Volunteer
Don’t be afraid to get dirty.
Individual Volunteering
The Rundown
The food CCUA grows and the joy it brings would not be possible without our volunteers. Our outdoor volunteers develop and maintain our three main sites: Columbia’s Agriculture Park, Veterans Urban Farm, and Kilgore’s Community Garden. From early March until Thanksgiving, volunteers:
Grow, harvest, & wash produce for the Food Bank Market
Maintain perennial food scaping areas
Volunteer at events like CCUA’s annual Harvest Hootenanny
Growing food is only part of what we do though! Our indoor volunteers work with Chef Beth from Thompson Tables to prepare meals using produce from local Columbia Farmers Market farmers for Meals on Wheels. Our indoor volunteers also greet neighbors in the Welcome Center lobby and connect them to resources such as:
Materials like low-cost compost, straw, and OMRI amendments
CCUA or CFM program applications
Registration for our Tool Library, and more!
Shift Times
Outdoor Volunteering
All outdoor volunteer shifts are 3 hours long with a break halfway through. We host volunteer shifts in the morning and evening at Columbia's Agriculture Park and Veterans Urban Farm. We host an evening shift at Kilgore's Community Garden.
Morning shifts occur Monday-Saturday at the Agriculture Park and Tuesday-Thursday at the Veterans Urban Farm. In the spring and fall, these shifts are from 9am-12pm. In the summer, we try to beat the heat by moving the shift start time up to 8am or 7am.
We facilitate an evening shift at the Veterans Urban Farm on Tuesdays. At the Agriculture Park, evening shifts are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Kilgore's Community Garden's volunteer shift is on Thursday evenings. All evening shifts are from 5:30-8:30pm.
We ask our outdoor volunteers to commit to a weekly recurring schedule; however, if you need to miss a shift or two that’s fine — we ask you just let us know. Once you start working with us, you’ll see how much every one person’s help makes a huge difference!
Indoor Volunteering
The Community Welcome Center at Columbia’s Agriculture Park is open year-round from 8am-6pm, Monday-Friday and from 8am-12pm on Saturdays.
In the Kitchen, Monday through Friday shifts are:
8am-11am
10am-1pm
In Reception & Resources, Monday through Friday shifts are:
8am-11:30am
11:15am-2:45pm
2:30pm-6pm
Saturday shifts in Reception & Resources are 8am-10:15am and 10am-12:15pm. There are no Saturday shifts in the Kitchen.
We ask that those volunteering in the Kitchen commit to a weekly recurring shift. Shifts in Reception & Resources can be recurring weekly, sporadic, or one-time. Reception & Resources is a very flexible volunteer opportunity for those with variable schedules!
Proper Attire
Outdoor Volunteering
You will get dirty! Please dress according to the weather (layers recommended) and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Closed-toe shoes are required! Also bring sunscreen, a hat, water, gloves, and anything else you need to be comfortable gardening. If it's raining, but not too cold or a thunderstorm, the shift is still on! In these instances, a rain jacket or poncho as well as rain boots are strongly recommended.
Indoor Volunteering
Kitchen volunteers must wear pants, restrain their hair, and have a valid food handler's card. This can be obtained online or in-person through the city. Look HERE for more information. If you have non-slip shoes, please wear those to any Kitchen shift. If you do not have non-slip shoes, please let us know so that we can provide non-slip footwear.
Essential Items for Volunteering
Weather appropriate clothing
Close-toed shoes or boots (no sandals or flip flops)
Hat
Sunblock
Water bottle
No experience is necessary!
Fill out a background check
Attend an orientation
Sign-up for a shift!
Group Volunteering
Want to bring a group for a one time workday? Fill out a group application to schedule yours today!
The Rundown
We can facilitate groups from 5 to 15 people (14 years and older). Groups help us knock out big tasks; such as, moving mulch or straw, removing brush & invasive species, or weeding in the perennial foodscaping areas. Groups do not participate in annual vegetable production. If you have a group of children under 14 years old, please reach out to Education@ColumbiaUrbanAg.org to inquire about how you can get involved with CCUA.
Shifts
All group work days are 3 hours long with a break halfway through. When you fill out the Group Registration above, you can select days and time-frames that work best for your group. It is highly encouraged to volunteer in the morning during the hot summer months!
How do I get my group involved?
Fill out a group application below! You will receive scheduling emails from our volunteer coordinator, and once a date and time is agreed upon, they will send you a confirmation email with instructions to prepare your group for the workday.
Note
All groups are scheduled at the Agriculture Park by default. If you'd like your group to serve at the Veterans Urban Farm, please make a note of that request in your group application.
Log your hours
Recording your hours helps CCUA understand your impact as a volunteer and can be used to bolster grant applications!
Volunteer on our Board of Directors
Do you have experience in business, non-profits, law, finance, fundraising, or community organizing? Are you looking for a rewarding opportunity to use these skills in a way that gives back to the community? CCUA’s board of directors is an all-volunteer group that leads the organization as administrative partners. The board has the responsibility to assist in fundraising that supports CCUA’s programming. Most importantly, the board works with the executive director to develop and ensure the implementation of the organization’s strategic plan.
Generally, all new board members are voted onto the board at the January meeting and begin their service in April, but this timeline can be flexible. There are three options participation with CCUA's Board of Directors:
Full Voting Board Members - estimated time commitment of 8-10 hours per month.
Non-Voting Advisory Board Members - estimated time commitment of 20 hours per year.
Non-Voting Strategic Planning Committee Members - estimated time commitment of 20 hours per year, with 2-3 additional hrs in year one.
Detailed description of expectations are found HERE.
“It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success.”
