Volunteer Instructions

3:30 pm

Please DO NOT be late; a delay could cause our farm’s delivery person to get behind schedule. Please note this shift involves manual labor and you will definitely get dirty. Please take care not to over exert or injure yourself.

One of our site coordinators will meet you at the entrance to Sunnyside Community Services at 3:30 pm. In the event that they are not there, please begin the tasks below:

1. Retrieve the CSA’s materials from storage – The CSA owns a silver hand truck, plastic tub, and large blue tarp. These items are stored with the empty veggie boxes and other boxes from the previous delivery in the basement of SCS. Ask the security guard or janitor to let you in. Any egg cartons, foam insulation or brown, non-waxy boxes should be left in the storage area.
2. Bring the CSA’s materials to the distribution area – Bring the tarp and plastic tub to the 1st floor, go through the double doors opposite the security desk, and continue straight into the common area. Spread the tarp on the floor along the far windows. The boxes will be stacked on the tarp. Occasionally SCS asks us to set up in another location; ask if you need help.
3. Load the empty boxes on to the truck – The empty waxed boxes from the previous distribution should already be stacked on the hand truck. Using the elevator, bring these boxes up to the 1st floor, through the main entrance, and to the large white truck which should be waiting just beyond the main entrance to SCS. Please do not load any blue plastic milk boxes on the truck.
4. Unload this week’s shares – Unload this week’s shares using the hand truck and stack them up on the tarp in the common room. The driver will provide you with a delivery invoice.
5. Sign in –In the Site Log Book, write the date, your name and your shift time.
6. Cover the shares – Use the remaining length of tarp to cover the share boxes. Leave out the other CSA materials with the delivery invoice and sign-in sheets on top.

At this point you may take your share; however, you should check yourself off of the sign-in sheet (the site coordinator will have this). If you are splitting a share, leave the half share clearly marked with a label bearing the name of the person who will pick up the remainder.

Thank you for volunteering! We couldn’t do it without you!

4:30-6:30pm

Please DO NOT be late; our members expect to be able to pick up their vegetables at 5:00 pm.

You will meet one of our site coordinators at the entrance to Sunnyside Community Services at 4:30 pm. In the event that they are not there please begin the tasks below.
If any members arrive before 5:00 pm, ask them to wait until you are ready.

1. Uncover veg shares – There should be boxes with root vegetable shares or frozen vegetable share stacked against the wall and covered with our blue tarp. There may also be apple and cider shares, boxes from Lewis Waite, and/or fish shares. If a 3:30 volunteer took a half share, the remaining ½ share should be there with a note indicating the name on the share as well as a label on the box with the name of their share partner who will pick up the remainder.
2. Supplies are in the plastic tub – Remove knife and cutting board and place on one of the available tables. Pens and scratch paper should be available as well. There should be two sign-in sheets: one for veg/fruit/herb and a separate one for dairy.
3. Sign in – In the Site Log Book, write the date, your name and your shift time, and record any issues you encounter during your shift.
4. Write the week’s share contents out on the whiteboard – There should be a paper from the farm listing the week’s veg and fruit share contents. Copy these onto the whiteboard.
5. Empty boxes go on the hand truck – Make sure the hand truck is not blocking a doorway and start stacking the empty veg boxes. Throughout the shift make sure the boxes stay neatly stacked.
6. Lewis Waite – If there are also Lewis Waite products, these can be set up separately from the vegetable distribution. There will be a manila envelope with a separate sheet for you to check people off as they collect their orders; any checks they give you should be put in the stamped envelope. Each item of the order is labeled.
7. Begin distribution – Your primary responsibility is to check off members and then allow them to retrieve their share(s). For apple, cider and fish shares and Lewis Waite products, you should personally hand out these products to ensure that they are distributed correctly. For members who are splitting a share, you will check off the share when the first shareholder arrives. If they will leave ½ of the share for their partner to pick up later, instruct them to label the ½ share with their partner’s name, and leave it under the tables. Those members who are splitting a share are solely responsible for ensuring that their partner gets an equal share.
8. Throughout distribution – Keep the floor clean of scraps. There should be brooms and dustpans nearby. Make sure the empty boxes are neatly stacked on the hand truck. If there are any problems contact the site coordinator.
9. Hand over to 6:15 volunteers – a new set of volunteers will arrive at 6:15 pm to replace you. Pass on any special instructions to them.

Thank you for volunteering! We couldn’t do it without you!

6:15-8:15pm

Please DO NOT be late; the 4:30 shift would like to be able to leave on time.

1. Replace the 4:30 volunteers – Take over for the 4:30 volunteers manning the sign-in tables when you arrive. Your primary responsibility is to check off members and then allow them to retrieve their share(s). For apple, cider and fish shares and Lewis Waite products, you should personally hand out these products to ensure that they are distributed correctly. For members who are splitting a share, you will check off the share when the first shareholder arrives. If they will leave ½ of the share for their partner to pick up later, instruct them to label the ½ share with their partner’s name, and leave it under the tables. Those members who are splitting a share are solely responsible for ensuring that their partner gets an equal share.
2. Sign in –In the Site Log Book, write the date, your name and your shift time, and record any issues you encounter during your shift.
3. Throughout distribution –Keep the floor clean of scraps. There should be brooms and dustpans nearby. Make sure the empty boxes are neatly stacked on the hand truck. If there are any problems contact the site coordinator.
4. Begin Cleanup before 8 PM – Begin sweeping the floor and cleaning off furniture. Please do not leave ANY vegetable scraps on the floor or furniture. Clean the knife and cutting board and place them in the plastic tub.
5. Distribution is officially over at 8 PM – List any unclaimed shares in the log book. Leave unclaimed veg and dairy shares neatly stacked for the janitors to take to the kitchen. Place the sign-in sheet, log book, whiteboard and CSA signs in the plastic tub. If any members arrive after 8 PM, you may allow them to take a share at your discretion, but they still must sign in.
6. Put away the CSA’s materials – Neatly pile the empty boxes on the hand truck and place the plastic tub, folded blue plastic milk boxes and tarp on top. Take the materials down to the basement. The security guard or janitor will let you into the basement. If there were also Lewis Waite products, the foam insulation and empty brown boxes should be stored along with the other CSA materials.

The site coordinator will return around 8 PM to help clean up and go over any problems you may have encountered.

Thank you for volunteering! We couldn’t do it without you!

Lewis Waite

Thank you for volunteering at distribution, it’s volunteers like you make the CSA possible.

1. When you arrive at 4:30, there should be a stack of brown boxes. One of them will have a manila envelope taped to it. Remove the envelope and the contents. Inside will be a stamped white envelope addressed to Lewis Waite Farm, a few sheets of instructions, an order list and a list of everyone’s complete order alphabetical by first name.
2. Set up for distribution by arranging the boxes around one of the tables. Put the egg boxes to your left when you are sitting at the table, the meat boxes in front with the post-it notes of names facing outward and the grocery items and dairy to your right when sitting at the table. Open all the boxes with the scissors/box cutter from the plastic tub.
3. As people come to pick up their order, check off their names on the order list. Ask them if they are paying by check or PayPal. The “PayPal” column means that they can pay by PayPal, not that they have. If the PayPal column says no, they have to give you a check made out to “CSA – Lewis Waite Farm.” If the PayPal column says yes, they may say they paid already by PayPal or they may give you a check. Put checks into the white envelope and mark off the “Paid” column on the order list.
4. Look for their order on the complete order list and make sure they get all parts of it. They can collect the meat themselves by looking for their names on the post-it notes but you should help them collect their eggs, dairy and grocery items. It is very easy to forget an item. Don’t count on them remembering everything, please double check it against the master list.
5. People will occasionally turn in empty egg cartons. At the end of the night, they will be put in storage with the rest of the Lewis Waite boxes.
6. When the 6:15 volunteer arrives, let that person know if there have been any problems. Make sure you also note any problems on the order list: missing products, damaged item, no payment, etc. If there is anything major, please call the Special Products Coordinator (Victoria’s phone number is available at the site).
7. As distribution goes on, break down empty boxes and consolidate the styrofoam inserts and ice packs into unused boxes. Everything will go back to Lewis Waite.
8. At 7:30 pm, please place a courtesy call to anyone who has not picked up to remind them that they have until 8 pm to pick up their order.
9. When distribution is over, the Lewis Waite boxes will go downstairs to the basement with the rest of the CSA materials.
10. The special products coordinator (Victoria) will stop by at 8:00 pm to pick up the envelope of checks and the order list and see if there were any problems with distribution.