Volunteering at the Co-op

I love picking up my Bountiful Basket each week.  You never know what will be waiting for you, so it is always a fun surprise.  Because the program is a co-op and entirely run by volunteers, they encourage everyone to volunteer as they are able.  This past Saturday, I was able to arrive at my pick-up site one hour early to help out.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got there.  Not only did the experience turn out to be fun, it was a great workout too!  The site coordinator was helpful and kind, and the other volunteers worked really hard.  We were actually pretty short on helpers last week, so we all had a lot to do.  I want to share my experience with you through photos so that you will know what to expect when you have a chance to volunteer.  I also want to show everyone that it takes hard work to get all of your baskets together each week!

First, we set out all of the white baskets in rows of two.  We had 63 sets of baskets to fill.  For those of you who haven’t participated yet, each person gets one basket of fruit and one basket of vegetables to transfer into their own containers (baskets or grocery bags).  The white baskets stay with the site coordinator.

 Next, we waited for the delivery truck to unload all of our produce and bread.  

Everything comes to the site in large cases which is why volunteers are needed to distribute the produce among the baskets.  Unfortunately, the driver did not drop the cases off close enough to the baskets, so we had to carry them over.  This is where I got a lot of heavy lifting in!

Now we have the cases in the right spot.  It is time to start distributing.

There is a list posted telling us how many of each item to put in each basket.  They are listed in order so that the heavy items are placed on the bottom of the basket and the fragile items are placed on top.

This is where the rest of the workout comes in.  I can’t tell you how many squats I did to place the items in the baskets, but my legs were very sore for a few days!  Make sure when you volunteer to use good form and bend at the knees so you don’t hurt your back.  I also want to point out that anyone can help.  Among our volunteers was a woman who was 8 months pregnant, a grandmother, and kids as young as 3 years old.  This would be a great family activity too!

Now that we have distributed all of the produce, each volunteer gets to choose one large item or two small items as “extras” for helping out.  I chose two avocados.

Then we take all of the extra produce and evenly distribute it among the baskets.  We made sure to follow each other so that each basket got something extra.

Some received an extra bag of carrots, some an extra head of romaine, some an extra bunch of swiss chard, and on and on.

Here is a finished fruit basket.
And a finished vegetable basket.  Notice the beautiful swiss chard!

By the time everyone is showing up to pick up their baskets, I already have mine packed away in my crate and I’m ready to go!

Overall, I truly enjoyed the experience and will look forward to volunteering again when I can.  I definitely recommend it to anyone who participates in this program.  If you want to help out at your site, look on the website at your pick-up location and it will have two times listed.  The earlier time listed is when to show up to volunteer.

And for anyone who is still wondering what to do with their swiss chard, I posted my recipe on our Facebook site.  Not only is the swiss chard beautiful and tasty, but packed with nutrients!  If you have other recipes, please share them below!

  • Elizabeth July 1, 2010 at 3:47 am

    wow-that is impressive!! what a workout šŸ˜‰

  • laura__burton July 13, 2010 at 12:50 pm

    This looks really good! Unfortunately there's nothing like this in my area (I'm English); what a great way to bring the community together and get a nutritious bargain!

    http://www.sugar-coated.blog.co.uk

  • Alysa July 28, 2010 at 3:24 am

    Yes, it was a great workout!

    Laura, too bad you don't have a co-op near you. Maybe you should start one!

  • Liz Amason May 14, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    Picking up my Bountiful Basket later this morning. Thank you to all the volunteers, they rock!

  • Kendra May 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    If you can't physically help distribute produce to the baskets see if you can help in any other way. Our site always needs help recycling boxes and removing trash since we dont have access to dumpsters.

  • vallori May 14, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    Thank you so much for posting this! This week is my first time participating in BB, and I'm not able to volunteer this week, but I do plan on volunteering more often than not in the coming weeks. I am really excited, and I really appreciate your detailed description about what to expect!

  • Glyphia May 14, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    this was great! i LOVE BB! our site is so popular i have to set an alarm to make my order or all the baskets are snapped up in a jiffy!

  • Anonymous May 14, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    I volunteered for the first time today! I was very impressed with all of the work that goes into our wonderful baskets! It makes enjoying the bounty even more of a blessing!

  • Kristen @ swanky dietitian May 17, 2011 at 3:48 am

    We have bountiful baskets here! I love it! I haven't volunteered yet but my mom and I have been talking about going soon.

  • Alysa May 19, 2011 at 3:39 am

    Liz, thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoyed your basket!

    Kendra, great point that anyone can help. Thank you!

    Vallori, thank you for commenting. I hope you enjoy your time volunteering when you get a chance.

  • Alysa May 19, 2011 at 3:41 am

    Glyphia, thank you for the comment. Your site really sells out quickly, huh? Good for you for setting an alarm!

    Anon, you are right, the volunteering definitely makes the co-op seem more special!

    Kristen, I hope you get to volunteer soon. It's fun!

  • Jennifer October 8, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Thank you for posting this! As a Volunteer Site Coordinator, we are out there EVERY Saturday regardless of weather, etc. It really is 100% volunteer run. We rely on participants coming to volunteer. Many hands make light work (or at least a little faster). I have met some amazing people at out site that have come out to volunteer. Love it!!

    • inspiredrd October 9, 2011 at 9:21 pm

      Thank you for the comment Jennifer! Coordinators are amazing people. I can’t imagine doing that every single week. Thank you so much for volunteering your time for all of us!