COVID-19 Volunteer Guidelines
Updated 12/20/2021
For the health safety of our volunteers, their families, and our
community, all volunteers (ages 14+) should be healthy and fully
vaccinated (including the booster if you are eligible) TWO weeks prior to our event date.
Please consult the Virginia Dept. of Health guidelines for booster eligibility.
Please DO NOT volunteer if, in the last 14 days, you or someone with whom you
reside have:
- Had any of the symptoms related to COVID-19 as identified by the Centers for Disease Control,
- Received a positive COVID-19 test, or are waiting on COVID-19 test results,
- Been exposed to anyone who has COVID-19,
- Been asked to quarantine (CDC Quarantine Guidelines), and/or
- Failed to follow recommended public health
protocols, including, among others, those regarding mask wearing, social distancing, and hand hygiene.
Please volunteer only if you have signed up to do so via our event SignUpGenius and are healthy, with no communicable illness or infection.
At this time all volunteer students must be at least 14 years old.
Volunteering is not recommended if you, or someone with whom you reside, are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19 illness.
When You Are Volunteering:
- Before signing in and beginning work at an event, please disinfect your hands. Remember to wash/disinfect your hands thoroughly when you’re finished,
too.
- Wear your mask at all times. Only surgical, KN-95 and N-95 masks are allowed. Cloth masks, gaiters or masks
with respiration valves or
vents are not permitted.
- Clean and wash your hands (for a minimum of 20 seconds) before you sign in, during the event, and after volunteering . If
soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid physical contact with others and maintain a social distance of 6-10 feet when possible.
- Cover any sudden cough and sneezes with your elbow or tissue. (If you have a frequent or persistent cough or sneeze, please do not
volunteer.)
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Even with all of these precautions, Food For Neighbors is unable to guarantee that volunteers will not contract
COVID-19 and/or other illnesses.
Has anything changed for Red Bag Donors?
Things will stay pretty much the same since our pickup process is already safe and contactless.
- Please remember to reply to the text to let us know if you're leaving a bag and don't forget to put your filled bag out
before 8:30 a.m. on pickup day.
- Please fill your Red Bag with the items on your bag tag grocery list.
- If your bag is not picked up by 10:30 on pickup day, click here.
- If you can't leave a bag, remember that you can always donate a virtual bag on our
website.
- If you have other questions about the Red Bag Program, check out our Red Bag page and our FAQ page.
What do I need to know if I am a Driver Volunteer?
Your process should remain the same. We will be asking you and your team to wear masks and will provide you with
hand sanitizer.
- PLEASE READ ALL TEXTS AND EMAILS CAREFULLY IN CASE THERE ARE ANY CHANGES TO THE PROCEDURES OR SOFTWARE. For
the purposes of planning, we need all drivers to respond in a timely manner. Thank you!
- Please wear a mask and do not exit your vehicle at the drop off site. A team of volunteers will unload your vehicle for you.
- The drop-off location may have changed in some areas - please double check where you are taking your food at the end of the route.
- All of that information will be communicated to you when you receive your route. Please read all the texts and emails carefully so you know when to start and
where to go.
Will there still be a need for Sorting Volunteers?
Yes! We still need volunteers. Sorting events will be smaller in scale.
- All volunteers should be fully vaccinated at least TWO WEEKS prior to the event. You also need a booster if you are eligible.
- Volunteers will need to wear a mask (covering your nose and mouth) indoors and outdoors for the event. KN95 or N95 masks are required - NO cloth masks or
gaiters. ** N95 masks will be available if you need one. **
- Students who are 14 and older (and fully vaccinated) can volunteer (we cannot accept younger volunteers at this time due to the limited number of volunteer
slots). If eligible for a booster, a booster is also required. Please consult the Virginia Dept. of Health guidelines for
booster eligibility.
- Volunteers should be comfortable lifting heavy bags/filled bins of food and working outside.
- Please read all instructions and Covid guidelines carefully before you sign up.
- Please always check your email prior to an event. Plans can change quickly sometimes, and we will use email to communicate those changes.
Thank you for supporting local teens in our community, and for working with us to help prevent the spread of Covid.
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