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Free food programs on the Midpeninsula are busy in 2026. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley says it helps an average of about 500,000 people a month. East Palo Alto's Ecumenical Hunger Program says demand for food is at an all-time high. Volunteers do most of the sorting, packing and serving behind those numbers.
This guide covers the food programs near Palo Alto with active volunteer pages in fall 2026. It gives each one's age limits, schedules and sign-up steps. If you or someone you know needs food rather than wants to give time, use our food assistance guide instead.
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Second Harvest is the food bank for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. It says volunteers gave 269,000 hours last year, the equivalent of 130 full-time employees. You can sort food in a warehouse or hand it out at a community distribution.
Age rules
- Minimum age: 12. Children under 12 cannot volunteer, even with a parent.
- Ages 12 to 15: an adult must actively volunteer alongside them.
- Ages 16 and 17: may volunteer without an adult.
- Permission slip: everyone under 18 needs an electronic slip signed by a parent at least 48 hours before the shift.
- Youth groups: one adult for every 5 youths when anyone is under 16, or one for every 10 in groups of 16 and 17 year olds.
Shifts and sites
Every volunteer registers in advance on the online calendar, which is published 45 to 60 days ahead for food sorts. There are no shifts on Sundays or holidays. Good options for individuals at the Cypress Center in North San Jose are three-hour weekday mornings from 9 a.m., Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The Curtner Center in San Jose takes adult individual volunteers only.
Groups of five or more book group sorts. The Cypress Center fits groups of up to about 25. Community distribution sites usually take groups of 10 or fewer. Second Harvest says those distributions are almost entirely volunteer run. It also looks for regulars who will commit to one site, plus warehouse Team Leaders.
Practical notes
- Closed-toe shoes are required. Sandals and heels get turned away.
- The warehouse has concrete floors and can be cold, so bring a light layer.
- Holiday shifts fill first. Second Harvest suggests January, when holiday donations need sorting. Summer is another good time, since produce floods in.
- It does not sign third-party school forms. Print a timecard from its site and bring it to every shift.
- It is not accepting new court-ordered service until further notice.
The full rules are in Second Harvest's volunteer FAQ. Questions go to the Cypress Center volunteer coordinator at 408-266-8866, extension 150. The city lists two Second Harvest distribution days in Palo Alto. Check the calendar for volunteer slots at those sites or at others nearby.
Ecumenical Hunger Program
The Ecumenical Hunger Program, or EHP, has served low-income families from 2411 Pulgas Avenue in East Palo Alto for 50 years. It says it serves more than 10,000 people a year with food, clothing and household essentials and has bought an adjacent property on Weeks Street to expand. Its volunteer page says it is accepting volunteers. Open roles include:
- Sorting, stocking and packing food boxes in the food closet
- Produce distribution, listed for the first Tuesday of each month from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
- Sorting and hanging clothing and pairing shoes in the community closet
- Working in the organic garden
- Front desk help: transferring calls and adding clients to lists for food, clothing and furniture
- Website, social media and outreach help
The same page mentions a Wednesday hot meal service that was paused during the pandemic. We found no sign it has restarted, so ask before planning around it. Groups can also assemble hygiene kits, baby layettes and school backpacks or run a food drive. To start, email volunteers@ehpcares.org or call (650) 323-7781, extension 1200. EHP posts no minimum age, so ask about children when you call.
WeHOPE in East Palo Alto
WeHOPE runs a shelter and services for unhoused people at 1854 Bay Road in East Palo Alto. Its food roles are:
- Family Harvest: every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a 3-hour commitment.
- Kitchen and meals: organizing meal donations, helping prepare and serve meals, washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen.
WeHOPE also needs help with laundry, donation sorting, hygiene kits and cleaning. See our homelessness volunteering guide for those roles and the WeHOPE volunteer page to apply. Its phone is (650) 330-8000.
Cooking and serving with LifeMoves
LifeMoves runs interim housing and drop-in centers across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, including the Opportunity Services Center at 33 Encina Avenue in Palo Alto. Its meal program invites groups to provide and serve meals to clients. LifeMoves sets these rules:
- Bring a group of at least three: family, friends, coworkers or a faith or community group.
- Check the minimum age for your chosen site, since it varies by location.
- Check how many meals the site needs. If you provide food, you feed the whole site.
- Bring homemade meals cooked off site, catered food or both, following its nutrition policy and food safety guidelines.
Choose a site and date on the LifeMoves meals page. Around Thanksgiving it also asks for holiday dinner baskets.
Meals for older adults
La Comida serves weekday lunches to people 60 and older at Stevenson House and First United Methodist Church, with volunteers setting up, registering diners and serving. In Menlo Park, Peninsula Volunteers packs Meals on Wheels on weekday mornings from 8 to 10. Our senior volunteering guide has the details for both.
Growing food for food banks
At Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, farm volunteers weed and tend 8 acres of organically grown crops on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Hidden Villa says 25 percent of its harvest goes to the Community Services Agency food bank in Mountain View. Youths 12 and up can join with an adult. Register on Hidden Villa's volunteer page.
Local food closets
Palo Alto's own church-based pantries, the Downtown Food Closet at All Saints Episcopal Church on Hamilton Avenue and the South Palo Alto Food Closet at Covenant Presbyterian Church, appear on the city's food list. Neither posted volunteer openings we could find in November 2026. If you would like to help, call the numbers in our food assistance guide and ask, or ask your own congregation whether it supports one.
Good to know
- Second Harvest is the easiest place to start: register online and show up in closed-toe shoes.
- Book holiday shifts early. November and December fill first everywhere.
- Before running a food drive, ask the pantry which items it needs most.
- For year-round habits, pick one site and become a regular. Pantries value reliable faces most.
For other causes, see our main volunteering in Palo Alto page.
Frequently asked questions
How old do you have to be to volunteer at Second Harvest?
The minimum age is 12. Volunteers aged 12 to 15 must have an adult volunteering alongside them, while 16 and 17 year olds can volunteer alone. Everyone under 18 needs an electronic parental permission slip on file at least 48 hours before the shift. Children under 12 cannot volunteer, even with a parent.
Where do Second Harvest volunteers work?
Most individual warehouse shifts are at the Cypress Center in North San Jose: three-hour weekday mornings from 9 a.m., Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The Curtner Center takes adult individual volunteers only. Volunteers also staff community food distributions, which Second Harvest says are almost entirely volunteer run.
How do I volunteer at the Ecumenical Hunger Program?
EHP in East Palo Alto says it is accepting volunteers. Email volunteers@ehpcares.org or call (650) 323-7781, extension 1200, to set up a time. Roles include sorting and packing food boxes, monthly produce distribution, the clothing closet, the organic garden and front desk help.
Can my family volunteer together at a food bank?
Yes. Second Harvest welcomes families in its warehouses and at community distributions, as long as everyone is at least 12. Families of five or more register as a group and smaller families register as individuals. LifeMoves meal service also welcomes families in groups of three or more, with age limits that vary by site.
Does Second Harvest accept court-ordered community service?
No. Second Harvest says it is not accepting new court-ordered community service applications until further notice. It also does not sign third-party forms for school hours, but volunteers can print a timecard and bring it to each shift.