Volunteer Now! - Food etc

What’s it like to volunteer for Food etc?

Food etc empowers people to make better food choices by teaching them how to cook inexpensive, tasty and nutritious meals from scratch. We want to give them the skills and knowledge they need to move away from costly and unhealthy ultra processed foods (UPF) and choose economical, tasty and whole foods instead.
This is a transformative change for many people, especially those who are disadvantaged, either financially or by the misinformation that the mainstream food supply chain communicates, which makes UPFs look like the easier, aspirational choice when in reality it is the opposite.

“I decided to volunteer with Food etc because what we eat impacts so many areas of our lives. Hopefully I can help guide some people to try new things, save a bit of money, and maybe even feel more creative in the kitchen.” Louise

We work with a variety of communities. In nursery and primary schools where we teach small groups of parents and children together. In secondary schools with teenagers. And we work in partnership with charities that support a variety of people including formerly homeless, domestic abuse survivors, older people and carers (young and old), looked after experienced young people and families supported by local authorities.

“I love eating healthy meals and I’m always checking the food in the shops with my phone app because some stuff looks healthy but it often has loads of sugar or chemicals in it that are bad for you.” Michael

When people do not know how to cook inexpensive meals from scratch, they are forced to make unhealthy, and quite often expensive, food choices. Giving them a few ideas about how to make meals that they and their families will enjoy and will benefit their physical and mental health can be lifechanging in many ways.
We asked some of our volunteers about their experience and why they chose to give their time to Food etc.

“It’s rewarding supporting others to prepare and enjoy  the foods and meals they have prepared.” Gill

'Volunteers for Food etc work alongside others but we are often the only person from Food etc.  You might think this would make us feel isolated but Food etc has formed a community with people going the extra mile to help each other, making what we do fun and impactful.” Celia