Volunteering
We offer volunteer opportunities for Individuals and Groups. We embrace the values and guiding principles set out in the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement.
Anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or a teacher. Youth who are ages 14 through 18 must have a permission form and photo release form signed by a parent or guardian.
All volunteers are required to read and consent to our Code of Conduct.
FoodShare is a scent free environment. Please refrain from using, wearing and bringing scented products and materials when volunteering with FoodShare.
Food allergy warning: our kitchen at 120C Industry St. handles nuts and other common allergens.
Individual Volunteering
Volunteer opportunities vary throughout the calendar year. Almost all opportunities occur between 9am-5pm from Monday to Friday, save for a few special events. You might help with:
- gardening at a FoodShare site or other community location
- onsite composting
- support food literacy workshops in schools
- supporting special events
- office support
In order to learn about volunteer opportunities as they arise, please sign up for our Email List by filling out our Volunteering Intake Form. Through this form you will be required to read and consent to our Individual Volunteer Manual, Code of Conduct and Pledge of Privacy and Confidentiality and Duty to Report. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We look forward to meeting you!
Group Volunteering
We welcome volunteer groups for various activities where your team will enjoy a fun, meaningful experience while learning more about FoodShare’s work. In order to sign up for a volunteering day, please complete our Group Volunteer Intake Form and we will reply to your inquiry.
We’re delighted to offer volunteering experience for your group and as it requires some staff time to organize and facilitate group visits we ask that you consider donating:
- $2 to $5 per person for nonprofits/community groups
- minimum $20 per person for institutions, corporate or governmental groups
Tax receipts can be issued upon request for donations of $20 and over to individuals and to organizations who donate by cheque or credit card. We cannot issue one tax receipt for collected group donations. Payment may be made by cash, cheque, VISA or Mastercard
Available Group Volunteer Opportunities
Farmer for a Day at BCI (May – Oct)
- Location: Burnhamthorpe CI, 500 The East Mall
- Visit our School Grown program where we have turned an underutilized school yard into a vibrant and productive three-acre urban farm! Our School Grown sites offer paid jobs and school credit opportunities to students farming at their school! Volunteers help out with weeding, watering, planting, and harvesting while learning about the benefits of school gardens.
- Mondays 9-12, Wednesdays 9-12, Fridays 12-3: Minimum of 3, maximum 20 people
- Required Donation: We require a minimum donation of $20 per person for corporate and governmental groups. All donations go directly to hiring youth from the community to learn urban farming and many other skills. The community really appreciates your support and contribution to investing in our youth! Please contact us for further information.
- Workshop for a fee: Educational, facilitated workshop where groups learn about the program and various aspects of the farm while doing various activities such as composting, tree planting, garden maintenance, planting, harvesting (depending on season). Workshops can be on Mondays 9-12, Wednesdays 9-12, or Fridays 12-3 and we can accommodate from 10 to 100 ppl at a cost of $100 per person (minimum $1000).
Visit, Volunteer and Learn at Flemo Farm (May – Oct)
- Location: 150 Grenoble Drive, North York, ON.
- Flemo Farm is a community-developed initiative in Flemingdon Park that has transformed an underutilized grass area into a vibrant space growing highly nutritious and healthy food for the community. This space is a welcoming, nature-focused and modern urban farm that engages the community in the growing of food, increases access to affordable high quality produce, and provides an entrepreneurial development opportunity for residents to operate micro-farm businesses through the Community Farmer program. Volunteers help out with weeding, watering, composting, planting, maintaining and harvesting while learning about our innovative zero-waste and environmentally sustainable food production system.
- May: Monday-Friday, maximum 10 people, between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm for 2 hours min/max
- June-Oct: Tuesday-Friday, maximum 10 people, between 10 am to 3:00 pm for min 2 hours and max 3 hours
- Jul 8 – Oct 14: Saturdays, maximum 4 people, 7:30 am – 2:00 pm, 2 hours minimum. Assist at our Farmers’ Market: setup canopies and tables, move boxes of produce, help with compost exchange program, serve customers, cleanup.
- Required Donation: We require a minimum donation of $20 per person for corporate and governmental groups. All donations go directly to capacity building in the community for ecological urban farming skills and the community compost exchange program. Flemo Farm appreciates your support and contribution.
- Workshop for a fee: at Flemo Farm we can do an educational workshop for your group on planting, soil management, pest and disease control, composting and environmental sustainability, food security, and plant diversity, etc. Workshops are 1.5 hours in length, can accommodate up to 20 ppl and cost a min of $400 or $40 per person. Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10 am and 12:30 pm