Halton Food for Thought

What services does your organization provide?
HFFT provides before school breakfast programs, and in-school snack programs to students in Halton Region.

Do you have any age requirements?
Volunteers may be any age but must be responsible in handling kitchen equipment such as knives and hot griddles etc. We do not reccommend volunteering with our programs for young children

Do you require language proficiency other than in English?
This goes on a school by school basis. We serve a wide variety of ethnicities in our programs so a second language may be helpful in some schools.

What time commitment(s) are you expecting from a volunteer?
All of our programs run during the school year in schools from Monday to Friday. We do not have weekend or evening volunteers hours. Volunteers must be able to commit to early morning programs (as early as 7:00 am) and during school hours (between 9:00 am and 11:00 am). The shifts are short, usually one to two hours. Volunteers should commit to a consistent day but may work as little as once a month. We prefer volunteers to commit for the duration of the school year if possible.

Are there any other requirements for being a volunteer?
As we work within the Public and Catholic school boards all volunteers must have a valid police check which will be provided to the school before volunteering.

Are there any specific skills and experience required?
None

What type of volunteer positions are typically available?
Volunteers are needed in schools for food preparation and service. Some schools are in need of volunteer coordination, or help with financial reporting. The needs of our schools may vary during the school year.

Is there any training provided for volunteers?
Each site trains their own volunteers on how they prepare food and serve the students. HFFT Program Managers work with volunteers on proper food handling techniques and nutrition guidelines. HFFT also offers CPR training to volunteers several times a year on a first come first served basis.

What are the typical volunteer activities occurring at your organization?
Volunteers would arrive at a program ready to prepare meals for our students. They must wash and cut fruit and vegetables, set out trays of food and serve food to students by various methods. Volunteers are responsible for cleaning up after the program is done and being respectful of leaving shared spaces neat.

How will a person benefit from volunteering with Halton Food for Thought?
HFFT volunteers see every day the importance of feeding children. They get to know the students involved in the programs and see that there is much more to feedng kids than just the food. Our programs are safe places to build social interactions. Our volunteers are rewarded daily with the happy faces of children.

Do you accept high school students?
We do accept high school students if they are willing to commit to a school program for several months and can come to a program before school hours.