Volunteer Code of Conduct and Policies

Code of Conduct:

Be kind and respectful to others, volunteers, clients, and staff. Operate out of a place of mindfulness, kindness, and respect, seeking to understand those you interact with. Make space to affirm other identities, life experience, and cultures different from your own.  Please assume best intentions and find respectful, calm ways to bring up issues.

We strive to make a space that is safe and affirming for everyone, and having a space where everyone can contribute their talents and hearts is essential to making this place run and is also vital for us to be able to serve those who need it. We don’t want to make it a harder space for any group of people to be in! Don’t behave or use language that is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or discriminatory in any way to your fellow volunteers, to staff, or to customers. Please be aware of your biases.   If you see or experience anything that goes against this agreement during your time here, please speak up to a staff member!

Ask that you have a commitment to inclusivity. That you hold with you a space to understand others and how their experiences may be different than your own and those experiences may inform the way that they walk through the world. We are all learning from each other, and if you are confused about something just ask a staff!

Please respect client’s personal info and dignity while they shop with us. We ask that if you recognize someone shopping with us, here or out in the world, that you keep the knowledge of it private. Keep all personal information that you may see private.

No drinking alcohol or drug use on site. If you show up under the influence, you will be asked to leave that shift and followed up with the volunteer manager. You may be suspended from coming in again. Please be mindful of any prescribed medications that could make it unsafe for you to be in a warehouse environment.

Vaping and smoking must be done 20 feet from our building aways from entrances.

Please stay on task. Volunteers are here to serve the community and mission of the food bank! If staff have to continue to remind you to be productive and get you to stay on task, you may be asked to switch roles. If it continues to happen we may follow up or ask you to not come back.

Volunteer Shopping Policy:

Volunteers are welcome to shop, as customers, but please do so at the end of your shift. No holding bags aside and shopping from donations during your shift. (A sandwich or a special item is fine to put aside, but more than that is considered a shop) You must log each shop either with the front of house check in our the log shop form near check-in (ask a floor manager if you cannot find) and shop within the limits that all customers do. No storage of donations in lockers please. Reporting is essential for us to be able to track our donations for audits and report numbers to our funders, and continue our work. We want to make sure we are counting accurately the food that is being provided through our food bank for funding! We also want to make sure that we are upholding a fair shopping experience for everyone.

Dress Code Policy:

Please wear close-toed shoes and clothing that is easy to move around in. No dangly jewelry or other loose items that could get caught while working.

Safety:

Please do not operate the pallet jack in back of house, unless trained to do so.

Please listen to your body and do what feels safe for you. Practice safe lifting with a buddy for heavier weighted items. A training video on lifting can be found here: www.nonprofitsafetyhero.com/9-lifting

Practice safe food handling. Wash hands before your shift. Wear gloves if working with food and wash hands often and sanitize surfaces before and after tasks. More info about basic food safety can be found here: www.nonprofitsafetyhero.com/17-food-overview

At the signs of any conflict, please call a floor manager. If working with a client calmly validate them and tell them you will call someone over to help and alert a floor manager. More info about some of the de-escalation tools we use can be found here: www.nonprofitsafetyhero.com/12-conflict

Management of your volunteer schedule and portal:

If you are scheduling your shifts through our volunteer portal, please keep your online schedule up to date and accurate. You are amazingly important to keeping this food bank running. If you are on the schedule, we are expecting you and you are taking the place of someone else who could sign up to volunteer! Common questions for managing your schedule can be found here: https://udistrictfoodbank.galaxydigital.com/frequently-asked-questions-/

Attendance Policy:

For those scheduling shifts through the portal: Show up on time for any shifts you are scheduled for. Please register for any shifts you cannot make it to, and if you must call out of a shift you are registered for within 24 hours, please email volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org, or call (206)523-7060 Ext 705, so that we know to cover it sooner! Please keep your schedule up to date. If you have a shift that you have not logged in/out of for 3 or more times, (no-show) you will be removed from the schedule.

Reporting Feedback During Your Shift:

Floor managers can help you fill out a form to report any feedback or code of conduct violations you may have. If you wish to remain anonymous you can report here: https://forms.office.com/r/smWSegW2kN

(There is also a QR code for this form on the back of house wall)