Volunteer

The Stop began as a volunteer-run organization in the 1970s, and to this day volunteers play a vital role in every facet of our operations. Without the dedication of our volunteers, we could not meet our goal of helping people stop the cycle of poverty.

Many of our volunteers have experience with issues facing the community: unemployment, poverty and homelessness. The connection between volunteers and participants in our programs creates a unique sense of community marked by a non-judgmental and empathetic environment.

Volunteer opportunities at 1884 Davenport

Our Food Bank and Drop In meal programs operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. In the Food Bank, we distribute groceries and produce to people who live in our neighbourhood. Volunteers handle intake as people arrive, stack shelves and distribute food. In the Drop In, we provide breakfast and lunch to up to 150-200 people per sitting. Volunteers set up the program space, do simple food preparation, serve food and clean up afterwards.

We run two volunteer shifts each day in each of the programs. We ask volunteers to commit to doing one four-hour shift per week for a period of 4-6 months in order to accommodate the large number of people who come to use our services.

We are very fortunate to have many people interested in volunteering at The Stop but this means that we get many more applications than we have positions. As such we prioritize potential volunteers from the local community. There is a Volunteer Information Session once a month for the Drop In and Food Bank positions at 1884 Davenport Rd. If you are interested please call Jasmine at 416 652 7867 ext 249 to register for the next session.

Volunteer opportunities at The Stop’s Green Barn (Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St)

There are no volunteer opportunities at our Green Barn at the moment. Check back soon!

Volunteer opportunities at events

We often have one-off fundraising or community events like Seedy Saturday and What’s on the Table, where we need a large number of volunteers for the day or half day. If you'd like to be on our events list, please email jasmine [at] thestop [dot] org. In your email, please, include some information about yourself, your availability and any special skills or interests you hav, ie. cooking, customer service, serving, setting-up or taking down events.