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Volunteer to Make a Difference

Thank You For Your Generosity, Time, and Caring

Volunteers are crucial to all operations of the Open Table food pantry, whether working on shifts in traditional roles or using special skills to support with administrative functions or special projects.

Open Table food pantry needs your time and talent. Volunteers are vital to our mission of ensuring that no one in our service area goes hungry. We cannot do this without you!

Volunteer Handbook

New Volunteers

To become an Open Table volunteer, click Volunteer Application below to fill out a volunteer profile. Please review the Volunteer Service Areas below, so that you can be as detailed as possible with regards to your interests, skills, and availability. We will review your application and contact you by email for placement.

Volunteer Application

Existing Volunteers

If you are an active Open Table volunteer, please click Self Schedule below to login in and access your CERVIS list of opportunities and self schedule for shifts. If you would like to volunteer in other areas, please review the Volunteer Service Areas below and contact us at [email protected] for placement.

Self Schedule

Help Wanted

There are many opportunities that don’t fit in the standard self-scheduled shifts including administrative positions and “behind the scenes” work. Click Help Wanted below to see positions we are currently filling in addition to service areas in need of volunteers. Contact [email protected] if interested in volunteering for any of these opportunities.

Help Wanted

Volunteer Service Areas - How You Can Help

Open Table Volunteer with Beets

Pick & Pack

Sort through our donated produce and shelf stable food and pack them for distribution, fulfill online orders, and other related pantry projects.

Shifts are 2 hours:

  • Mondays at 9am, 12pm, 2pm
  • Tuesdays at 9am
  • Wednesdays at 9am, 11am
  • Thursdays at 9am

Transport Food

Help gather food from local grocery stores, farms, and donation bins and deliver to Open Table. Volunteers must have their own vehicle and be able to lift 20 pounds. Volunteers are also needed to deliver groceries and meals to distribution sites for our mobile pantries and homes for our Concord/Carlisle Home delivery programs.

Shifts:

Days and times vary.

CCHS Senior Class volunteering at Open Table

Student Teams

Pick and Pack shift after school hours specifically for students. Fulfill online orders, help prepare groceries for distribution and other pantry activities among fellow students in our pantry. Get your service hours volunteering with friends!

Shifts are 1 hour:

  • Mondays at 4-5pm
  • Wednesdays at 3-4pm
Open Table Summer Intern Volunteers at the Truck 2024

Summer Student Internship

2-week summer internship sessions for high-school students. Application for Summer ’24 is closed. Learn More

Learn More
Open Table volunteers getting client orders for distribution

Distribution

Help distribute food to our clients. The distribution team includes several roles. When volunteering for a shift you may be in the back parking lot taking orders or directing traffic, inside “shopping” the order loading grocery bags and food items in a grocery cart, or out front loading groceries into client’s vehicle.

Shifts vary 1.75 to 2.5 hours:

  • Tuesdays at 12:15pm, 2:15pm & 4:15pm
  • Thursdays at 10:45am, 12:15pm & 2:15pm

Special Events

Help organize and run special events and activities such as the Ride for Food, Crop Walk, Chopped for Charity gala, and more.

Welch Foods group volunteering at Open Table

Group Volunteering

At the moment we do not have any opportunities for groups to volunteer on site at Open Table. Consider organizing a Food Drive or making Kids bags. To be contacted with future opportunities please email the link below with the name of your organization, contact name and number, size of group, if there is a specific time/date targeted and any other relevant information.

Contact Us
Open Table volunteers with fresh spinach in the kitchen

Kitchen

Last year our kitchen produced over 80,000 packaged meals to feed our community. Under the direction of the Open Table Head Chef, help prepare single serve, to-go meals for distribution. Tasks may include prepping ingredients, cooking, and/or portioning and packaging meals.

Cooking shifts:

  • M, T, W, Th 9am-11:30am
  • M, T, W, Th 2pm-5pm

Phone Orders

Take client orders over the phone on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. Volunteers must be 18+, have a smartphone, and a tablet or computer, as phone orders will be updated and tracked on a live spreadsheet. We are looking for both English speaking volunteers, and volunteers who speak Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and/or Spanish.

Calls placed on weekends

On Your Own Time

Use your skills and talents behind the scenes to help prepare flyers and printed materials, fundraise, and more on a schedule that works for you.

We'd Love For You to Join Us!

Every week over 200 volunteers work together to run our Pantry, Meals, and Mobile programs. We also have many behind the scenes opportunities – fundraising, event planning, administrative support, transportation and board membership. Please be sure to indicate on your application your availability and interests. It takes a village to run Open Table.

If you are not available when we are open, we encourage you to consider helping us with our special events or projects. Volunteers are often able to help in this capacity with much more flexibility. The skill sets we are always looking for include: grant writing, public relations, marketing, event planning, board development, fundraising, community outreach, and knowledge of multiple languages.

Questions? Want to Learn More?

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have additional questions, problems registering, or just want to learn more about volunteering.

Contact Us

COVID Safety Guidelines

In the interest of continuing to successfully deliver our mission of getting healthy food to people in need, Open Table now requires all volunteers and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  Masks are optional.  Open Table encourages volunteers, staff and clients to make an individual decision about masks.  We are encouraging people to make their personal health concerns a priority including staying home if in doubt about their health.

Recent Volunteer News

Concord Turkey Trot

The Concord Turkey Trot is one week from today and whether you are registered to run or just there to cheer, you can bring donations…

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Delivery Drivers Needed

We need one or more volunteers to deliver 110 frozen meals (5 to 6 banana boxes) to Lowell on alternate Fridays starting Nov 22. Pick…

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Family to Family gift bag program header

Spread Joy this Holiday Season

We warmly invite you to help spread joy by joining Open Table in creating a holiday gift bag for either a family or a senior…

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How to Help During hte Holidays

Helping During the Holidays

We receive numerous requests from people eager to make a positive impact during the holiday season. Here are a variety of ways you can support…

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Volunteer Parking & Logistics

Our wonderful main facility is located right in the heart of downtown Maynard. Although there is on-street and lot parking directly around the building, we are requesting that volunteers who are spending more than an hour at the facility please park in the River Street Municipal lot (parking fees are waived for Open Table) just a short walk away. This will allow downtown parking to remain available for visitors and patrons of the stores and restaurants in our community. Thank you!

Parking Directions for Volunteers

  • From Route 62 westbound (Waltham Street), continue onto Summer Street.
  • Take a left on Nason Street
  • Take a left on Main Street (Route 62 eastbound).
  • Take a right on River Street directly across from Open Table and follow the road as it curves toward the end of the street.
  • Look for Open Table sign on telephone pole in front of the parking lot on the left. Permits are waived for Open Table. DO NOT PARK across the street – you WILL BE TOWED.
  • The lot is a 3-minute walk from the corner of River and Main to our facility at 33-37 Main Street. Walk to Open Table via River Street for the quickest route.
Parking Directions for Printing

Expense Reimbursement

Occasionally our volunteers and staff purchase supplies for Open Table out of pocket. Such approved expenses will be reimbursed. Please submit all required information and receipts.

Expense Reimbursement

Communications Requests

Have a communications request or need help with a flyer or marketing piece?
Complete a request form online or contact the communications team at [email protected]

Submit Communications Request