Opportunities From: United Way of Kaw Valley

Harvesters mobilizes the power of our community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger. Volunteers serving in Harvesters’ Volunteer Engagement Center (VEC) sort and repack food, which assists Harvesters and its pantry partners in feeding more than 250,000 people each month.  

Volunteer tasks are assigned based on product availability and project prioritization. Volunteer Engagement Center opportunities include: 

Harvesters weekly volunteer schedule: 

Advance registration is required, click here to register and sign the volunteer waiver.

Each month, Harvesters distributes nearly 5,000 CSFP food boxes to food-insecure seniors. These boxes include shelf-stable items like cereal, pasta, canned vegetables, and juice.

We need your help to make these deliveries extra special! Create a cheerful, handmade card with an upbeat message to include in each box. This is an all-ages activity, and handwriting from kids is absolutely welcome—just make sure it’s legible and take time to make each card unique.

Your Mission

Getting Started

Quantity & Service Hours

Any number of cards is welcome! Great for individuals or groups—office teams, schools, service organizations, and more. Service Credit: 1 hour for every 10 handmade cards completed, limited to 4 hours (40 cards) per month. Please note:

Where to Send Completed Cards

Mail or drop off Monday–Friday, 8 AM–3:30 PM:

Harvesters Kansas Distribution Center

Attn: Community Engagement Team

1220 Timberedge Road

Lawrence, KS 66049

Include your first & last name, email, and phone number so we can log your service hours.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to serving others. On Monday, January 19, 2026, millions of Americans will honor his example by participating in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Join your neighbors in making a difference by signing up for a shift in the Volunteer Engagement Center (VEC). The VEC plays a vital role in Harvesters’ mission to mobilize the power of community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger. Volunteers help sort and repack food, enabling Harvesters to feed more than 226,000 people each month.

Important Details

Click here to register and sign the volunteer waiver on the Harvesters website. Have questions? Contact the Community Engagement team at fighthunger@harvesters.org.

Host a food & fund drive in your neighborhood, place of business, school or community organization. Food & fund drives are great fun, especially when friendly competition between participants is encouraged! Contact us at fighthunger@harvesters.org.

Don’t have room for a food drive barrel or have time to make a special trip to the grocery store? Host a virtual food drive for your workplace or organization! It’s a convenient, hassle-free, 24/7 way to help Harvesters with the click of a mouse! Go to www.harvesters.org and click on "Give Food" to download our step-by-step guides and "how to" kits. 

Healthy Family Meal Kits provide all the necessary ingredients for an easy, complete nutritious meal for children and families in need in our community. Each box includes enough ingredients to make 8 servings, as well as a recipe card.  

How It Works: 
The Family Meal Box program has two components:  a food or fund drive followed by a volunteer activity. 

Food/Fund Drive: 
Each box needs to include all of the items for one recipe listed below for the box to be complete. Collecting items in bulk or asking several volunteers to purchase food in bulk after collecting monetary donations works very well for this drive.    

Volunteer Activity: 
At the end of your food drive, coordinate with Harvesters to receive boxes, recipe cards, stickers.   Then, your volunteers will spend a few hours packing the individual boxes so they can be easily transported back to our facility for distribution.  

Need community service hours?
For every complete meal kit donated, you will receive 1 volunteer hour!*

The Front Desk Greeter plays a critical role in creating a welcoming volunteers, agency partners, and vendors to the Kansas Distribution Center. The volunteer in this role will be responsible for providing friendly and eff0icient customer service, handling inquiries, and facilitating communication within the organization.

Responsibilities:

Greet and welcome visitors, volunteers, and partners in a friendly and professional manner.

Answer general inquiries from visitors directing them to the appropriate staff or resources.

Support administrative tasks such as data entry, answering phone calls, and accepting deliveries.

Other tasks as needed.

Commitment:

This is an onsite position at Harvesters Kansas Distribution Center

Requires a weekly commitment of 10 hours, with flexible scheduling available.

Must be able to commit to a regular volunteer schedule.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Ability to interact with diverse groups of people.

Basic knowledge of computer skills for data entry and email communication.

Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

Additional Requirements:

Candidates must successfully complete an interview and a background check.

Training and Support: Volunteers will be provided with comprehensive training and ongoing support from the Kansas Distribution Center team, ensuring they are fully equipped for their responsibilities.