URGENT : Thursday evening bread collection and re-bagging crews.

URGENT : Thursday evening bread collection and re-bagging crews.

We are committed to upholding the values of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi, and recognise and respect the principles of partnership, participation, and protection as embodied in the treaty.

We currently manage between 500 and 6 volunteers across different activities. Some are regular fixed positions and some you can do on an informal/casual basis. We use WhatsApp groups for necessary communications with our volunteer crews and the “MealTrain Pro” calendar platform so volunteers can choose the shifts that suit them. MealTrain provides an editable calendar easily viewed by everyone who has signed up,  volunteers can easily schedule their times and MealTrain sends out reminders. Due to privacy and training requirements we are unable to accomodate “one off” volunteer shifts or high school students.

New Volunteers must be able to provide a mobile phone number and email address for us to link to these apps. You can view our volunteer agreement here.

  • Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical standards in our actions, decisions, and interactions.

  • Inclusion: We embrace diversity, treat everyone with respect, and promote equal opportunities for all.

  • Generosity: We cultivate a culture of giving and compassion, supporting those who are less fortunate.

  • Empowerment: We strive to empower individuals and families to overcome food insecurity and build a better future.

  • Meaningful Partnerships: We actively seek collaboration and cooperation with community partners to maximise our impact.

  • VACANCY: Regular weekly “fixed shift” role. Social Supermarket is our most "Client Facing" activity, so if you like to meet people from all walks of life, consider yourself "un-shockable" :), and want to get involved in something that really makes a difference this may suit you. As a Co-Pilot you'll be working with a staff member, travelling in our van to our various client collection points. The role involves assisting in ensuring the correct packages go to the clients at each point. Its briefly busy, and there is some lifting. We need a co-pilot every week, so if you are only available intermittently this role is probably not for you. Shifts are 11.45ish to around 3.30pm every Wednesday. We are always in need of back up crew members, for when regular crew are sick or away, so if you are unsure and want to give it a go before committing, talk to us.

  • Drivers:
    Volunteer drivers are the critical link in emergency food provision delivering around 50% of our food parcels.

    “Fixed Shift” drivers commit to be available on a specific day for some deliveries - either using our van or their own vehicle ensuring we have capacity to accept referrals knowing we can get them to the client in a timely manner.

    Casual drivers pick up the overflow through a dedicated WhatsApp group. We post daily what deliveries we need, to what suburbs and our drivers comment and collect the deliveries they can manage.
    Deliveries can be anywhere on the North Shore but we try to group deliveries by area so that drivers are not travelling from one end of the Shore to the other. Drivers do as many or few deliveries as they want. We do not enter clients homes or have any engagement with them beyond a friendly delivery to the door.
    All drivers must have a current licence, and a legal, registered vehicle.
    A reasonable level of fitness is required as boxes are heavy and need to be carried from the car to the door. You can do this alone or with a buddy if you prefer.
    Deliveries happen Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

    Fixed Shift Drivers: Vacancies - on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

    Casual Drivers: Vacancies – ongoing, join the messenger group and do deliveries as and when you can.

    Lifting: Yes – some heavy

  • Bread Collection

    We have a weekly donation of Bread from Bakers Delight in Milford. The Bread MUST be collected every single Thursday at 6pm so the store can close, with empty shelves ready for the next day. This donation saves us thousands of dollars a year.

    Frequency: This program runs every single Thursday of the year. Pick your own shifts - as often or infrequently as you can manage.

    Bread collection is managed through a combined whatsapp group called “Loafers” which also includes the bread re-bagging crews. Shifts are booked via the Meal Train Pro calendar app. Meal Train sends out reminders to all of us when dates are booked, cancelled etc.

    Bread Collection: Suitable for an energetic individual but its much easier with two people.

    Tasks: Collect the boxes. bags and van from GWT. Drive drive to Milford Mall and collect the donated bread from the Bakers Delight kiosk by 5.50pm. Drive to Bakers delight in Kitchener st (across the road from the mall) by 6pm, sign the collection form and collect all the bread and sticky buns, etc as directed by the bakery staff. Bring them back to GWT, transfer to the prepared tables ready for the re-bagging crew., lock up and leave. Frequency: ongoing - weekly, every Thursday, choose your own dates.

    Vacancy - Vacancy

    Lifting: Moderate to heavy

  • Re-bagging our weekly donation of Bread from Bakers Delight in Milford. The Bread MUST be collected every single week so the store can close, with empty shelves, ready for the next day. This donation saves us thousands of dollars a year.

    Frequency: This program runs every single week of the year. Pick your own shifts - as often or infrequently as you can manage.

    What Shifts are available? Re - Bagging crews can either come on a Thursday evening after 6.45pm when the food bank is closed, or on a Friday Morning at 9.30 am. Kids are welcome.

    How it works: Gather your Bread Re-Bagging crew - Suitable for a group of 3 adults or a family, friend group, work team or flatters... Shifts are managed through a combined Whatsapp group called “Loafers” which also includes the bread collection crews. Choose your dates and add them to the Meal Train Pro calendar. Meal Train sends out reminders to all of us when dates are booked, cancelled etc.

    How long does it take? Re-bagging takes between 45 mins to an hour approximately, as amounts vary from week to week.

    Tasks: Come to GWT at around 7pm, use the freezer bags provided to bag the donated bread, rolls and sticky buns so they can be frozen for use during the following week.

    Frequency: ongoing - weekly, choose your own dates to suit your crews availability

    Vacancy - Vacancies

    Lifting: Light

  • Casual General Hand: A general hand will do a variety of tasks from breaking down cardboard to de-vanning, stocking shelves and re-bagging. Over time volunteers will also be trained to pick and pack veggie bags, hygiene packs and Food Parcels. Managed through a Whatsapp group and the Meal Train Pro calendar app. These are friendly and social activities. Some weeks there will only be one person, other times 3 or more depending on the volunteers availability. Drinks and snacks are provided.

    Frequency: Weekly ongoing -Monday-Friday 9.30 -12.00 and 1.00 -3.30. These are flexible times, so can accommodate school pickups or other commiments’s.

    Vacancy - This is a casual, “as you are available role”. Once we have your details you can just fill in your availability on the Meal Train Pro calendar which shows you which shifts are available and shows us who has signed up to take them.

    Lifting: Moderate lifting involved

  • Fixed Shift General Hand: This involves committing to a regular day and activity each week. Our fixed shift volunteers are the backbone of our service. It can be just the morning or through till 1.30 -2pm. The tasks are the same as a casual General Hand but certain days have specific activities which as you become more experienced you’ll learn and then take on.

    Frequency: ongoing

    Vacancy – Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon, afternoon, Thursday Morning, Friday morning.

    Lifting: Some heavy lifting. Current drivers licence is helpful.

  • INight Pack Crew: Managed by Janelle Breckell and Chris Berry. A social group that meets in the foodbank after hours to re package donated items. This informal group provides a rebagging and prep service to the Food Bank and occurs on a Wednesay evening from around 7.30 pm till 9ish . Occurring at the same time as the church “youth group”. Primarily re-bagging and labelling food items, sorting, cleanng and breaking down cardboard.

    Frequency: Weekly ongoing during term time only

    Vacancy – vacancy

    Wednesday night from 7.30 pm.

    Lifting: Moderate lifting from time to time

  • Lunch kit Crew: Managed through a Whatsapp group and the Meal Train Pro calendar app. Unloading our weekly stock delivery, packing and delivering 64+ kits containing school lunch supplies, loading the completed kits into the van for delivery around the recipient locations. Other activities include sorting, breaking down boxes, shelving stock etc. You’ll work with our staff and experienced volunteers on this vital food security intervention.

    Frequency: Weekly Monday morning 9.30am - 11.30am during term time

    Vacancy: No Vacancy

    Lifting: Yes – some heavy

  • Food Rescue is about saving edible food from landfill. Our Food Rescue parter KiwiHarvest collects the food from supermarkets and suppliers and distributes it in chilled trucks to approved food providers. GWT is one of the largest food providers on the Shore, and rescued food is critical to our sustainability.
    Our Volunteer Food Rescue Crew unloads, sorts and stores our weekly delivery on Tuesdays and our one Thursday a month top up delivery.

    Working with an experienced volunteer crew leader or staff member you’ll help unload the Kiwi Harvest Truck, learn what goes where, assist in sorting, labelling and storing foods across our 14 fridges and freezers. You’ll learn how rescued food is donated, handled, distributed and much more. This is often a fast moving shift. It’s highly rewarding and the crew are friendly and fun to work with. We are continually training up crews so we have resilience and the flexibility needed when regulars go on holiday or are sick so maybe this would suit you.

    Weekly, Tuesdays - 1.30 -4.30pm - Vacancy
    Once a month Thursday -1.30-4.30pm - Vacancy

    Lifting: Moderate to heavy, A reasonable level of fitness is required as you will be unloading crates and sorting them.

Due to privacy considerations we are unfortunately unable to accept volunteers who are currently, or have in the last 2 years been recipients of the services provided by the Good Works Trust.

Click on the arrow to see more about each volunteer activity