Food bank volunteer opportunities near New York City

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 New York City 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.

Free Vegan Holiday Party
- Organization: PLANTS ON WHEELS INC
- Date: Dec 23
- Read more on website

Help distribute pre-packaged lunches to BRC seniors!
- Organization: Bowery Residents' Committee, Inc.
- Read more on website

Cantonese Interpreters needed at an all volunteer soup kitchen
- Organization: University Community Social Services
- Read more on website

Meal Service at GMHC - Group Volunteer Opportunity
- Organization: GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis)
- Read more on website

Volunteers Needed for Holiday Decoration Removal at The Actors Theatre Workshop
- Organization: The Actors Theatre Workshop
- Date: Jan 6
- Read more on website

Intern or Volunteer with ChangingThePresent.org to Help End Hunger!
- Organization: Changing The Present
- Read more on website

Special event fundraising volunteer
- Organization: The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH)
- Read more on website

Hell's Kitchen Community Cupboard (Food Share) Volunteer
- Organization: House of Good Deeds
- Read more on website

IVC seeks Active Seniors in New York
- Organization: Ignatian Volunteer Corps
- Read more on website

Grupos para gente mayor necesitan voluntarios bilingües
- Organization: Idealist.org
- Read more on website

Social Media for Local Food Pantry
- Organization: KEHILAT SEPHARDIM FOOD PANTRY
- Read more on website

Volunteer with Crown Heights JCC Food Pantry!!
- Organization: CROWN HEIGHTS JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL INC
- Read more on website

Fiscal & Administrative - Muslim Women's Institute for Research & Development
- Organization: Hunger Free America
- Read more on website

URGENT! Food Pantry Volunteers Needed on Wednesdays in East Harlem
- Organization: LSA Family Health Service
- Read more on website

Brighten the Lives of Older Adults Bring On the Sunshine
- Organization: COMMUNITY AGENCY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS INC
- Read more on website

(55+ Only) Make a Difference! Serve at Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens Near You
- Organization: AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP in New York City/CSSNY
- Read more on website

CHiPS Branch Operations Intern
- Organization: CHiPS Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry
- Read more on website

Distribute Grocery Boxes in Lower East Side
- Organization: Wellfare
- Read more on website

Student Opportunity--Help Fight Hunger Around America's Breakfast Tables
- Organization: CEREAL4ALL INC
- Read more on website

Social Media upkeep
- Organization: Trinity Human Services Corporation
- Read more on website

Serve Lunch at Broadway Community Inc.!
- Organization: Project Helping
- Read more on website

Help at Brooklyn farmstands: Fight health disparities/for food justice
- Organization: Seeds in the Middle
- Dates: Dec 20 to Mar 15
- 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.