Volunteers are one of the essential resources Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI) needs to help realize the vision of a world without hunger.  Volunteers join us not only to package meals, but to also help us with their time, talent, skills and other resources to bring efficiency in our work and multiply our impact.  Rise Against Hunger India could provide 13 million healthy, fortified nutritious meals in India since 2015 because of thousands of volunteers who packaged meals with us.

COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused cancellation of all meal packaging events with sponsoring companies for the past four months. However, this is the time when meals are much more required than ever as many have been pushed to severe hardship.  In the middle of logistic constraints and other challenges during the early weeks of the lock-down, Rise Against Hunger India staff have been packaging meals for COVID-19 relief work.  With gradual easing up of the lock-down measures, open volunteering opportunity is now being started in a managed environment applying COVID-19 safety guidelines.  RAHI team has made elaborate preparations and designed  COVID-19 Guidelines Compliant Layout to for packaging meals while maintaining utmost care for the safety of our volunteers, staff and beneficiaries.

Here are some major safety guidelines:

1. Volunteers are spaced at least 6 feet apart from each other
2. All entry points & equipment are sanitized before and after each slot
3. All surfaces that are frequently used such as tables, door handles, switches, taps etc are thoroughly sanitized
4. Volunteers are thermally scanned at the entrance and are required to wear a face mask throughout & gloves while doing the packaging
5. Sanitizers are placed in multiple location for frequent cleaning of hands
6. Each volunteer is required to download Arogya Setu App and keep it on while participating in the event
7. Those who have experienced cold or flu-like symptoms in the past 48 hours  cannot participate
8. Children below 12 years, senior citizens above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidity & pregnant women cannot participate.

For those interested, detailed guidelines are in this document.
With about 8 volunteers (maximum 10 volunteers per batch can participate for now), Bangalore warehouse has already started volunteering activity.  Volunteers can participate in slots of 2 hours each.   Whenever situation allows in Mumbai and Delhi, volunteers can join in those locations too.
Those interested in participating in meal packaging volunteering activity to provide uncooked, packaged meals to help people in crisis, please fill this form.  Rise Against Hunger India team will then follow up with you and organize the schedule.
Our team is also ready to facilitate volunteering event with sponsoring organizations in their locations (check out the details here for hosting a sponsored event).
Be a part of our growing coalition of hunger champions that are committed to ending hunger for everyone, everywhere.  Do join our movement.  Be a Hunger Champion!