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
Support our Therapeutic Garden space at CAMH (April – October)
- Location: CAMH, 1001 Queen St W.
- Visit the Sunshine Garden at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. This program uses horticulture as a way to provide clients with transferable skills, like teamwork and entrepreneurship. Many of the participants say that it also helps to build self-confidence and restores a sense of hope and purpose to their day–to-day lives. Receive a tour of the outdoor growing space and new greenhouse and get your hands dirty in the garden beds.
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays between 930am-12pm (2 hour shift minimum), 2 people minimum and 10 people maximum
- Required Donation: We require a minimum donation of $20 per person for corporate and governmental groups. All donations go directly to Sunshine Garden programming. The community really appreciates your support and contribution to investing in our CAMH clients!
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, Tuesdays, Wednesdays: Minimum of 3, maximum 20 people, 3 hours max between 9am and 4pm
- 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.
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.
- Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: Maximum 6 people (there may be a few times when they can take more), between 930 am to 230 pm for min 2 hours and max 4 hours
- 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.