Free Fridge Volunteer Information
Free Fridge Volunteer Information
Adopt a week. Fill the fridge. Pass it on.
Rally your coworkers, family, faith community, neighbors, or teammates and adopt the Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest for a week.
During your adopted week, your group commits to stopping by at least once to help clean and stock the fridge — then pass the baton to the next group.
Every day, neighbors rely on the Community Free Fridge for fresh food, prepared meals, pantry staples, and other essentials. Week by week, this relay helps ensure those resources remain accessible, welcoming, and available to anyone who needs them.
One group. One week. One less empty fridge.
The Community Full Fridge Relay is a community-wide effort to keep the Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest stocked, cleaned, and cared for by neighbors, for neighbors.
Groups “adopt” the fridge for one week at a time, helping care for this shared resource before passing the baton to the next group. Together, these weekly handoffs create a continuous chain of care that helps keep good food accessible for neighbors every day of the year.
The relay is built for groups to participate together.
Workplaces, faith communities, families, friend groups, neighborhood groups, sports teams, clubs, and other affinity groups are all encouraged to participate. Whether your group is large or small, there’s a place for you in the relay.
Groups commit to visiting the Community Free Fridge at least once during their adopted week. During that visit, groups are asked to:
Please bring your own cleaning supplies.
The Community Free Fridge is open 24/7, so groups can visit whenever it works best for their schedule. Groups are welcome to visit more than once, but only one visit is required.
To complement existing food partnerships, we ask groups not to plan visits on Tuesdays or Sundays.
There’s no one “right” way to participate.
Some groups may:
The goal is simply to come together and help keep the fridge full and welcoming for the next neighbor who needs it.
If your group is unable to stock the fridge as originally planned, you can also purchase a gift card at Harvest on Main Community Market. Our team will use those funds to stock the fridge on your behalf. Every $5 donated helps provide one ready-to-heat meal through our Second Serving program.
The Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest accepts a variety of food and household essentials.
Groups are welcome to stock:
Prepared foods should be packaged in individual or family-sized servings that are easy for neighbors to take and use. All prepared foods must be labeled with:
For food safety reasons, we cannot accept:
When in doubt, we encourage groups to leave only items they would feel comfortable serving their own family.
As ready-to-heat meals and prepared foods near their sell-by date at Harvest on Main Community Market, they’re purchased through our Second Serving program and stocked in the Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest.
From our community to your feed!
There’s something special about seeing the same familiar faces walk through our doors every week.
Ted and his daughter, Katheryn, have been longtime supporters of Second Harvest. Ted first connected with us through his work at Lifesteps, bringing young adults with disabilities to volunteer alongside our team. When Harvest on Main opened, they kept that spirit of giving going and have been volunteering weekly ever since.
Volunteers like Ted and Katheryn remind us that community isn’t created all at once. It grows through relationships, familiar routines, and people who choose to invest their time in a place they care about.
We’re lucky to have them, and we’re thankful for every volunteer who helps make these spaces feel welcoming, joyful, and truly grounded in community.
#secondharvest #communitymatters #volunteersrock #pittsburghthrift #sharpsburg
What could your relay week look like?
A family grocery run. A team collection drive. A cooking night with friends. A trip to Harvest on Main. Or simply grabbing a friend and spending an hour cleaning and stocking the fridge.
There are many ways to carry the baton.
Whether it’s a grocery run, a collection drive, a batch meal, or a quick cleanup visit, every relay week helps keep the Community Free Fridge at Second Harvest stocked, cared for, and ready for neighbors who need it. Small acts of care add up to something bigger 💛
Right now, just 8 unclaimed weeks stand between us and a continuous chain of care through the end of the year.
Adopt a week. Fill the fridge. Pass it on.
🔗 Sign up at the link in our bio.
When you walk into Harvest on Main, you’ll notice a circular board filled with handwritten notes and a simple paper-and-pen station nearby.
It might not look like much, but it’s one of our favorite corners of the market.
This is where neighbors ask for special items, share kind words, tell us about a new favorite meal, or offer ideas on how we can better support our community.
We read every note because Harvest on Main is meant to grow alongside the people who shop here. Big idea, small suggestion, or something in between - we want to hear it.
There’s always room for your voice here, because every neighbor matters.
#harvestonmain #localgrocerystore #youmatter #pittsburghfoodie #sharpsburg
🌟 WE’RE HIRING: Part Time Volunteer Coordinator 🌟
Do you love people? Thrive in a fast-paced environment? Enjoy planning ahead while staying flexible when things change?
Second Harvest Community Thrift Store is looking for a Volunteer Coordinator to help lead one of the most important parts of our mission—creating an exceptional experience for the volunteers who make our work possible.
We’re looking for someone who is:
❤️ People-first and relationship-focused
☀️ Positive, encouraging, and solution-oriented
🔄 Adaptable and flexible when priorities shift
📋 Organized and able to plan ahead
🙌 A natural leader who can motivate and support others
🚀 Proactive, energetic, and always looking for ways to improve
🤝 Passionate about teamwork and serving the community
In this role, you’ll recruit, train, and support volunteers, oversee merchandise processing, and ensure every volunteer feels valued, appreciated, and connected to our mission.
+Bonus if you have experience with second hand retail and pricing!
If you’re the kind of person who can build relationships, keep things organized, and inspire others while getting things done, we’d love to meet you.
To apply, send your resume and a brief introduction to info@second-harvest.com
