VOLUNTEER
Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. We rely on the service of our community members to help in the fight against hunger. As the need for our services grows, we are always looking for new volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time and talents, we have plenty of service opportunities to choose from. Several of our regular volunteer opportunities are detailed further on this page, but the possibilities are many and the need is high. To join our hunger fighting team, give us a call at the office or fill out our Volunteer Interest Form. We’d love to have you on board!
Community Campus Pantry Volunteer
We have an emergency food pantry on our own campus, but we also have a network of more than 30 food pantries all over Stark County! We encourage you to reach out to see if they have any open volunteer positions available! Please check out our pantry network to determine which pantry you would like to volunteer with. Feel free to contact the corresponding pantry director or give our office a call and we will assist you.
Volunteer Usher
We are fortunate to have wonderful partnerships with the Canton Palace Theatre and the Canton Civic Center and get the privilege to usher their performances, concerts, and shows. With every hour of your time, we are able to earn dollars to help battle against local hunger. We have ushered concerts like Travis Tritt, the Goo Goo Dolls, OAR, American Authors, The Vicki Lawrence Show, as well as performances from the Canton Symphony and the Canton Ballet. This is a very unique way to give your time and enjoy a performance, show, or concert free of cost while fighting local hunger.
Backpack for Kids Program Volunteer
Our Backpack for Kids program provides children in need with nutritious packs of food to sustain them through the weekend. During the 2021-2022 school year, we packed 31,688 backpacks totaling 126,752 meals. We currently serve close to 1,500 children per week in 16 local schools among four school districts.
If you’re interested in our volunteer opportunities,
please fill out a volunteer interest form.
HOLD A FOOD DRIVE
This is the way our organization started in 1981. We knocked on doors asking for donations of non-perishables to stock our pantries. Today, it is still super easy to set up a food drive and, thankfully, you do not have to walk miles! We suggest you ask your family to bring a box of cereal or a jar of peanut butter to your next family gathering, post a sign at your place of employment advertising the need and your food drive or ask your child’s school or your civic group to hold a food drive. We appreciate your support!
JOIN OUR EVENTS TEAM
We are constantly holding community events because we fervently believe in our mission and want to involve our community, neighbors, and friends. Feeding 35,000 Stark County residents each month is a hard job, and we rely on our community for help. Consider becoming a part of our team.
Palette 2 Palate Art Auction (April)
Kent State University Game Night (May)
Hunger at Home Campaign (May-June)
Massillon-McKinley Food Fight (October)
Hunger Awareness Month (November)
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner (November)
JOIN A COMMITTEE
There are three aspects to the SCHTF’s programming, all of which are fundamental to the overall success and sustainability of our mission, vision, and goals: direct food assistance, pantry network support services, and county-wide advocacy initiatives. Needless to say, supporting more than 30 food pantries and handling the administrative work for the organization takes a village! Our staff partners with our Board of Directors to form a variety of committees that guides the organization’s strategic direction and growth.
We’re always interested in finding professionals who look to share their talents by participating in one of our committees. We hope you’ll consider joining us in one of the committees listed below!
- Pantry Relations
- Fundraising
- Marketing and Public Outreach
- Finance
- Governance
- Volunteer Recruitment
- Strategic Planning
- Major Gifts
FUNDRAISERS
The Stark County Hunger Task Force is always interested in the opportunity to partner with both individuals and organizations to expand the fight against hunger in Stark County through fundraisers. Over the years, we’ve teamed up with local organizations to host a variety of events, including bake sales, raffles, 5K runs, poker tournaments, and more. Such events are a great way to build workplace camaraderie, complete service projects, or simply to help out the community.
If you or your organization is interested in developing a fundraiser, please contact Stephanie Sweany at stephanie@starkhunger.org. We look forward to working with you on your next team or individual fundraiser!
Looking for inspiration or a particular fundraiser? Some of our current and past fundraisers include:
- Massillon-McKinley Food Fight
- Palette 2 Palate
- Go Orange!
- Stark Federal Credit Union shred days
INTERNSHIPS
We offer internships opportunities throughout the year to students looking to roll up their sleeves, get to work, and make a difference. Our interns are typically undergraduate students, but we welcome those at any level of higher education and any course of study. Internships can also be tailored to fit the needs of your university program, specialization, and interest.
“The Stark County Hunger Task Force enabled me to build rapport and engage in public and community relations throughout Stark County. It prepared me to assist Administrators, and produce effective marketing strategies independently and in synergistic teams. My internship at the SCHTF advanced my organizational and interpersonal skills, and primed me for my current position as a Program Coordinator for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.”
-Jacquelyn May, 2013 Intern
