindness and appreciation.

Organize all delivery order sheets and meal bag stickers

Place stickers on delivery and to-go meal bags accurately

Help manage and organize all delivery orders in the hallway staging area

Assist kitchen volunteers with packing meals for delivery and carry-out guests

Coordinate the flow of meals at the back door during pickup times

Help delivery drivers receive and load the correct meals into vehicles

Ensure delivery volunteers receive a meal for their household to enjoy after deliveries are completed

Thank and encourage volunteers helping serve our community

Help maintain a calm, welcoming, and organized environment during busy meal service

Organized and dependable

Friendly and encouraging to volunteers and guests

Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

Good communication and teamwork skills

Attention to detail with delivery labels and orders

Typically Mondays from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM during meal preparation and delivery operations.

This position helps ensure hundreds of meals are delivered correctly and efficiently to families, seniors, and neighbors throughout Cass County. Your kindness and organization help make sure no one is forgotten.

The Gathering Mission:
“No charge. No questions. Just kindness.”

The Gathering Friendly Guest Caller is a caring volunteer who helps connect with our neighbors before meal night through friendly phone calls, meal reminders, wellness check-ins, and delivery confirmations. This role helps guests feel welcomed, remembered, and valued while building meaningful community connections across Cass County.

Friendly Guest Callers may contact guests to confirm delivery information, share meal details, check on seniors or homebound neighbors, answer basic questions, or simply provide a warm and encouraging conversation. Volunteers help create a personal connection that reminds our neighbors they are not alone.

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys talking with people, spreading kindness, listening with compassion, and helping others feel comfortable and cared for.

Call guests with meal reminders and updates

Confirm delivery addresses and phone numbers

Check in with seniors and homebound neighbors

Answer basic meal night questions

Help organize and add new guest to the call lists and notes

Share kindness, encouragement, and conversation

Report delivery changes or concerns to coordinators

Friendly and welcoming personality

Good communication and listening skills

Dependable and organized

Compassionate and patient with guests

Friendly Guest Callers help bring comfort, connection, and kindness beyond the meal itself. A simple phone call can brighten someone’s day and remind our neighbors that The Gathering community truly cares.

No charge. No questions. Just kindness.

The Gathering Community Clean-Up Team helps close out meal night by restoring all kitchen, dining, and serving areas after our Free Community Meal. These volunteers play an important role in making sure the church and work areas are clean, organized, sanitized, and ready for future community use.

Volunteers may help clear tables, wash dishes, sanitize counters, sweep and mop floors, pack leftovers, organize supplies, take out trash, clean serving stations, and help load items back to storage. Their hard work behind the scenes allows The Gathering to continue serving Cass County neighbors with dignity, kindness, and care.

This role is perfect for volunteers who enjoy teamwork, staying active, and making a big difference through service and support.

6:00 PM – Until Clean-Up is Complete

Clear and wipe down dining tables

Wash dishes, pans, and kitchen utensils

Sanitize counters, serving stations, and prep areas

Sweep and mop floors

Take out trash and recycling

Organize leftover food and supplies

Help load supplies for storage or transport help to another storage building

Assist kitchen and dining leaders with closing duties

The Community Clean-Up Team helps end every meal night with excellence, teamwork, and care. Their dedication helps keep The Gathering running smoothly while showing respect and gratitude to the spaces and people that make these meals possible.

No charge. No questions. Just kindness.

The Gathering Set-Up Volunteers are the helping hands that prepare everything before our neighbors arrive for the evening meal. Volunteers assist with unloading supplies, organizing serving stations, preparing delivery and to go hall area, setting up the giving table, preparing the dining room, setting up the host table area, stocking kitchen areas, and making sure the space is clean, welcoming, and ready to serve our Cass County community with kindness and care.

Set-Up Volunteers help create a warm and organized environment where guests can feel comfortable and valued. This role may include loading or unloading items from storage, arranging food prep areas, setting out dishes and supplies, decorating tables, and helping the kitchen team get ready for service.

This volunteer position is perfect for individuals who enjoy teamwork, staying active, and helping behind the scenes to make meal night successful.

9:00 AM – Until Set-Up is Complete 

Load and unload supplies and equipment

Set up tables, chairs, serving stations, and dining room

Organize kitchen and prep areas

Prepare dishes, trays, cups, and utensils

Help stock food and supply stations

Assist cooks and kitchen volunteers as needed

Create a clean, welcoming environment for guests

Set-Up Volunteers help build the foundation for a successful meal night. Their kindness, hard work, and dedication help make “No charge. No questions. Just kindness.” possible for our neighbors every other Monday.

Our cooks do more than prepare food — they help serve kindness, dignity, and hope to every guest who walks through the doors.

Prepare and cook meals for community meal nights

Follow meal plans, recipes, and food safety guidelines

Coordinate with prep cooks and kitchen volunteers

Monitor food quality, temperatures, and serving readiness

Help organize kitchen workflow during busy meal preparation

Assist with meal packaging and serving support if needed

Maintain a clean, safe, and organized kitchen environment

Help with kitchen clean-up, dishes, and food storage after service

Enjoys cooking and serving others

Works well with volunteers and kitchen teams

Organized and dependable

Comfortable working in a fast-paced kitchen environment

Experience cooking for groups is helpful but not required

Typically Mondays from 9:00 AM – Close during every other Monday meal nights. Flexible help is always appreciated.

The meals prepared by our cooks bring comfort and connection to seniors, families, and neighbors across Cass County. Every plate served reminds someone they are cared for and not alone.

The Gathering Mission:
“No charge. No questions. Just kindness.”

It takes a team of caring hands to serve our Cass County neighbors. Join us in making a difference—one meal at a time.

No experience needed. Just a heart to serve.

Help create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for our neighbors at The Gathering Free Community Meals in Atlantic.

As a Dining Guest Host, you are one of the first friendly faces guests see when they arrive. This role helps make everyone feel comfortable, respected, and valued during meal night.

Welcome and greet guests with kindness

Help guests find seating if needed

Offer conversation and friendly interaction

Assist seniors or guests needing extra help

Keep the dining area clean and inviting

Help refill drinks, supplies, or direct guests where needed

Create a positive and uplifting environment for everyone

Typically Mondays from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (every other Monday meal nights)

Friendly and compassionate people

Positive attitude and willingness to help

Comfortable talking with community members

Team players who enjoy serving others

No experience needed — just a caring heart and a welcoming smile.

The Gathering Mission:
“No charge. No questions. Just kindness.”

It takes a team of caring hands to serve our Cass County neighbors. Join us in making a difference—one meal at a time. Deliver to our Cass Co Neighbors a warm comforting meal.

Required: Valid Drivers License with a Insured Vehicle.

No experience needed. Just a heart to serve.

Our food pantry & clothing closet is available to anyone who comes - there are no income restrictions or requirements. Families can get a 3 day supply of food, personal care, diapers, produce, milk, meat, & eggs each month. They can also get 5 items of clothing per household member each month as well. They can also come everyday we’re open for our Anytime items which encompasses items like bread, prepared food, or extra/seasonal produce.

We need volunteers to safely, respectfully, and efficiently run our pantry and clothing closet. Many of these opportunities are during our pantry operating hours, but there are needs outside of pantry hours as well, including food rescue opportunities, truck inventory unloading, and pantry restocking. 

Much more information is found on our Volunteer page, or you can email our pantry manager, Carissa at carissa@johnstonpartnership.org

Purpose: Help clients select items needed from the food pantry.

Location: The food pantry in the Mission of Hope at 1700 B Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

Reports to: Will Torrey, Michael Johnson

Dress Code: Casual (Prohibited clothing items include: anything with excessive holes, offensive/inappropriate/drug-related/gang-related language or logos, excessively short skirts/shorts, excessively low-cut shirts)

Time Commitment: Shifts are from 1:00PM – 4:00PM on weekdays; 1:00PM – 3:00PM on Saturdays.  Please let us know at least one day in advance when you plan to come in.

Responsibilities:

Additional skills/qualifications: Must be friendly, respectful, and willing to work with others.  Must be dependable, adaptable to change, and eager to complete tasks with a smile.  Any experience in retail/grocery stores a plus, but not required.

If interested, please feel free to reach out to Kelli Hansen at kelli.l.hansen@gmail.com

Program Description:

Working in the food pantry, greeting families and determining their needs. Making referrals to resources in the community as well as within MICA. Helping distribute food to those in need and helping to increase capacity with donations from the community.

Location: Grinnell

Duties:

·       Help package food items into grocery bags for community members accessing the pantry.

·       Sorting, weighing and documenting food as it arrives.

Skills required:

●      RSVP volunteers must be 55 years of age or older.

●      Able to keep information confidential

●      Positive attitude and willing to serve families in need

●      Relate well to others and take a team approach.

Amount of Time: Flexible schedule based on volunteers availability

Time of Day: Flexible schedule based on volunteers availability

Benefits:

●        Opportunity to help combat hunger throughout Grinnell

●        Develop lasting relationships with other volunteers

●        Supplemental life and accident insurance while volunteering (see brochure)

●        Milage reimbursement available if delivering food to homebound

Operation information: Established in 1965 to serve children and families affected by the conditions of poverty, MICA provides early childhood, health, family development and housing services as well as community enrichment programs.Helping People. Changing Lives. Building Communities.  Some of our most well-known programs include Head Start, Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS), the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and WIC (Women, Infants and Children).