Volunteer Opportunities
Community action is only possible with the help of our volunteers. BCOC provides multiple programs that grow, deliver, and distribute food to people in Bucks County, and we are looking for help. Check out the ways you can volunteer below.
Community Events
BCOC participates in many events throughout the community to provide information about our services, recruit volunteers and more. Below are the upcoming events where BCOC will have informational tables.
BCOC will be participating at NOVA’s Upstander Day on 9/17, Bristol’s Fall Fest on 9/23, and Warminster Day on 9/23!
Hope of the Harvest
On the campus of Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, fruits and vegetables are being planted and harvested to feed our friends and neighbors in need. As the the lead food agency and anti-poverty organization for the County of Bucks, BCOC has collaborated with Del Val since 2012 to provide our food pantry partners with locally grown, healthy produce to supplement the non-perishable goods they distribute. This charitable initiative, known as Hope of the Harvest, has provided tens of thousands of pounds of sweet corn, squash, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, cantaloupes, apples, kale, potatoes, lettuces and much more. All ages and groups are welcome!
To receive updates about planned harvest opportunities, complete the form below.
HELP Center Volunteers
Visit The HELP Center
At the HELP Center in Bristol, we have volunteer openings each week to assist at the warehouse, or deliver food to the homebound.
The HELP Center – a Healthy Eating and Living Partnership – is a collaboration between three nonprofit agencies: Bucks County Opportunity Council, St. Mary Medical Center, United Way of Bucks County and Penn Community Bank provide generous support for the project.
The HELP Center is a storage warehouse that houses both perishable and non-perishable food. From the HELP Center, BCOC distributes the food directly to food pantries and through our home delivery program. BCOC will also be developing a shopping area to provide food to those who are in need. Each week, we seek volunteers to help sort food, pack food boxes and deliver food to homebound seniors.
Fresh Connect Bucks County
Food Program Distribution
Volunteers are needed to help set up and distribute produce at our weekly, year-round mobile farmers markets in Warminster, Bristol and Ottsville.
Each weekly location requires a team of volunteers, who will help distribute boxes of pre-packaged produce. These events take place outside. Please wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing, closed-toe shoes, and remain for the entire shift. Masks are required, and temperatures are taken prior to start.
Fresh Connect events operate rain or shine as long as the temperature is above 32 degrees and there is not severe weather. In the event of inclement weather, please call 215-345-8175 to find out if the site is operating. Volunteers must be 18 years or older.
First-time volunteers must submit an application (top of page), then sign up for a time slot(s) at the location where they wish to volunteer.
Other Food Program Volunteering
Volunteers are needed to help deliver emergency food boxes to home bound, make reminder calls from home, deliver food boxes at apartment complexes with food staff, and more.
These are intended for people who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, and unable to visit a food pantry, Fresh Connect, or grocery stores; the priority is to deliver to seniors and/or people with disabilities.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
BCOC provides free tax preparation for low-income families. We can use your help as a volunteer tax preparer! No experience necessary.
We welcome anyone who has the dedication to train as a tax preparer. Many of our volunteers never did a tax return before they participated in the VITA program. We have volunteers who are retirees, college students, administrative assistants, and tax professionals. Our training is designed for the individual that has no tax experience, and the software does all of the calculating for you. Please note that you must pass an online open-book test to qualify as a tax preparer.
There is no minimum number of volunteer hours and no deadline for accepting new volunteers. The tax season runs from mid-December through mid-April of each year.
Anyone who is interested can volunteer! Free training is provided, and the required certification is done online, when you’re ready to take it. If you’ve done your own taxes, and want to help others, come and learn about how you can volunteer with VITA! Information sessions are informal, with a brief overview and opportunity to ask questions of VITA volunteers and site coordinators.