Update December 21, 2024
Flower City Pickers will NOT be at the market on Saturday, December 21st due to the current weather conditions. Due to the upcoming holidays we will not be returning to the Market until January 4, 2025.
Please sign-up for this date using the link below to volunteer with us to sort and distribute produce recovered at the Market. It is just a couple of hours with us on a Saturday afternoon.
Flower City Pickers plans to be at the Rochester Public Market every Saturday each month but for us to be operating at the market we do need volunteers to help us. We would welcome you to volunteer with us any Saturday from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. We will be closed when there is inclement weather or not enough volunteers.
To volunteer with us use the SignUp link below.
Join the fun and volunteer with us! Flower City Pickers wouldn’t be possible without our core team of volunteers and members! Each week, we rely on volunteers to help us sort, distribute, and deliver food to those who need it the most. We’d love for you to join us!
We require that new participants sign up to volunteer by clicking on the SignUp button above and signing up. Please note we are no longer allowing walk-up volunteering and require our volunteers to be 18+ years old.
Please feel free to email volunteer@flowercitypickers.org with any questions or comments you may have.
We may need to cancel operations due to weather, illness or no volunteer help on short notice, but will make every attempt to contact you should things change.
HELP PREPARE BOXES FOR DISTRIBUTION
MAKE DELIVERIES AND SEE FIRSTHAND HOW YOUR EFFORTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
OUR MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION IS SORTING! WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ONLY THE GOOD STUFF goes to the people who need it most!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Currently, our largest distribution occurs on Saturdays at Rochester's Public Market.
MARKET DISTRIBUTION & SATURDAY SORTING
We collect, sort, and deliver from approximately 1pm-4pm in the parking lot near the Pennsylvania Street entrance.
Food is sorted by volunteers into three different FCP food grades:
A (astonishing) - Grade A is distributed to homeless shelters and organizations who need produce with a longer shelf life.
L (livestock) - Grade L is picked up by local farmers to help feed their livestock.
C (compost) - Grade C is composted.
VOLUNTEER LOCATION
We are nearest the Pennsylvania Street entrance. During the winter months, we may not have as much quality food to give to our partner organizations, but usually have cases and often pallets to sort and de-package for the farmer's livestock.
VOLUNTEER PROTOCOL
REQUIREMENTS
Please ensure you provide an email for all parties who are volunteering for insurance purposes so we may contact them should we need to modify or cancel operations.
Please ensure you are 18+ years of age.
GROUPS
If you are interested in bringing a group, contact us at volunteer@flowercitypickers.org. We will help you arrange a suitable date and time that your group can volunteer together and go over our operational procedures. You will need to provide the names and emails of all participants for insurance purposes.
COVID-19
We are still operating under COVID-19 safety protocols and these will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. We are trying to keep our workspace safe for our volunteers so we are limiting the number of people we can have.
Please read our COVID-19 safety measures regarding masks, gloves, hand washing, and physical distancing.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
Yes
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Deborah Klee (she/her)
Deborah grew up in Geneseo and then moved to Vermont where she raised her four children. Eight years ago, she returned to this area and enjoys reading, hiking, bicycling, and spending time with loved ones. She has an active relationship with food, spending time gardening, foraging, cooking plant-based meals, and preserving food.