Food bank volunteer opportunities near Long Beach

Last year, 1 out of every 6 people in the United States looked to food banks and food pantries for support, according to a 2023 report from Feeding America. The end of COVID-era government assistance programs and the rising cost of groceries due to inflation have many Americans facing food insecurity.

According to a 2023 Department of Agriculture report, 12.8% of households around the country—about 17 million—were food insecure in 2022. That's up from the 10.2% of households who had difficulty providing food for everyone in their home in 2021, and also up from the 10.5% who said the same in 2020. It's the highest share of food-insecure households in the U.S. since 2014.

The rise of food insecurity and the economic situation in the U.S. means that food banks are struggling to keep up with the demand. "Local food banks, pantries, and community meal programs have become an essential component of many households' food budgets, especially as we continue to face increased food prices and the end of pandemic-era benefits," Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, said in a statement accompanying the nonprofit's aforementioned report. In an earlier 2023 survey from Feeding America, 65% of responding food banks reported an increase in the number of people they served.

It can be difficult to know where to go if you want to help, as many do during the holiday season in particular. To help guide you, Stacker compiled a list of food bank volunteer opportunities near Long Beach using data from VolunteerMatch. Read on to see what you can do for those grappling with food insecurity in your community, from distributing lunches to seniors to serving meals at soup kitchens.

Team Volunteering
- Organization: Foodbank of Southern California
- Read more on website

Office Support Assistance - Help Me Help You
- Organization: Hunger Free America
- Read more on website

Food Bank Volunteers Needed!! Help Bring Resources to YOUR Community!! (Long Beach, CA)
- Organization: LINC Housing
- Read more on website

Community Ambassador
- Organization: APRIL PARKER FOUNDATION INC
- Read more on website

Volunteers needed for Long Beach Food Pantries
- Organization: Help Me Help You
- Read more on website

Food 4 Kids Rescue Hero - Muir Academy
- Organization: Food Finders, Inc
- Read more on website

C.A.R.E. Food Panty
- Organization: Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center
- Read more on website

Meals on Wheels of Long Beach, Inc. Food Packer
- Organization: Meals on Wheels of Long Beach, Inc
- Read more on website

Pantry Distribution-Food Relief for people in need (Every Wednesday)
- Organization: LONG BEACH COMMUNITY TABLE
- Read more on website

Food Commissary
- Organization: Q's Ministry BHITS
- Read more on website

Community Pet Ambassadors Needed-Paramount City
- Organization: Michelson Found Animals
- Read more on website

Farmers Market Volunteers
- Organization: TCC Family Health
- Read more on website

Community Needs Assessment Volunteer (RSVP)
- Organization: Community Action Partnership of Orange County
- Dates: Jan 1 to Dec 31
- Read more on website

Monday Neighborhood Food Giveaway
- Organization: Sonrise Community Christian Church
- Dates: Mar 13 to Mar 4
- Read more on website

Food Rescue from Cypress Trader Joe's on Thursdays 9/11 (DOS)
- Organization: Pathways of Hope
- Dates: Aug 29 to Dec 28
- Read more on website

Food Pantry
- Organization: LA Promise Fund
- Date: Jan 17
- Read more on website

Spread love, joy, and frosting in Westminster as a volunteer baker!
- Organization: FOR GOODNESS CAKES
- Read more on website

Anaheim Senior Food Bank at Belage Manor
- Organization: Jamboree Housing Corporation
- Dates: Oct 30 to Feb 26
- Read more on website

Clark & Atherton Mercantile Thrift Store
- Organization: Christian Outreach in Action
- Dates: Oct 26 to Jan 24
- Read more on website

Administrative Support (RSVP)
- Organization: American Family Housing
- Dates: Jan 1 to Dec 31
- Read more on website

Anaheim - Deliver Meals on Wheels to Seniors !
- Organization: Meals on Wheels Orange County
- Read more on website

Delivery Driver
- Organization: StandUp for Kids - Orange County
- Read more on website

Food Pantry Volunteer
- Organization: Share Our Selves
- Dates: Oct 27 to Oct 31
- Read more on website

Whittier ACS food pantry- food pick up & drop off
- Organization: Whittier ACS Food Pantry
- Read more on website

Operations Associate Volunteer
- Organization: LOVE MY NEIGHBOR FOUNDATION
- Read more on website

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 101 metros.