Volunteer
Let’s Get Our Hands Dirty Together!
We are always looking for people interested in volunteering with ASD on a number of projects and programs. If you want to volunteer with ASD, please fill out the form and select the programs you are interested in assisting with.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Standing Volunteer Opportunities
Office Assistance
- Answer phones
- Distribute flyers
- Support Staff
- Fold brochures
- Greet guests
- Miscellaneous cleaning, organizing, mailing, envelope stuffing
- Input data and contact information into LGL
- Conduct grant research to identify potential grants for ASD programming
- Special Projects – create marketing materials, update collateral materials, create videos, archive photo library, photography
Garden Assistance
- Sort, package, and label seeds and distribute seeds/plants to participants
- Plant, water, weed and/or harvest produce and herbs for the food pantry
- Turn compost
- Organize shed
- Create and install garden signage
- Mow the grass, weed eat (AH also needs this task)
- Assist with teaching workshops, establishment, maintenance and/or revitalization of outdoor classroom gardens
- Assist with the Teaching or supervising students, creating and revising curriculum
Event Assistance
- Research various event costs, such as rental tables, food, plates, cups, etc.
- Work events, break down tables, photography and other event support activities
- Work information booth at local farmers markets
- Deliver promo materials to appropriate organizations/individuals
- Work booth at events to promote VFM
- Help with webinars
- Deliver necessary supplies to local markets
- Deliver food guides to markets and other businesses
- Update listings in Food Guide
Farm + Produce Assistance
- Track inventory
- Deliver/ship orders
- Deliver materials to farms
- Greet guests and help with activities on farm – per farm needs
- Track demographics, etc. of guests visiting farms on day of tour
- Bag product per order
- Print labels and have bags ready for product
- Deliver product to store locations
- Sort food pallets for shipment
- Clean floors/truck loading bay
- Assist growers with washing/packing product
Workforce Development
- Volunteers will help trainees build professional and personal skills to succeed in life and work
- Peer mentors – college students who will mentor one-on-one to model healthy behaviors; 1 hour week, as needed
- Skill sharers – woodworkers, photographers, musicians, artists, anyone with a skill to share who can help develop trainee interests; 1-2 hours a week, as needed
- Businesses – businesses that can provide mentorship, job shadowing, and apprenticeship opportunities; 1-2 hours a week, as needed
- Professionals – business professionals of all levels who can provide career guidance and training; 1-2 hours a week, as needed
Join a Committee
- ASD has several stakeholder committees comprised of staff, interns, program participants, volunteers, board members, and community members working together in monthly or bi-monthly meetings to solve specific problems within the community.
- Volunteer committee members can join in the discussion with any of our committees by filling out the volunteer registration form and reaching out to the head of the committee listed to get a meeting invitation.
- The Farm-to-School Coalition: Contact Brittany Woodby at bwoodby@asdevelop.org
- The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee: Contact Hannah Gibbs at hgibbs@asdevelop.org
- The Healthy Families- Family Farms Advisory Group: Contact Sylvia Crum at scrum@asdevelop.org
What are the Benefits of Volunteering?
ASD’s Volunteer needs vary from a few hours to long-term, regular individual commitments. When you volunteer with ASD, you get:
Support a Local Nonprofit
A unique chance to support a nationally known and respected non-profit, that was the first in the region to focus on sustainable agriculture and food access.
Goal Oriented Experience
An experience that is focused on big picture goals through collaborations with a variety of stakeholders and partners.
Small & Supportive Team
To enjoy the atmosphere of a small, supportive team where you’ll get feedback of your work through metrics, statistics and comments.
Innovation & Business Basics
An environment that thrives on innovation with limited resources and still keeps the business basics in check.
Working with Appalachian Sustainable Development was an incredible experience for me. The staff are all encouraging and supportive. This volunteer opportunity showed me how influential ASD is with local farmers, food banks, and the community. Watching ASD go above and beyond during this time of need was inspiring. I felt that being a part of that work gave me an outlet to share my skills, and gave me a chance to learn about how agriculture impacts regional sustainability. My photography with ASD led me to a community garden, where proceeds were donated to a nearby food bank. At the garden, I was immediately welcomed by ASD’s staff, and was encouraged to join in the weeding and harvesting. While making videos for ASD, I visited local farms and established rapport with farmers. Being able to know who and where your produce is grown makes an ethical difference, and emphasizes the importance of mindful consumerism. ASD also gave me many opportunities to learn and expand my media experience along with establishing meaningful connections. By volunteering with ASD, I gained applicable experience in my field, which helped ground my resume. The hours were flexible and permitted me to work towards deadlines at my own pace. I truly appreciate all that ASD has done for me and would recommend volunteering with this organization.
AMY MILLIGAN, GRAD & ASD VOLUNTEER: SUMMER 2020
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