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Volunteer with Feed America

Feed America (EIN 92-1761881) operates a free open-data food-assistance directory — we don't run physical pantries, so volunteer roles look different from a traditional food bank. But the 5 paths below all directly improve food access for the 47 million Americans who need it.

Distinct from the homonym. Some "feed america volunteer" searchers are looking for the larger separately-incorporated Feeding America (EIN 36-3673599), which operates 200+ regional food banks. If you want to volunteer at a physical food bank, that's where to go. If you want to improve directory data quality, write civic-tech code, or claim a pantry listing, you're in the right place.

1. Claim your local pantry's listing (highest impact, ~5 min)

If you operate or work at a food pantry, soup kitchen, mobile pantry, or community fridge, claim the listing. Your one-time claim adds a one-tap "Open Today / Closed Today / Low Stock" status that surfaces live to searchers — eliminating wasted trips for hungry families.

Pantry operator portal →

2. Verify a food-assistance location (~30 sec each)

Found a pantry whose hours look stale? Closed permanently? Different phone number? Click the "Report wrong info" button on the listing — we auto-deactivate after 2 wrong-info reports in 30 days, pending re-verification.

Search the directory → · How verification works →

3. Contribute code (open-source, all skill levels)

Feed America is fully open-source. The directory powers 211 networks, AI assistants (via MCP server + OpenAPI), HSDS 3.0 Open Referral feeds, and SDOH platforms. Pull requests welcome.

4. Translate Spanish content (bilingual contributors)

Feed America publishes every page in English + Spanish (see /es). Native or fluent Spanish speakers can help by reviewing existing translations or translating new condition-specific guides. Email volunteer@feedam.org for the active queue.

5. Recruit your local pantry to claim its listing

The biggest data-quality lever: operator-claim rate. We currently have 516 of 70,559 food-pantry-class records operator-claimed. If you know a pantry operator, please share feedam.org/pantry with them. The claim flow takes 60 seconds. Each claim adds a real-time "open today" signal for searchers.

Local pantry volunteering (search by ZIP)

Want to volunteer at a physical pantry near you? Use our directory to find your nearest pantry, then call them to ask about volunteer needs. Most pantries have ongoing volunteer opportunities and welcome new helpers.

Find a pantry near you →

Donate instead

If you'd rather support food assistance financially: donate to Feed America. We're a 501(c)(3); donations are tax-deductible. ~98% of donor dollars go to platform infrastructure + verification + open-data publishing (no staff payroll). EIN 92-1761881.

Questions about volunteer opportunities? Email volunteer@feedam.org.