- A place where people come hungry, and leave hopeful
The commitment can be one time, once a month or once a week.
As a CES volunteer, you help the expand the reach to over 117,000 neighbors – whether you are delivering meals to isolated seniors, sorting and packing food orders, or connecting with our neighbors while they shop.
The role you play is vital to our community.
“Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
– Leo Buscalgia
A variety of volunteer opportunities are available in all our program areas, we can find the right fit for you!
Our Food Market is open to residents in need of supplemental food. Neighbors can visit the food shelf once a month. We need volunteers to come in before we open to stock the shelves, as well as while neighbors are here shopping in the market, providing advocacy and resources, and stocking shelves. We also have after hours food lockers that volunteers pack grocery orders in for our neighbors to pick up.
Meals on Wheels volunteers help keep our neighbors happy, healthy and living at home where they want to be, by delivering prepared meals to those who have difficulty shopping or cooking on their own.We need volunteers to pack the meals in the morning and deliver them on weekdays from 11am-12pm.
Ani-Meals provides pet food to our Meals on Wheels clients who might otherwise give up a share of their delivered food to feed their pets. Volunteers sort donated food, pack it for delivery and distribute to clients.
More Details on these opportunities are available HERE!
Getting started is easy…Complete this online registration form, meet with a team member then sign-up for open shifts. Please reach out to nsmalley@cesmn.org with any questions.
Visit the Volunteer Information Center (VIC) to update your profile, view and manage your volunteer schedule, post-service hours, and stay up-to-date on CES news.
Are you looking for a volunteer experience for a group of friends, a team of colleagues, or youth groups? CES would love to partner with you to support our mission. We can also work with you on group volunteering events offsite at your location. With advanced planning and creative thinking, we can find the ideal opportunity for you. Start by completing the group volunteer registration form.
How can I learn more about volunteer opportunities? More details on volunteer opportunities can be found HERE.
How do I sign-up to volunteer? After going through orientation, you’ll use our online system VicNet to choose the shifts that work for you.
Where is CES located? 1900 11th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Our building is also a church. Our address is When you arrive, the door may be locked, press the CES intercom (on the left side of the double glass doors which face the parking lot) to reach a staff member who can buzz you into the building.
Can I complete my service-learning hours through CES? We will make every effort to accommodate requests.
What is the minimum age to volunteer? Most of our opportunities require you to be 16 years of age unless accompanied by an adult.
Can groups/families volunteer together? YES! We love working with groups! We ask one person to be the primary contact and complete the Group Registration Form.
Where Should I park? Volunteers and staff park on the surrounding side streets so we can keep the parking lot available for our neighbors visiting the Food Shelf.
What should I wear? We encourage volunteers to dress comfortably, wear close-toed shoes and leave valuables at home. A name tag will be provided on your first day.
Do I need a background check? Background checks are conducted for on-going volunteer roles at no cost to the volunteer.
How do I sign in? Volunteers will sign in when coming for their shift. CES uses hours for reporting and fundraising purposes. Meals on Wheels drivers will sign in using the kiosk at the main entrance and all other volunteers will use the kiosk located in the warehouse.
When will I receive training to my role? Training for your role will occur on your first day either by a staff member or another volunteer.
How do I make changes to my schedule? CES uses a self-scheduling tool called Volunteer Information Center (VIC). This is your personalized site where you can add or remove yourself from a schedule. Volunteers can remove themselves on the site up to 48 hour prior to your shift.
