Packaging Volunteer - Feed Kids in Two-Hour Shifts

Certified Service Enterprise Organizations

SERVICE ENTERPRISEINITIATIVE APPROACH Certified SEI organizations think more strategically about their needs and make placing skills-based volunteers within their organization a priority.

THE ULTIMATE "PAYIT FORWARD" Donate your time and professional skills to help non-profits succeed. Gain a new sense of purpose and make an impact while doing it.

Packagers play a hands‑on role in the fight against hunger by assembling nutritious meals at the Patty Cownie Packaging Center in West Des Moines. Volunteers work together at stations to fill, weigh, seal, and box non‑perishable meal bags during a two‑hour shift.

Each Packager helps produce approximately 540 meals per shift
, feeding two children for an entire year. This impactful opportunity supports Meals from the Heartland’s mission to alleviate hunger both locally and globally.

To see all of our shifts to sign up for shifts- follow this LINK.

• Arrive 10 minutes early and check in with staff
• Attend a brief orientation at the start of the shift
• Follow all sanitization and safety protocols
• Work collaboratively in assigned station roles
• Stay focused and meet packaging quality standards
• Treat fellow volunteers and staff with respect
• Stay through the full shift and assist with cleanup
• Remove all jewelry before packaging
• Tie back long hair and fully tuck into a hairnet
• Corporate groups are encouraged to wear branded apparel

Volunteer Waiver Notice: By volunteering with Meals from the Heartland, you acknowledge and accept our waiver of liability. Participation is voluntary, and Meals from the Heartland is not liable for any injuries or incidents that may occur during your service. Your registration confirms this understanding

Volunteers should be between the ages of 8 and 101.