Volunteer
Birdhouse Farmers Market relies on volunteers to make the market possible! Without volunteers, we could not do what we do, successfully support local farmers, increase access to healthy fresh food, and educate the community on the joy and value of shopping and eating locally!
We are always looking for volunteers to help on market day. Volunteers can sign up for a single week or make it a regular part of your Tuesdays. There is some flexibility in the times listed, so if you can’t get to the market for a certain shift, no problem - we’ll work with your schedule!
Winter Online Market Volunteer Opportunities:
12:00-1:15pm: Set Up: Help set up tents and tables to prepare for drop off from vendors. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds. 1 volunteer needed.
1:00-4:00pm: Gather, Sort, and Aggregate: Assist with finishing set up. Collect orders as vendors drop off. Sort items to prepare for aggregation. Aggregate orders into customer bags. Up to 5 volunteers needed.
4:00-6:00pm: Deliver and Cleanup: Gather frozen/cold items for individual orders. Place orders in vehicle. Store tents and tables. Up to 4 volunteers needed.
In-Person Market Volunteer Opportunities:
12:00-1:15pm: Set Up Help set up tents, tables, and various market materials before vendors arrive. Must be able to lift 30 pounds.
1:00-4:00pm: Gather, Sort, and Aggregate Assist with finishing set up. Collect orders as vendors drop off to the Welcome Tent. Sort items to prepare for aggregation. Distribute necessary vendor materials for the day. Aggregate orders into customer bags.
3:00-6:30pm: Communications Helper Take pictures, videos, and more of the market space to assist with future market communications! This volunteer will upload all materials to a Google Drive folder for future use by Birdhouse (with credit to the creator!).
4:00-7:00pm: Welcome Tent and Market Breakdown Manage the Welcome Tent, answering questions and distributing SNAP/VFM tokens (training provided). Gather frozen/cold items for individual orders. Give orders to customers. Store tents, tables, and various market materials at market close.
But wait, there’s more!
Strengthening our local food system and improving the health and well-being of our community doesn’t happen just on Tuesdays. We have dedicated volunteers helping spread the word about Birdhouse, working on committees, expanding our programming, gathering and analyzing data and helping Birdhouse become the best-known local foods community resource in Richmond. If you’d like to be a part of our volunteer team, reach out today.
Three Birdhouse Volunteers showing off their favorite Birdhouse Farmers Market Swag! (From left to right: Brianna, Amy, and Susan)
Have volunteer questions? Contact Assistant Market Manager, Tegan Moore, at birdhousefm.assistant@gmail.com or stop by on a Tuesday to learn more!