There are many ways for kids and teens to get involved with City Harvest’s work.
Volunteer, run a food drive, fundraise or participate in any of the activities listed below. Let us know how you got involved, and we might feature you on our website, social or in our e-newsletter as a Harvest Hero—a young supporter who helps City Harvest provide free food to New Yorkers in need.
Repack:
Much of the food that City Harvest procures through partnerships with farmers and wholesalers arrives in large capacity containers, which can be challenging to distribute equitably. Help us take thousands of pounds of produce and repack it from large, bulk containers into smaller, family-sized units that community food programs can easily distribute to their clients.
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both morning (10am to 12:30pm) and afternoon (2pm to 4:30pm) shifts are available.
Maximum Group Size: 120 volunteers
Location: The Volunteer Center at City Harvest (171 53rd Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, 11232).
Minimum Age and Chaperone Requirements: 10 years old. For groups, we require one adult chaperone per every four youth (under 18) volunteers.
Mobile Market:
These farmers’ market-style distributions deliver fresh produce free of charge 18 times a month across all five boroughs. You will distribute thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables to hundreds of families.
Schedule: Weekdays and Saturdays from 8:30am to 12pm.
Maximum Group Size: 10 volunteers
Locations: Northwest Queens, Washington Heights/Inwood, Bed-Stuy, Sunset Park, South Bronx, and Staten Island. Click for more information on Mobile Markets.
Minimum Age and Chaperone Requirements: 14 years old. For groups, we require one adult chaperone per every four youth (under 18) volunteers.
Greenmarket Rescue (Seasonal):
Rescue thousands of pounds of fresh, seasonal produce that would otherwise go to waste at Greenmarkets across the city. At the close of the market, volunteers collect excess food from local farmers and help load it onto City Harvest trucks, which immediately deliver the food to soup kitchens and food pantries across the city.
Schedule: Wednesdays (5pm to 6:30pm) and Saturdays (4:30pm to 6:30pm), only available July – December
Maximum Group Size: 10 volunteers
Location: Union Square Greenmarket
Minimum Age and Chaperone Requirements: 11 years old. For groups, we require one adult chaperone per every four youth (under 18) volunteers.
Participate In A Food Drive Or Start Your Own.
All over the city, New Yorkers help feed their neighbors by organizing food drives with their schools, apartment buildings, businesses, and places of worship.
Help City Harvest feed New York City by keeping food pantries and soup kitchens stocked year-round. For more information on running a food drive, please see below, email fooddrives@cityharvest.org, or call 646.277.7800.
