Get Involved|Volunteer|Volunteer at SODO Community Market
Volunteers greet guests, bag groceries, restock the market, repack staple items for distribution, sort donations and more. Market roles are concurrent with Back-of-House roles. Roles are assigned at the start of the shift.
We welcome groups, but due to the size of the market, group size is limited to 5. Larger groups often split up and volunteer over multiple days.
Fill out our application form HERE.
After we receive your application, our SODO volunteer coordinator will send you an email to discuss shift availability and scheduling. Once we’ve found a mutually agreeable shift (or shifts), we’ll send you a confirmation email with all the details you’ll need for volunteering. Please note that we have a two-shift limit per week and that these must be on different days.
If a recurring shift is not available, we are offering standby volunteering.
Unfortunately, we don’t offer drop-in volunteer opportunities. We plan our daily operations around the number of volunteers we have on the schedule. In order to best support smooth operations for our market team, all shifts must be scheduled in advance.
Individual volunteers and small family groups are required to attend a 2 hour separate orientation. Orientations are offered twice a month.
Corporate groups, service groups, and religious groups will be provided an orientation at the start of their shift.
We’re happy to provide hours confirmation for school or work purposes. However, we’re unable to offer court-related service.
Anyone who is nine years old, or in the third grade, is welcome! Nine-to-15-year-olds need to have a parent or guardian with them. Individuals who are 16 and 17 years old are able to volunteer on their own with an application and a parent/guardian permission form on file.
1915 Fourth Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98034
Directions: The SODO Community Market is located just south of the intersection of Fourth and Holgate in the SODO neighborhood. Metro routes 131 and 132 stop right in front of the market and routes 21, 101 and 150 also serve the area. The closest light rail stop is the SODO station, which is between Lander and Holgate.
Anna Nepomuceno (she/her) is the Director of Public Policy at Northwest Harvest. She leads the organization’s advocacy strategy to advance local, state, and federal laws that strengthen food security and uphold food as a basic human right. Anna analyzes public policy through an equity lens and helps shape and draft legislation that centers the needs of communities most affected by hunger. She builds and sustains relationships with lawmakers, state agencies, and nonprofit partners, championing grassroots engagement and uplifting BIPOC and other marginalized voices to ensure public policy is informed by lived experience and community power.
Natasha Dworkin (she/her) is the Director of Communications at Northwest Harvest. She leads statewide communications, storytelling, and public engagement efforts focused on building collective action toward a more just food system. Her work centers lived experience, data‑driven messaging, and values‑aligned narratives that move audiences beyond charity toward solidarity. Natasha oversees integrated campaigns, media strategy, and community engagement initiatives that elevate the impacts of public policy and federal funding on food access across Washington.
