Volunteer Opportunities

Individual Opportunities

Volunteer Rider/Loader

• This person rides along in our truck on the Fresh Rescue and pick up rotation and helps navigate, load and unload donated food items onto the truck. Minimum qualifications include:
  • Dependable
  • Available last minute
  • Ability to lift, carry and/or push 25 lbs. up to 100 lbs.
  • Will need to provide your driver’s license and have a live scan screening done

Warehouse Volunteers

• These volunteers are available to help unload and load items onto our truck from our warehouse in Carlsbad when needed. These opportunities are not always able to be planned well in advance and so an “Operations Team” will be a valuable “first ask” when the need arises. Our warehouse stores items used to support our programs and events. Minimum qualifications include:
  • Dependable
  • Available last minute
  • Ability to life, carry and/or push 25 lbs. up to 100 lbs.

Resale Stores

• Receive donations
• Sorting items and greeting customers at one of our Resale Stores
• Host a book drive

Food & Nutrition Center

• Serve in the Food Center by helping participants, sorting, stocking and re-shelving food
• Host a drive to collect most-requested items

CRC Ambassadors

• CRC Ambassadors represent our mission and programs out in the Community. They are “Outreach and Development” volunteers who have a deeper understanding of CRC and have unique volunteer opportunities presented to them. They are “table hosts” at Community events, work on special event planning committees, take on fundraising projects, give presentations, and more. CRC Ambassador Training happens 1-2 times a year or as needed.
• Our new Ambassador Training is on hold.  Please check back for updates. If you are interested in becoming a CRC Ambassador, please fill out an online application and check “Ambassador” as your preference. Additionally, you may email Sara Rosenbaum at volunteer@crcncc.org to sign up to receive more information.

Holiday Baskets and One-time Events

One-time events are rotating and seasonal. Requests for volunteers will be published in the CRC newsletter and our Volunteer Newsletter. Please do not fill out an application for one of these events until the scheduling for them is open. The following are annual one-time events or programs:

• Annual CRC Tea (April)
• USPS Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive (May)
• Holiday Baskets Program (December)
• Jingle & Mingle (December)

Group Opportunities

Food & Nutrition

• Cleaning of the Food and Nutrition Center – group opportunity for deep cleaning, Mondays from 3-4:30 PM or weekends as available.

Resale Stores in Carlsbad, Encinitas and San Marcos

• Encinitas & Carlsbad:
  Deep Cleaning: Mop, Dust, Organize, Clean Windows, etc. Maximum of 10 people in a group. Shift is 8 – 10 am Sundays (or 9 – 11 a.m.), maximum of 2 hours. Prefer weekends but can accommodate M-F, although Tuesdays are a bit too busy with customers. To schedule this, contact Sara Rosenbaum, Volunteer Manager.
• San Marcos:
  Deep Cleaning: Mop, Dust, Organize, Clean Windows, etc. Maximum of 5 people in a group. 8 – 10 am shift, maximum of 2 hours. Prefer weekends but can accommodate M-F, although Tuesdays are a bit too busy with customers. To schedule this, contact Sara Rosenbaum, Volunteer Manager.
  Window Display: Create a window display at our San Marcos Resale Stores. Great for art and business classes or retail groups looking for a team building opportunity! Dates flexible.

Holiday Baskets and One-time Events

One-time events are rotating and seasonal. Requests for volunteers will be published in the CRC newsletter and our Volunteer Newsletter. Please do not fill out an application for one of these events until the scheduling for them is open. The following are annual one-time events or programs:

• Annual CRC Tea (April)
• USPS Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive (May)
• Holiday Baskets Program (December)
• Jingle & Mingle (December)

Other Ways to Partner with CRC!

• Host a Food or Personal Care Drive for our Food and Nutrition Center (FNC). The FNC provides more than 500,000 pounds of food to our participants each year, and we rely on Food Drives and Monetary Donations to stock our shelves!  For more information on hosting a drive, visit our page on Donating Items or Hosting a Drive.
• Fundraise for CRC! There are many ways groups can help us make our programs stronger. For great ideas and planning tips, check out our Fundraising Toolkit.
• Donate In-Kind Items to CRC: we use donations as raffle and auction items for our fundraising events! If you are a company that makes/sells valuable items or provides valuable services, we’d love a donation!  We are sometimes in need of items for our DV or other departments as well.  To donate an in-kind item, please email development@crcncc.org.  Thank you!

Group opportunities are constantly changing. Please sign up for the CRC newsletter to hear about the most current opportunities.

Youth Opportunities*

14-17 Years Old

Volunteer Opportunities Vary Depending on Age

• Food & Nutrition Center (FNC): Age 14 – 17 when accompanied by a parent.
• Resale Stores: Age 14 and over can volunteer independently.

Resale Stores and FNC opportunities are based on availability and require an interview with either the Department Manager or the Volunteer Manager.

Youth Engagement

Groups of Youth, aged 6 and older are encouraged to partner with CRC and learn the value of giving back! Host a food and personal care drive for CRC, get a tour of our Food Center, and be an “honorary volunteer” for the day. Your young world-changers will get the opportunity to sort and stock the items they have collected. Our Food and Nutrition Center provides valuable help to our food insecure neighbors each week. Email CRC's Volunteer Manager to discuss this opportunity!

Other ways youth can partner with Community Resource Center:

• Host a drive for personal care or food items
• Hold a “Food for Food” Bake sale or Lemonade Stand: donate your proceeds to the CRC programs fighting hunger, homelessness and domestic violence in our community.
• Check out our fundraising toolkit for other creative ways you can partner with CRC!

*Our youth volunteer age policy is as follows:

CRC values youth and the incredible impact they can have in their community. Holiday Baskets and the Postal Food Drive provide rewarding and fun ways to get involved! In order to create the safest experience for our youth volunteers, we have a limited number of spots available to our younger philanthropists and have a policy in place outlining age requirements. All youth volunteers require an application, which includes a parent waiver.

• Age 6-10 may volunteer with a parent (1 to 1 ratio)
• Age 11-13 may volunteer with an adult at a 1 adult to 5 youth ratio
• Age 14-17 may volunteer as an individual
• Groups aged 14-17 need to have a minimum 1 responsible adult overseeing them