Opportunities From: FareStart

OVERVIEW

FareStart is a social enterprise nonprofit that transforms lives, disrupts poverty, and nourishes communities through food, life skills, and job training. Our restaurant serves as both a dining space and a hands-on classroom where students gain real-world culinary and customer service experience.

We are seeking enthusiastic and dependable volunteers to support lunch service at the FareStart Restaurant. Volunteers play an important role in creating a welcoming experience for guests while supporting students in our job training programs.

 

ACTIVITIES

Volunteers may assist with:

Polishing silverware & rollups Polishing glassware for events & Guest Chef Nights Organizing equipment and collateral for events & Guest Chef Nights setup Any other tasks required to assist staff with set up for special occasions

 

Tasks vary based on daily restaurant needs and volunteer comfort level.

 

TIME COMMITMENT & LOCATION

·        Wednesdays & Fridays 2:00PM to 4:00PM

·        FareStart Restaurant, 700 Virginia St, Seattle WA 98101

 

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Friendly, positive attitude and willingness to work as part of a team

·         Ability to stand for extended periods and move throughout the restaurant

·         Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

·         Must be 18 years or older for onsite volunteer opportunities

·         Attire: Closed-toe shoes, long pants, clean, comfortable clothing, hat or hairnet required in    food preparation areas and will be provided if needed

Volunteer Role: Information Tabling Ambassador
Event: University Heights Center Summer Pop-Up 2026
Location: University Heights Center, Seattle
Date: August 14, 2026

Overview
Join FareStart at the University Heights Center Summer Pop-Up as an Information Tabling Ambassador! This relaxed, neighborhood-focused event is a great opportunity to connect with community members and share how FareStart is transforming lives through food, job training, and opportunity.

Responsibilities

Welcome and engage attendees in a warm, approachable way Share information about FareStart’s programs, impact, and volunteer opportunities Answer questions and help guide people to ways they can get involved Distribute materials and light swag Assist with booth setup and cleanup

Qualifications

Friendly and comfortable speaking with the public Able to represent FareStart in a professional and engaging way Clear communicator with a positive attitude Reliable and punctual Previous outreach experience is helpful but not required

Time Commitment

Shifts are approximately 2–3 hours (exact timing TBD)

What to Expect

A casual, outdoor community event with families, neighbors, and local vendors Standing and engaging with attendees throughout your shift A supportive and welcoming volunteer environment

What We Provide

Brief orientation and talking points All materials needed for the booth Support from FareStart staff

Why Volunteer?
Help build community connections and expand awareness of FareStart’s mission to transform lives, disrupt poverty, and nourish communities.

Volunteer Role: FareStart Ambassador (Information Tabling Volunteer)

Overview
As a FareStart Ambassador, you will introduce new people to FareStart and help grow support for our mission. Your outreach helps us welcome more students, expand our programs, and empower more graduates on their path forward.

Responsibilities

Pick up information booth materials from FareStart’s downtown location (700 Virginia St.) prior to the event (flexible timing in the days leading up) Transport materials to the event site and set up the information booth Engage with community members by sharing FareStart’s mission and impact Answer questions, recruit volunteers, and direct people to additional resources (printed materials and website) Pack up materials after the event and return them to FareStart in the days following

Qualifications

Comfortable speaking with the public and representing FareStart Willing to learn key information about FareStart (talking points will be provided) Able to transport booth materials to and from events 18 years of age or older Willing to complete a brief interview with FareStart staff

How to Get Involved
If you are interested, please email volunteer@farestart.org to learn more and schedule a brief interview.

Overview

FareStart provides job training and wraparound support services to individuals experiencing barriers to employment so that they have the tools, training and support needed to gain long-term employment. The Communications team works to generate awareness and support for our mission through email and social marketing, outreach materials, point of sale, public advocacy, and our website.

 

Tasks

This ongoing bi-weekly volunteer role will support in a variety of activities, including:

Transcribing and documenting quotes from student graduations and story-telling interviews Subtitling videos Inventorying and organizing content (photos, files, etc.) on shared Marcomm storage drive Inventorying and organizing content in Dropbox account Uploading content to various platformsImprove quality of website traffic through Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Google AdWords support Organizing and uploading content to External Affairs SharePoint site Other administrative tasks as needed

 

Schedule and Location

Up to 8 hours every other week Flexibility for onsite vs remote work shifts Office address:  700 Virginia St, Seattle WA 98101

 

Qualifications

Comfortable with computers, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Canva, Hootsuite, Mailchimp and WordPress Basic graphic design experienceKnowledge of SEO best practices helpful but not mandatory Respect of confidential and private informationMust adhere to volunteer expectations Flexibility: tasks and amount of work may change week to week

GOAL OF THE POSITION

To help promote FareStart to the community, engage people and get them excited and informed about FareStart’s work. 

VARIATIONS

Volunteer ambassadors will have the opportunity to partake in one or more of the following types of ambassador roles. 

TABLING- These events are most often linked to workplace giving. Volunteers will be provided with a packet that includes table layouts, FAQ, notes about FareStart, sample spiels and training to prepare them. Volunteers will be asked to collect supplies at FareStart, take them to the event, set up the table and then represent FareStart at the event. Afterwards the volunteer will be responsible for returning materials to FareStart. Must be able to carry 25 lbs.   SPEAKING- These events are most often linked to workplace giving and third-party events. Volunteers will be provided with notes about FareStart, scripts, as well as the opportunity to shadow. Most speaking engagements last from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the event.  COMMUNITY EVENTS- Ambassador volunteers will get first access to special events where we want to send in knowledgeable volunteers to represent FareStart in the community. 

 

PROGRAMS OUTREACH AMBASSADOR- Represent FareStart at our community partner locations and help recruit new students. This is an ambassador role with a twist, emphasizing the Job Training and Employment Programs and impacting student enrollment. Volunteer outreach will increase the capacity for our programs team to engage with the community.  

 

LOCATION

Events usually take place during regular business hours (a few nights and weekends) both virtually and at various locations around the Seattle area and at FareStart locations. Opportunities will be assigned voluntarily on a first come first served basis.