Questions Regarding Volunteer Training Program

Requirements
o Do you require background checks of the volunteers?
o In what manner are they supervised at the food pantry?
1 volunteer to a pantry or 2?
o Any specific method for screening volunteers if background check is not
required (ex. interviews)?
o What do you include in your registration packets?
o Guidelines for volunteers on do/donts while representing OSU?
o Liability/insurance for volunteers?
Training
o How do you do orientation/training with the volunteers?
How often do you offer the volunteer training program?
Is anyone able to come to the new volunteer training program or do
they have to register first?
Is there ongoing trainings offered or required for the volunteers?
o Did you develop your own training program or use one that is already
designed (ex. Eating Well for Good Health)?
o How do the volunteers get trained to prepare Food Hero recipes?
o When they get trained are they allowed to shadow another volunteer or
must it be the pantry supervisor?
o Do you require volunteers to attend meetings or refresher courses?
Nutrition classes?
Recruitment/Marketing
o How do you recruit volunteers?
What has been the most effective marketing strategy for getting
the word out?
o Is there a minimum requirement on how much volunteering they must do
or how long they must stay with the program?
o Do you recognize efforts of volunteers to help retain their participation?
How do you make them feel appreciated?
o What is the age range of the majority of your volunteers?
Organization
o How do you manage the volunteers and track where/when they will be?
o Do volunteers go to the same site each month or rotate?
o How much time do you spend coordinating the volunteers?
o What takes the majority of the time with the program?
 o How do you communicate with the volunteers (phone, email, newsletter)?
o When volunteers have concerns/questions are they encouraged to contact
you directly or do they have a point person to go to first?
When a volunteer must cancel are they responsible to find a
replacement for their shift? Do they have a contact list of fellow
volunteers?
Logistics
o Do volunteers do their own shopping/prep and pack materials/unload?
o How do you choose recipes?
o Do the volunteers receive any personal identifying materials when starting
at the pantry? (ex. Name tag, Food Hero shirt)
o What resources were helpful when designing the program?
Resources since it has been running?
o How much interest did you have from food pantries when making
connections beginning the project?
o How long did it take for the program to be designed and implemented?
How many volunteers did you begin with?
o Are the volunteers only allowed to put their time in at the food pantries?
Are there opportunities for them to get more involved besides the
food pantry (if so, what extra requirements do you require?)
o How do you evaluate the program for effectiveness?
Do the volunteers have an opportunity to provide feedback
regarding the training and/or volunteer experience
(survey/questionnaire?)
o Any words of advice for moving forward?