Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners thrives because of the faithful dedication of hundreds of volunteers who serve each week. Getting involved is simple- just visit our SignUp Genius page and choose the date and role that works best for you. Volunteer opportunities include serving in the wash room, trim room, chopper station, traying room, packaging, and hospitality.
Our volunteers come from all corners of the greater Kalamazoo area and are united by a shared passion for rescuing food waste, addressing global hunger, and serving their community. When you join us, you’ll quickly discover the joy, encouragement, and positivity that radiate from this incredible community of volunteers.
Have a group?
Volunteering at Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners is a great way to build community and make an impact with your classmates, community group or co-workers.
Student groups love learning about the mission of Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners and participating in our volunteer shifts. We currently welcome middle school and high school groups to serve with us.
To provide the best experience for your students, please consider the time commitment before reaching out to schedule a visit. Our volunteer shifts begin at 8:30 a.m. and typically wrap up around 11:00 a.m. This allows time for full tour of the facility, processing the produce for the day, and completing cleanup together.
If your group is unable to stay for an entire shift, we would still love to host you for a tour of KVG. Students will learn about our process, explore the facility, and gain a deeper understanding of local food systems, food waste, and global poverty.
We love hosting workplace groups at Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners! Organizations such as Pfizer, Advia Credit Union, and Jaqua Realtors have joined us to serve. It’s a meaningful opportunity for community outreach, team building, and service projects that engage your entire team.
Your visit will begin with a short tour of our facility, followed by hands-on service as your group helps process rescued produce. For the best experience, we can accommodate up to 15 people per group, allowing our veteran volunteers to work alongside you and guide your through the process.
To schedule your workplace group, please reach out at least two weeks before your preferred date to we can reserve your spot.
We love hosting groups from across the Kalamazoo community! We have welcomed a wide variety of organizations, including church groups, WMU student groups, and professional clubs.
No matter your group’s interests, we are confident you will enjoy serving alongside others in the community at KVG. It’s a meaningful way to give back, build connections, and make a real impact together.
You can also schedule a tour of our facility or request a presentation for your next meeting. We love sharing the story of Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners and inviting new people to be part of the mission.
What to expect as a volunteer
Volunteer Guidelines
For the health and safety of our volunteers we have outlined some basic guidelines
- We provide vinyl gloves. They are required in all rooms.
- Hands must be washed before leaving the restroom and before handling any food products.
- Please wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty. Closed-toed shoes are required. Wearing a hat, hairnet or pulling back long hair is recommended.
- Ages 12 and under may assist in the Traying and Packaging rooms. 13 years and up are allowed to work in all areas. Parents/Guardians are responsible for the health and care of their children while on site.
- We do not accept walk-in volunteers. If you are having trouble using our sign up genius, please email Kristin directly at info@kalamazoogleaners.org for assistance.
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Schedule
For the health and safety of our volunteers we have outlined some basic guidelines
- 8:30 am
Arrival and Announcements- When you arrive, you will fill out a name tag or pick up one that has already been prepared for you. After a few brief announcements, we will head to our workstations and get started! - 9:15-9:30 am
Break Time- Once the dehydrated is filled with the first load, we will take a short break. The exact timing may vary depending on how quickly our morning work progresses. This is a wonderful time for conversation, fellowship, and enjoying some delicious treats together. We will also take a few moments to share a short devotional. - 9:45 am
Back to Work- After break, we return to trimming, traying and packaging produce as we prepare the nighttime load for the dehydrator. - 10:30am
Clean Up- We finish our shift by cleaning up together. Keeping our facility squeaky clean is important, and everyone pitches in! We also reset each room so it’s ready for the next day of production. - 11:00 am
Goodbye (Until Next Time!)- We wrap up the morning by saying goodbye and looking forward to the next shift. Some volunteers like to linger a little longer for one last cup of coffee and a bit more conversation before heading out.
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Training videos
Wash Room
Dumping produce into industrial washing machine and then distributing into smaller buckets.
Trim Room
Trim freshly washed produce by removing any inedible or unappetizing portions prior to being chopped.
The Chopper
This process chops produce down for efficient dehydrating.
Traying Room
Take chopped product and spread out evenly on a dehydrating tray.
Packaging Room
Several roles in this room include scraping produce from trays, filling bags and packaging boxes.
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For questions about our gleaning food ministry, please reach out.
Kalamazoo Valley Gleaners
5541 King Highway
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
(269) 400-1822
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