Frequently asked questions:
How do I sign up for a shift?
You can sign up for a shift by clicking opportunities on the left hand side of the screen. This will take you to a calendar with all of the available volunteer shifts.
Click on the shift you want sign up for - click respond.
Click the checkboxes for the shifts you would like and scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and click SUBMIT OPPORTUNITY RESPONSE
If you are required to watch any training videos or need other qualifications to sign up for this shift, you should get a request as a pop up that tells you what to do. Follow those instructions and answer with the submit button to qualify.
You are registered for the shift!
Where do I find my volunteer schedule?
Once logged in, click the circle with your initials in on it. From the drop down menu, click volunteer schedule to view
I can't make it to a shift I'm signed up for! How do I cancel/unregister from a shift?
Click the circle with your initials on it on the top right hand side. From the drop down menu click 'Opportunity Responses'.
Each shift that you are signed up for will be listed here.
To the right of each listed shift you can click 'select an action' for the drop down menu. From this menu you can click "UNREGISTER". Select the few buttons that require you to confirm.
The page will update and show that shift removed from your listed shifts.
If you are canceling within 24 hours of the shift starting, please let us know by calling (206-523-7060 X705) or emailing at volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org!
What if I would like to sign up for a new role, I have not received training on?
We are working to embed training within your account when you sign up for a new shift! Some of these training videos are already live, there are more to come. When you go to sign up for a shift, you will be prompted to watch and select that you have viewed. Please watch these entirely! It is helpful for you to have that information before you start, as floor managers are sometimes to busy to walk new folks through the basics on the day.
After watching the training video, on the day of your volunteer shift, please introduce yourself to your floor manager and let them know you are new to the role. They will be sure to check on you through out your shift and give you extra support.
I'm under 18 and I cannot sign up for a shift in my account!
This often happens because the adult portion of the waiver has not been signed to allow the under 18 of age person to sign up for a volunteer shift.
When you were first initially signing your waiver, you were prompted to enter in a parents email after you signed. This sent an email to your parents and they will need to sign the waiver before you can schedule a shift.
Please ask your parent to check their spam folders if they do not see the email to prompt to sign.
If they don't see it, you can resend the email by:
Logging into your account
Clicking the circle with your initials in it on the top right to access the drop down menu.
Click on 'qualifications'.
Find the Qualifications listed as 'UDFB Liability Waiver/Media Release and Volunteer Code of Conduct Agreements' there will be a button that says 'resend email' .
Click to resend to your parent. (Be sure to double check the email you entered is correct.)
Ask you parents to sign the waiver from the link in their email, this should update in a few seconds and you should be able to sign up for a shift!
I have unmet qualifications, and cannot sign up or change my shift. How do I submit these qualifications?
There are certain things called 'qualifications' that are required for you to sign up for certain shifts with us. Initial qualifications are the liability waiver signing, but some roles also have training videos to watch as a qualification.
To view these unmet qualifications, log into your account and click circle with your initials on it on the upper right hand corner- from the drop down menu click qualifications.
Go through the steps to submit qualifications and upload any documents needed and when this is completed you should be able to sign up for shifts!
If for some reason you need to watch a video again, you can also view these videos at any time at the food bank. They are posted at the back of house, near the aprons in a QR code link. (To view, use your cell phone and open the camera app. Point at the QR code like you are taking a picture and text should come up to send you to the video to view)
I am having trouble unregistering or changing a shift I scheduled.
This may have to something to do with your qualifications. If there has been a new training qualification added to the system after you have signed up for a shift, that system sometimes can prevent you from making changes to an existing shift unless you qualify.
Try this:
Log into you account and click the circle with your initials on it.
From the drop-down menu select qualifications.
This will bring up any qualifications you have both incomplete and completed. Look for the qualification attached to the type of shift you are trying to change. Update and fulfil this qualification and you should be able to unregister or change the shift! If this doesn't work, please reach out to volunteer@udsitrictfoodbank.org and we will figure it out.
Can I bring a friend or family member in to volunteer?
Absolutely! There are two things they need to do to volunteer with you. They must accompany you during their shift, and we ask that you teach them what you know and help guide them during their time here. They must also sign in on the drop-in paper sign in sheet in the back of house (you can ask a staff where this is when arrive), this includes an agreement that your guest will follow our codes of conduct and agree to our liability waiver. This can be done on site.
How about a child 12 or under?
If you are bringing in a guest that is 12 or under, you must be their legal guardian, or have a waiver signed by thier legal gaurdian before they come to volunteer. This form can be printed here.
If your guest would ever like to come in on their own, they will need to go through orientation. If interested have them apply online here to get started becoming a regular volunteer!
What is the minimum age for volunteering?
We allow volunteers 13 and up to volunteer on thier own, but they must apply and go through the orientation process. Parents, if you can also please also access with your children, their comfort and maturity level with working in certain roles solo at the food bank that would be most helpful! We can be a busy, intense (and rewarding!) place at times. Back of house roles and roles on Wednesday and Saturday are usually the best fit for kiddos starting out. Kiddos 12 and under will need to be accomopanied by a parent or gaurdian and can either go through the orientation, and create thier own account, or can join a parent as a guest.
I am a volunteer driver how do I sign in at the kiosk if I don't stop at the food bank first? Is there still a way to log hours?
Absolutely! Anytime you come into the food bank during a shift you can log in and choose "log in at the beginning of shift start time". The system automatically defaults to the hours of the shift at the end of the night even if you don't sign out.
You submit hours by clicking on 'add hours' from within your account, this will request hours to be approved by the volunteer manager, email volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org if you need help on how to do this.
How do I add hours I volunteered later if I forgot to sign in?
You can submit hours for approval by logging into your portal. Click the circle with your initials in the top right corner, click 'track hours'. From this page, if you scroll all the way to the bottom there is a submit hours entry. These will go to the volunteer coordinator for approval.
You can also email volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org to have them added by email.
I need documentation of my hours, where can I get this?
We are happy to provide documentation!
For High School hours many schools use an online verification submission process called NobelHour or MobileServe. Most every school ask you to submit hours to them, which they then verify with us. Please check with your school specifically for what they need from you, we do not have that information. You can list the volunteer manager on these forms and use the email volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org we will check your hours logged and verify. Please only list the volunteer email for verification, as floor managers don't have access to hour log records.
For Community Service hours please complete all hours that are required and submit a request for a letter to be written with our request form posted on the UDFB's back of house wall (ask a floor manager if you do not see it). Please allow for at least 5 buisness days for us to get this to you or your listed recipients. We are unable to physically mail letters but we are able to email or print a copy for you.
Letters of reference
If you would like verification of hours or a letter of reference for a job, school or scholarship application please let us know! We are happy to write one for you. Please reach out with a request for a letter to volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org and list what you would like it to feature in your time with us, it is also helpful to include which floor manager you worked with. If you would also prefer your floor manager to write you a letter you can ask them directly. Please allow at least 5 business dates for the letter.
How do I view the hours I have logged?
- Log into your account
- Click the circle with initials on the upper right hand side
- From the drop down menu select "Track Hours"
- From this page they can view all hours they have logged in the system
I would like to change the frequency of the emails I receive (unsubscribe or sign up to receive):
You can change which emails you receive from us from the portal at any time by:
Log in to your account
Click on the circle with your initials on the upper right hand side
From the drop down menu select "Edit Profile"
Scroll down to "Data and Communications settings" section
Find "Email preferences" and click the button to the right that says ' Manage Preferences'
From there you can select or unselect the emails you wish to receive by the system and be sure to click 'save preferences' at the bottom of the page to save these changes.
Just a note- we send out emails from different platforms. If you wish to unsubscribe from all emails received by us, you may have to unsubscribe from a few different email chains when you get them. The newsletter and volunteer sub lists emails may still arrive after this change, as they are on a different system.
if you wish to unsubscribe from these just follow the instructions in those emailings as well. It should be quick and easy!
I would like to report a concern to management. How do I do this?
For any day of issues that need to be immediately addressed while volunteering, please report these to your floor manager. For other concerns or to report something that you feel may need following up, a deeper look into, or that you may feel is a violation of our code of conduct policies please email volunteer@udistrictfoodbank.org.
You can also report anonymously here.
If you have any other questions please email volunteer@udsitrictfoodbank.org. I'd love to add more FAQ's answers as needed.
