Calling all canteen volunteers!

Volunteers are a canteen’s greatest asset. With plenty of volunteers, your canteen can run efficiently and smoothly while allowing for a healthy profit. But finding and keeping volunteers can be tricky. Here are some tips:

Start with your local community

The most willing volunteers are likely to be those that have ties with the school and community such as:

• Parents, guardians and friends of the school community
• Active grandparents
• Local community groups including CWA or Red Cross may be able to provide canteen volunteers

Get the word out

Spread the word about your need for volunteers in a variety of ways – don’t be afraid to ask for help! Here are some suggestions:

• If there is a parent who seems enthusiastic, approach them personally for a chat.
• Place an invitation for volunteers in the school newsletter. Host an informal information session in the canteen after school one day.
• Speak at P&C meetings and ask the P&C to help you call-out for volunteers through their communications.
• Post signs around the school calling for volunteers.
• Conduct canteen tours for parents during orientation or first day back at school and enlist volunteers then and there.

Promote the benefits

Remember to entice your volunteers with the benefits of volunteering. For instance:

• It’s a great way to meet other parents.
• Volunteers learn new skills about bulk food production.
• Kids (especially those in kindy!) love seeing their parents at school.
• Their volunteering helps keeps school lunch prices low.
• It’s a good way to get a feel for what goes on at school during the day.

Provide appropriate resources and support

People like information and they want to feel supported by the canteen. Here are some ideas to ensure you’re approach is professional and reassuring:

• Create a canteen volunteer information pack that includes a welcome letter, job description, policy & procedure (food safety, OH&S etc).
• Conduct a volunteer orientation session for all your new volunteers. Provide them with some training on their duties and food safety, give them a tour of the canteen
• Offer half or full-day shifts and be flexible with volunteers so they are not locked into a certain time for the whole year.
• Keep rosters simple and easy to read and provide reminders via email or the school newsletter to volunteers a week before their shift

Read more about attracting and keeping volunteers with our printable PDF fact sheet.

How do you attract and keep volunteers? Share your ideas on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/healthykids.au