Volunteer Opportunities
Imagine the impact you can make by joining us at The Community Kitchen, where every hour you dedicate transforms lives and strengthens our community. As a volunteer, you’ll become a vital part of a supportive family that believes in the power of good food to nourish not just bodies, but also connections and hope. From sharing a smile with a neighbor to rolling up your sleeves in the kitchen, each moment spent with us enriches our mission to alleviate food insecurity in the Monadnock Region. Your unique talents and passion for service can help us continue our work, as we strive to create a world where everyone has access to healthy meals. Whether you bring experience or simply a willingness to lend a hand, we welcome you to be part of this rewarding journey, because together, we are truly stronger.
Ways You Can Volunteer
Pantry / Warehouse
Join us in building a nourished community where every effort counts. As you sort fresh produce, pack grocery boxes, and sort pantry staples, you’ll play a crucial role in a caring network. Whether you enjoy quiet tasks or lively activities with music, your contributions help combat food insecurity and bring hope to our neighbors in the Monadnock Region.
Kitchen / Hot Meals
At The Community Kitchen, we invite you to join our mission to nourish neighbors and build connections through shared meals. Whether you’re chopping vegetables, serving dishes, or helping with clean-up, your efforts make a real difference. Experience the joy of community service alongside our dedicated team as we create meals and forge lasting memories in the Monadnock Region.
Volunteer with your Group
At The Community Kitchen, volunteering allows you to bond with teammates while making a meaningful impact on others. Picture your group preparing fresh ingredients and packing nutritious meals to help fight food insecurity in our community. This rewarding experience nurtures our Monadnock Region neighbors and fosters stronger connections through a shared goal. Join us for a journey filled with teamwork and kindness.
Special Events
Gleaning
Join our Board or a Board Committee
Click here to view Volunteer Handbook
Gleaning
What is Gleaning?
Gleaning is the act of gathering leftover food and produce from local farms and gardens after a harvest. The TCK program gleans from a dozen farms throughout Cheshire County each year.
The Community Kitchen Gleaning Program is a vital part of our mission to foster local, sustainable, and equitable food systems. We collaborate with local gardens, markets, and farms to collect surplus food that might otherwise go to waste. This surplus is then distributed to our guests through our Pantry and Hot Meals Programs.
The Community Kitchen, Cheshire County’s largest food pantry, is working hard to meet the rising needs for access to fresh foods in our region.
Our goal is to increase the availability of healthy, locally-sourced fresh produce within our community. By doing so, we not only reduce food waste but also ensure that nutritious food reaches those who need it most.
The Community kitchen proudly participates in NH Gleans, a statewide network dedicated to gleaning efforts across New Hampshire. Through this partnership, we are able to amplify our impact and support our community more effectively.
The Power of Community
The Community Kitchen’s program has partnerships with around a dozen farms and community gardens throughout Cheshire County. The food collected through field gleans, goes directly to community members who need it most through The Community Kitchen’s Pantry and Hot Meals programs.
Additionally, as part of New Hampshire Gleans, The Community Kitchen works alongside organizations across the state to broaden the awareness and impact of gleaning on addressing food insecurity in our region.
The Community Kitchen has successfully maintained our gleaning program since 2013.
Alicia Clinton
Passionate about reducing food waste and promoting access to fresh produce, Alicia joined us after volunteering at our Thursday Pantry Distribution.
Originally from California, Alicia’s love for fruits and vegetables inspired her to volunteer with Village Harvest, where she witnessed the impact of gleaning on local food security. As TCK’s Gleaning Coordinator, Alicia will connect with local farmers, garden organizers, and our volunteer network to expand our gleaning efforts and raise awareness about food insecurity in Cheshire County and the Monadnock Region.
To learn more about our gleaning program or join an event, contact Alicia at gleaner@thecommunitykitchen.org or call TCK at (603) 352-3200
Volunteers Make Gleaning A Huge Success
Where Does It All Come From? How Can I Make Sure My Neighbors And Community Have Food? Wondering How To Get Involved In The Community Kitchen’s Gleaning Program?
Volunteering for the TCK Gleaning program is as easy as signing up online. At New Hampshire Gleans, you need only indicate your region and availability. The Gleaning coordinator will contact the volunteers when gleaning opportunities become available.
We invite volunteers to help with field gleans. These will be trips to local farms and orchards in Cheshire County. Usually the scheduled gleans take place for a 2-hour time period.
Sometimes we invite volunteers to help with a ‘post-harvest pick-up,’ which means that the farm is donating food that they have harvested, and we simply need to pack up the produce. Some farms donate so much produce that this can also be a 2-hour-plus project.
Won’t you join us? https://nhgleans.org
The Community Kitchen’s Gleaning Sources
Charitable Gardens – Community Gardens – Commercial Growers
We connect with farmers and food producers across the county and pick up
or harvest, any good quality items that would not otherwise make it to market.
ALYSON’S ORCHARD
ANGEL WING FARM
CAMP GLEN BROOK
DOG DAYS FARM
FERTILE FIELDS FARM
GREEN WAGON FARM
KROKA EXPEDITIONS
MANNING-GRAY FAMILY
MAYFAIR FARM
MARISOL FARM
MONADNOCK VIEW COMMUNITY GARDEN
NYE HILL FARM
ORCHARD HILL
PICADILLY FARM
RICK’S GARDEN & VEGETABLE
VERMONT APPLE ORCHARD
WESTMORELAND GARDEN PROJECT
WHITTAKER HOMESTEAD