VOLUNTEERS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Yes, please send in your resume to contactus@lagosfoodbank.org
Thanks for the suggestion, however our LFBI branded ID cards are given only to the staff & interns of Lagos Food Bank Initiative. Volunteers are only eligible for volunteers certificate and letters of attestation of volunteer hours.
Yes with a professional camera, that will be great. At the end of the event, please share the images taken with us via Google drive or Wetransfer and the likes to lagosfoodbank@gmail.com CC Contactus@lagosfoodank.org
Lagos Food Bank makes arrangements for a coaster bus from the food bank to the outreach venue but it will be on a first to come basis so we advise that going to the outreach venue would be a better option considering the limited number of volunteers the bus can convey.
LFBI will not bar a volunteer on such basis, however, due to the increase in absenteeism of volunteers after confirmation of attendance, we have started blacklisting volunteers with high track record of default from getting invitation for subsequent outreaches. We believe it is only reasonable that a volunteer confirm attendance only for the outreach he/she can attend to enable us plan accordingly. And if he/she is unable to attend, an email should be sent in this regard.
Yes, it is. To participate in our outreaches, you have to wear an LFBI branded T-shirt. The T-shirt is sold for N4,000 or N6,000, while Premium Polo is N7,500 all depending on the quality within your budget.
Registered volunteers over a period of time, are eligible for a certificate and reference letter from the Lagos Food Bank
To volunteer in with us you must be at least 12 years old. Youth 12 – 15 years old are required to volunteer with an adult, youth 16 years old and up can volunteer on their own.
We do not pay our volunteers except for the Intern volunteers who are paid monthly stipend to cover transportation only.
To become a volunteer, fill out the volunteer registration online form to get started. Once filled and submitted, an on-boarding confirmation email will be sent to your registered email. Further information on the volunteering procedures and volunteer guidelines will be sent to your registered email as part of the on-boarding process. The entire process takes an average of 72hours.
No! A volunteer is not allowed to be a beneficiary. However any volunteer willing to be a beneficiary will cease to be a volunteer to get food relief as a beneficiary.
Volunteers should wear close-toed shoes and clothes appropriate to work in a warehouse, kitchen or garden setting. No sandals/flip-flops, extremely short skirts/shorts or low-cut shirts. Individuals wearing opened toed shoes will not be allowed to participate in outreaches or community inspections.
Yes, each volunteer individual or group needs to sign in each time they volunteer at the Lagos Food Bank. Upon arrival please visit our volunteer lobby desk for instructions on how to sign-in.
We love the enthusiasm of all our volunteers, Yes you can drop in at your free time as our warehouse is opened Mondays to Saturdays for activities. But we will appreciate you register to become a volunteer before dropping by.
There is no whatsapp group for Lagos food bank volunteers. Do follow us on instagram, twitter, facebook and linkedin : @lagosfoodbank for updates.
Attend outreaches for 4-7 months to accumulate 120hours of Service. However, one the fastest ways to accumulate volunteer hours is to volunteer for the weekday programs; EDUFOOD, FAMILY FARMING, and OUTREACH PREPARATIONS.
What if I want to do more than one off volunteering ; How do I become full staff of Lagos food bank?
Please click here to apply for a position of interest.
Yes, you can. We welcome all types of donations both food and no-food items. Click here to see list.
We always advise that clothes and other donations are brought in before the outreach day. But If it will not be convenient, then they can be brought in on the morning of that outreach day but bear in mind they will not be distributed the same day. Your donations will be stored towards the next outreach.
No you won’t. All you need do is to confirm attendance via the invitation email that will be sent to you prior the outreach day.
Hi, thank you for your interest in Lagos Food Bank. We strongly advise you do an email to inform us so as not create space for other volunteers who might want to join but could not due to form closure. You can also volunteer on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the outreach at Lagos Food Bank, to help with the preparation towards the
event day.
Certificates are usually prepared on formal request made to the food bank requesting same. To qualify for a community service certificate; you must have rendered 120 hours of community service and been an active volunteer for a minimum of 7 months. Click here to read more on the eligibility criteria for a certificate issuance.
To fill out the certificate application form click here
Yes, you can. Shirts are sold for N4,000 or N6,000, while Premium Polo is N7,500 all available in different sizes and colours. Payment for t-shirt should be made to our GT Bank account 0461834490. Please remember to come with a proof of payment.
No it does not. Donation is not compulsory at Lagos Food Bank. However, you will have to buy a shirt to participate.
We welcome new Donors; kindly send a mail to contactus@lagosfoodbank.org or Partnership@lagosfoodbank.org
Not necessarily. We advise you to send an email to contactus@lagosfoodbank.org if you are unable to make it.
Yes, this is part of our major goal for 2022.
We currently run 7 programs and we hold outreaches from time to time. We advise that you keep a tab on your email and our social media pages to get updates on this.
No, you would not be disqualified from attending outreaches if you do not donate money or materials to the food bank. We are grateful for your time donation.
Yes, you can purchase your T-shirt at the outreach venue. Kindly head to the registration table upon arrival of the outreach venue to get one.
We welcome new donors to support our programs. Kindly send an email to partnerships@lagosfoodbank.org and CC contactus@lagosfoodbank.org
Bear in mind that when you visit a slum, you should expect the characteristics of a slum like dirt, rowdiness, touts etc. On our part, we do everything possible to nip all forms of disturbance in the bud and since inception we have not recorded any violent cases.
Once you are a registered volunteer, you will receive a detailed email regarding this before the outreach day.
No, you will not be disqualified, however, you are encouraged to attend when available.
If you will be heading to the foodbank first on the event day, you may spend about 6 hours of community service. However, this is not cast in stone as the timing may vary based on circumstances that may involve us closing earlier or later.
Yes, for preparations and if he/she is a registered volunteer who confirmed attendance for the event.
No, you do not have to. Purchasing of the LFBI t-shirt is one off (you can decide to purchase more at your own will)
Yes, you can come with your donations on the outreach morning. Kindly keep the items in a safe place till the food bank team arrives. Please bear in mind that items donated on the outreach day will be distributed at the next outreach.
Lagos Food Bank is a non-profit, private owned and nutrition focused initiative committed to fighting hunger, reducing food waste and solving the problem of malnutrition through 7 key programs. We use an integrated food banking system to support meaningful community nutrition while also building long-term health through urban farming, maternal and child health and improved school outcomes. All our operations are made possible through our strong network off over 17,000 volunteers and beneficiary organizations who help vulnerable families across South West, Nigeria.
When you have a big dream to feed thousands of people but your finances do not match up to your dream, you can only but start from where you are and from what you have. This implies starting small. Sometimes, it is very wise to have an impact in one state where you are likely to have financial support from family and friends to touch several lives than embarking on feeding the entire nation and become overwhelmed by the huge task. More so, rural urban migration and worsening economic situation of the country has made Lagos State more vulnerable.
Thousands of people are suffering in the midst of affluence in Lagos coupled with the fact that living standard is more expensive in Lagos compared to other states in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, most NGOs face the following challenges: Lack of Trust, Lack of funding and Lack of volunteers due to the bad antecedent of NGOs in Nigeria wherein it is used as an avenue to make fast money. A lot of good hearted people have lost trust and confidence in any start up NGO in Nigeria and this makes it very difficult for the good ones to thrive. The lack of goodwill affects funding and the support of the civil society at large towards NGOs. At LFBI, we chose to be transparent about our finances and donors and this has helped us a great deal. We are able to earn the trust of the people and in turn earned funding and brought more volunteers.
Our major method of communication is through email communication. Please bear in mind that Lagos Food Bank has no WhatsApp group and does not support the opening of WhatsApp groups to communicate its activities. We also pass important information through our social media platforms. All volunteers are expected to follow our main page @lagosfoodbank and other programs pages: @edufoodng, @numeplan, @familyfarming, @foodbankjobs, @nids.ng and @lagosfoodbankvolunteers.
Yes, we would be delighted to reference your volunteering experience with us provided you have met certain conditions. To qualify for a reference, you must have rendered over 80 hours of community service and been an active volunteer for a minimum of 4 months. Click here to read more on the eligibility criteria for a reference/recommendation issuance.
To fill out the reference application form click here