Volunteer at DTES Hub
Volunteer With Us
Partnerships power everything we do.
The DTES Emergency Supply Hub is powered by people — students, families, professionals, tradespeople, creatives, retirees, and community members from every walk of life. Whether you want to help once a month or every week, there’s a place for you here.
We welcome individuals, schools, workplaces, and volunteer groups.
Your skills, energy, and compassion directly support thousands of people in the Downtown Eastside and beyond.
Below are the main ways you can get involved.
Why Volunteer With Us
When you volunteer with the Hub, you become part of a community that believes in dignity, compassion, and practical support.
Volunteers help us:
- Keep people fed and safe
- Reduce community waste
- Support shelters during extreme weather and emergencies
- Provide direct frontline the help they really need
- Strengthen relationships across Vancouver
No matter your background, skills, or schedule, there’s a place for you here.
Email Us | Use Our Handy Dandy Volunteer Form
1. School Groups & Youth Programs
How You Can Support:
- Join us for field-trip outreach sessions where students learn about nutrition and food donation literacy.
- Participate in on-the-ground volunteer days, helping sort food, pack kits, or assist in community meal service.
- Collaborate on student-led donation drives for hygiene items, clothing, or pantry goods.
This is a safe, educational, and empowering way for young people to engage in real community care.
Please use our Volunteer Sign Up Form
2. Community Volunteers: Individuals & Families
How You Can Support:
- Help sort incoming donations, assemble hampers, and prepare emergency kits.
- Join the team during distribution days to support food access for community members.
- Assist with seasonal programs like winter outreach, cooling stations, holiday hampers, or street feasts.
Everyone is welcome — no experience required.
Please use our Volunteer Sign Up Form
3. Kitchen & Meal Support Volunteers
How You Can Support:
- Help prepare emergency meals for shelters and outreach teams.
- Support community feasts, gatherings, and food distribution events.
- Assist with kitchen organization, food safety tasks, and meal packaging.
Perfect for culinary students, home cooks, and anyone who wants to feed the community directly.
Please use our Volunteer Sign Up Form
4. Donation Procurement & Outreach Volunteers
How You Can Support:
- Reach out to businesses to help secure surplus goods, food, supplies, or seasonal items.
- Send out Thank you letters and grow relationships with new people in the community.
- Work within your sector to invite the hub to speak about what we do.
Great for people who enjoy connecting, networking, or building relationships.
We will supply all the materials.
Please use our Volunteer Sign Up Form
5. Fundraising & Advocacy Volunteers
How You Can Support:
- Organize community fundraisers, awareness campaigns, and supply drives.
- Invite us and represent alongside us at events, conferences, or public gatherings.
- Create content, stories, and community updates that highlight our work.
You’ll help ensure our programs stay strong and visible.
Please Email Us
6. Tech, Data & Software Volunteers
How You Can Support:
- Build or refine systems to automate service delivery, inventory tracking, or data workflows.
- Improve digital tools that help us communicate with organizations, donors, and clients.
- Support technology improvements, design, or app integrations.
Perfect for developers, UX designers, and system architects wanting to use tech for good.
Please Email Us
7. Corporate Volunteer Teams
How You Can Support:
- Participate in team volunteer days: sorting, packing, cooking, or preparing outreach materials.
- Use your corporate networks to advocate for product procurement and zero-waste partnerships.
- Launch matching donation programs, workplace fundraisers, or supply drives.
Corporate teams help us build strong, sustainable partnerships across industries.
Please Email Us
8. Professional & Networking Volunteers
How You Can Support:
- Champion Hub conversations in your sector — from healthcare to logistics to hospitality.
- Facilitate introductions to funders, suppliers, or community partners.
- Share your professional expertise to help strengthen our programming and strategy.
Your voice and network help expand our reach and deepen our impact.
Please Email Us
Volunteers Welcome!
Volunteer Sign up Form
