FAQs
General Questions
What volunteer opportunities are available at the Food Bank? There are a number of volunteer opportunities available at the Food Bank.
Click here for a list and description.
Are there set times that I can volunteer?
The hours you can volunteer depend on the volunteer job. Our
Product Recovery Center, where many volunteers sort and repackage donated grocery items, is open Monday - Friday between 8 a.m. - noon and 1 - 3 p.m. and Monday through Thursday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. or 6 - 8 p.m. We are open most Saturdays from 9 - noon and from 1 - 4 p.m. The
Culinary Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., every Tuesday evening until 8 p.m. and every second and fourth Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. The Food Bank
business hours are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Where are you located? We are located at 1304 N. Kenosha Ave in Tulsa. We are six blocks from the intersection of Pine and North Peoria in the Lansing Business Park. Click here for directions.
Information Specifically for Individual Volunteers
What is my first step if I want to volunteer?
First-time individual volunteers need to e-mail our Director of Volunteer Services,
Kate Pelizzoni at least 24 hours in advance of the day they wish to volunteer.
Do I have to fill out any paperwork? All first-time volunteers must submit a completed Food Bank Volunteer Application Form. Volunteers should bring their completed, signed and dated form with them the first time they volunteer.
Is there an age requirement to sort and repackage donated grocery items?
We are a ‘kid-friendly’ organization and volunteers as young as eight can sort and repackage donated grocery items as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Volunteers 16 years of age and older need no adult chaperone.
What can I expect the first time I volunteer?
If you are volunteering during regular business hours, enter the main door and check in at the front desk. A staff member will greet you, accept your Food Bank Volunteer Application Form, get you signed in and escort you to the area where you’ll be volunteering.
What if I’m volunteering at night or on a Saturday? Our main entryway is closed after Food Bank business hours (Weekdays, 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.). On Saturdays and weeknights please use the volunteer entrance, which is the first door north of our main entrance and is clearly marked. Ring the buzzer and a staff member will let you in.
Do I need to do anything the day before I’m scheduled to volunteer? If you wish to volunteer on a Saturday, please call the Food Bank the Friday before the Saturday on which you want to volunteer, to make sure we are open for volunteers that particular Saturday.
What’s the appropriate attire? Volunteers are encouraged to dress in casual, comfortable clothing. If you are sorting and repackaging donated grocery items in our Product Recovery Center or working in our warehouse, no open-toed shoes are allowed for safety reasons.
What should I do in inclement weather?
If you are not certain whether or not the Food Bank will be open due to the weather, please call (918) 585-2800 and listen to the message.
Information Specifically for Volunteer Groups
What if I have a group that wants to volunteer? Groups of 8 - 60 volunteers are welcome to sort and repackage donated food and grocery items in our Product Recovery Center. Groups are scheduled on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. Your group leader should e-mail our Director of Volunteer Services,
Kate Pelizzoni at least one week in advance of the time your group would like to volunteer.
Is there a minimum number of volunteers in a group? The minimum is eight.
Is there a maximum number of volunteers in a group?
We have room in our Product Recovery Center to comfortably accommodate as many as 60 volunteers at any one time.
What if I have to cancel? If you must cancel your volunteer group, email
Kate Pelizzoni at least 24 hours before your group is scheduled to volunteer.
Information for Food 4 Kids Backpack Volunteers
What if I am interested in volunteering for the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program? We currently have almost a dozen monthly groups helping pack food for our backpack program every month. Additional groups will be accepted as the program expands. If you are interested, please email
Kate Pelizzoni and she will put your group on our waiting list.
Is there a ideal number to a group would like to volunteer for the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program? The ideal group for packing food for our backpack program is 15 – 20 adult volunteers.
Are there other volunteer opportunities for the for the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program? We are often in need of volunteers to deliver boxes of food to the individual schools. You will need a vehicle large enough to carry an average of 6 - 7 medium-sized boxes (maybe more on some weeks) and a current driver’s license. These volunteers pick these boxes up at our warehouse and deliver them to various schools in the Tulsa area on a weekly basis during the school year.
Information for Culinary Center Volunteers
Is there an age requirement if I want to volunteer in the Culinary Center? In order to work in the Culinary Center, volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age.
Do I need a Food Handler’s Permit? Volunteers do need to have a Temporary Food Handler’s Permit to work in the Culinary Center. The Food Bank offers free Food Handler Volunteer Permit Classes conducted by Tulsa County Health Department quarterly. These classes are free and last one hour. Call the Food Bank front desk at (918) 585-2800 to inquire about one of our classes.
Is there another way to get a Volunteer Food Handler’s Permit? You can obtain a Volunteer Food Handler’s Permit through the Tulsa County Health Department at (918) 595-4300 or through Meals on Wheels (918) 627-4103.
What is a Volunteer Food Handler’s Permit? A Volunteer Permit does not cost anything. The Volunteer permit is good for one year.
What is the appropriate attire for working in the Culinary Center? The health code requires long pants, no sleeveless shirts, and no open-toed shoes. Long hair should be restrained.
Information for Volunteers to Pick Fresh Produce
What times can I pick fresh vegetables? We are totally at the mercy of the weather when it comes to picking produce. We don’t always know when the produce will be ripe or when the farmers will open up their fields for picking vegetables. We try to schedule volunteers in the morning before it gets hot.
Can I sign up to pick vegetables? If you are interested in this opportunity, please e-mail
Kate Pelizzoni and she will notify you as far in advance as possible when there is a vegetable picking opportunity.
What about picking vegetables at Philbrook Museum of Art? Philbrook Museum plants produce in their formal gardens and donats the food to the Food Bank. If you are interested in helping with this project, you must attend an orientation session at Philbrook scheduled in the spring. Days and times for picking vegetables at Philbrook will be announced at the orientation. Please email
Kate Pelizzoni to let her know you are interested in this opportunity.
Is there an age requirement to pick vegetables at Philbrook? Volunteers as young as 16 years of age can help with the Philbrook vegetable gardens as long as they are accompanied by an adult.