Volunteer zone
Be an active part of the SecondBite Team and sign up as a volunteer. There are many ways to get involved – you can help us by participating at market collections; volunteering onsite by assisting in the warehouse, sorting food, preparing deliveries and general cleaning; in a food run with your own vehicle, or perhaps you could share your office skills with us. We encourage volunteers of all ages and believe that everyone has something unique they can offer.
Currently over 500 volunteers are registered on our database and are active on a regular basis. Simply put, they are the most essential part of SecondBite.
Volunteering at SecondBite provides an excellent opportunity for staff, family and friends to become involved; it’s great for community development and team building. We actively encourage the involvement of family and friends. At Prahran Market, we run a regular ‘Family Day’ where children of all ages can learn about the benefits of giving to their community. The next family day will be November 6th 2011.
Volunteer Opportunities
Victoria
The following volunteer opportunities are currently available at SecondBite, Victoria.
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Delivery Drivers, Geelong and Melbourne
Help with the delivery of food to local agencies in the Geelong and Melbourne area. Note, you are required to provide your own vehicle. Monday to Friday.
Dandenong Markets
Help with the collection and sorting of food at the markets. Commit to 1-2 Saturdays a month, 2.30pm 4pm.
Tasmania
The following volunteer opportunities are currently available at SecondBite, Tasmania.
Proposal Writer
SecondBite needs support from a grant expert who can write proposals to generate funding specifically for funding the Tasmania operations.
Warehouse
SecondBite needs help from people with an interest and or experience in warehousing and logistics to support the food program. Monday to Friday.
Volunteer Driver
Volunteers are required to support the collection and delivery of fresh food by driving the SecondBite van around the Hobart area. A driver's licence is required and the volunteer must be 25 years of age or older.
To express interest, submit your details below or contact Bev at bev@secondbite.org
Volunteer Snapshot
Jenny Robbins and Anna Gatto.
As an offshoot from Sunshine Secondary College, the “Oasis Program” provides an environment where young people can rediscover satisfaction in learning, and experience success. Oasis provides a safe haven where young people can develop a sense of belonging and family. It offers consistency in a less structured situation geared to building confidence and self esteem.
Jenny Robbins, (a volunteer delivery driver) collects food from our Kensington warehouse and delivers to the school / Oasis program every Tuesday. Anna Gatto manages the food preparation, kitchen skills, learning and work placement.
Anna waits for the SecondBite food delivery, and then with the assistance of the students develops suitable menus. Anna, a very experienced and dedicated teacher with a strong social conscience, then establishes what will last, and what needs to be prepared ‘on the day’.
Oasis key objectives centre around a nutrition and life skills program which supports the development of independent living skills, and provides the facilities for hands-on learning for young people whose options have otherwise been exhausted.
For the students, Anna Gatto emphasises the importance of everyone’s input towards preparation (acceptance of others), life skills (cooking, budgeting, purchasing), the need for accuracy in researching and understanding recipes (literacy skills), and the understanding of weights and measurement (numeracy skills).
The food is then prepared and she and the students eat together as a group at a formalised lunch, where the emphasis is on both food, social skills and discussion and problem solving of day to day issues.
The menus are mainly vegetarian, with generally one meat dish per week, a lot of pasta and egg dishes and some soups. Anna loves to cook and her enthusiasm is translated through her cooking to the students. Anna explained that it’s all about food choices, and for some of the students this meal is their main meal (only meal) of the day. Any excess food is distributed to other student areas in the college.
Volunteer enquiries
SecondBite will be in touch within 48 hours. If you have not heard anything within this time, please do not hesitate to contact our office on (03) 9376 3800.
For fundraising and donations enquiries, please contact Zoe Whyatt on: (03) 9376 3800.