Our volunteer team is motivated to give back to their community and make new friends, with our annual volunteer survey showing that 98% of our volunteers enjoy the time they share with us.
Bendigo Foodshare is committed to providing a safe, fun and inclusive volunteer experience, by building a team that feels their contribution is valued. Our roles are diverse and flexible, allowing volunteers to fit their time with us around their other commitments and bring their strengths to their volunteering. Bendigo Foodshare will engage you in a fulfilling experience while you give back to your community. You will be part of a respected organisation that helps both people and the environment of Central Victoria.

There are many shifts available each and every week. Some volunteers sign up to a regular shift each week, whilst others fill a shift based on the time they have available. Whatever time you are able to help out is always appreciated.

Our warehouse is open Monday to Friday with various start times and shift lengths depending on the day.

While Bendigo Foodshare volunteers are known for the roles they undertake in the warehouse, some of the lesser known but very important positions are held by our volunteer administration team.

Volunteers in our office are the hub of the organisation. They help keep it flowing in the right direction.

Our warehouse is open Monday to Friday with various start times and shift lengths depending on the day.

Would you like to help us raise funds to support food relief, or would you prefer something behind the scenes?

These areas help to support our organisation in the following ways:

• Fundraising – Foody Funders team of volunteers:
  • Community fundraising efforts Eg: Donation containers located within local businesses, raffles, movie nights
• Marketing team:
  • Social media content
  • Photography
  • Graphic Design

Our vehicles operate 7 days a week with various start times and shift lengths depending on the day.

Hopefully you’ve seen our vehicles around town! Drivers are either delivering orders to our food relief partners or collecting donations from supermarkets and other businesses in Bendigo and across Central Victoria. Our drivers start as a driver assistant to learn the ropes and the routes. If you’re happy to step into the driver’s seat, you will need to keep Bendigo Foodshare staff updated on vehicle maintenance issues, conduct daily vehicle checks, unload and load food orders at multiple stops and ensure that any load that you are carrying is secured and safe. You will be partnered with an assistant to help with the physical aspects of this role.

Our vehicles operate 7 days a week with various start times and shift lengths depending on the day.

Ride shot-gun and help your driver with loading and unloading of deliveries and/or collections. This role is a great stepping stone into the driver role, allowing you to learn the routes and the paperwork while not having to concentrate on driving as well.

The driver and driver assist roles are ideal for a couple or friends looking to volunteer together!

Mornings, Monday to Friday

Help pack orders on to pallets for delivery to our food relief partners; loading and unloading vans, as well as receiving, sorting and organising food donations from our very generous community. Every day in the warehouse is different, and this team responds to the needs on the day guided by the Shift Coordinator.

You will be working as part of a small team of 4-10 people and based at our warehouse. These shifts are suited to “morning people”.

Indicative shift times are:

• Monday 7am to 12pm
• Tuesday 7am to 12pm
• Wednesday 7am to 9am or 9am to 12pm
• Thursday 9.30am to 12pm
• Friday 8.30am to 1pm

Monday to Friday – Morning and Afternoons

This position is a fast paced and rewarding role for a qualified and careful operator. The role works to assist the Shift Coordinator, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations within the warehouse. You will be responsible for maintaining a safe environment, moving pallets and crates, and operating a forklift in a tight workspace. The goal is to ensure efficient logistics within the Bendigo Foodshare warehouse.

Afternoons, Monday to Thursday

The Fruit and Vegetable Sorter role works within a team of volunteers, assisting the Shift Coordinator by ensuring all fruit and vegetables received into the warehouse are fit for distribution.  This key role supports the achievement of our overall food relief goals.

Monday and/or Tuesday mornings

Our vision is for every person in Central Victoria to have access to healthy and safe food. We not only do this by providing food relief to our community but also by going to the root of the problem – assisting our community to grow, cook, share and sell food. Part of how we do this is at Golden Gums Farm in Strathfieldsaye – where we’re teaching young people how to grow food to sell at local markets, share through our food relief program, and use in our cooking programs.

Thursdays, 1 – 3pm

The Produce Preparation Assistant role works within the Food Hub team to assist with sorting, cleaning, packing, and organising fruits and vegetables to ensure they are ready for our weekly Pop-Up Good Food Market Stall and monthly Bendigo Community Farmers Market Stall.

10am – 12pm Tuesday

Bendigo Fresh Farms, located in Maiden Gully are a valued supporter of Bendigo Foodshare, donating lots of fresh veg every week. As Bendigo Fresh is a working farm, they do not have the time or capacity to harvest the veg that they donate to us, meaning that we have a group of volunteers who harvest it and then bring it back to our shed in Long Gully.

You will need to be comfortable kneeling on uneven ground and wearing long pants, gumboots and gloves. You will be harvesting various vegetables including lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower and many more.

Skills that will help you in this role include:

• Moderate level of fitness; you will be on your feet and doing strenuous farm work
• Good awareness of your surroundings; you will be working on a farm with all sorts of hazards
• Team player who is happy to work with others from all walks of life

Friday – Mornings 9am – 11am

This role supports the maintenance and development of the food-growing, native garden spaces and outdoor landscaped areas of our Food Hub. Volunteers will undertake planting, watering, weeding, composting, and harvesting fresh produce used to support local food relief efforts. The role involves light outdoor work, with task briefing and tools provided, and is ideal for anyone interested in gardening, sustainability, or contributing to food security in the Bendigo community.

Ad hoc, when required.

Love working in a kitchen? This flexible role is a hands-on way to contribute to our food education and community service programs – connecting cooking, learning and social impact. It supports people to build practical skills, understand food systems, and contribute meaningfully to the wider community through the preparation and sharing of healthy meals.

Mornings, Monday and Thursday; and event days

Do you have a passion for books?

After many years successfully running the Bendigo Book Fair, in 2023 the Y Service Club of Bendigo handed over the running (and the profits!) of the Book Fair to Bendigo Foodshare.

The roles available to support the Book Fair are:

• Weekly sorting (Monday & Thursday mornings) of books in preparation for the Easter & Spring Book Fairs
• Easter &/or Spring (AFL Grand Final weekend) Book Fair weekend events tasks:
  • Setting up or packing down the venue
  • Re-stocking the tables during the sale days
  • Counting books at sales counter
  • EFTPOS/Cash operators

If any of these roles interest you, sign up to volunteer now to start the process.