Volunteer with Us

The Center of Nutrition Outreach at Kent State will provide you with a unique opportunity to work with individuals in Portage County and expand your community nutrition experience.

The Center’s programs that need our KSU student volunteers only are below. 

Please contact us at nutrition@kent.edu or 330-672-2063 if you have any interest in volunteering.

• KIDS Camp – This is an 8-week program at Kent State focused on teaching children the importance of nutrition and physical activity.   This program consists of 45 minutes of healthy snack preparation, nutrition education and mentoring, and another 45 minutes of physical activity.  Over the 8 weeks, you will lead them through their activities and education.  You will also check their progress and goals, and communicate with family members on their child’s progress.  Volunteers are expected to meet Thursdays at 4:30 pm and stay until 7:15 pm.
• Snack Prep for the Child Development Center (CDC) – Volunteers will assist in preparation of the afternoon snacks for all the preschool and kindergarten classrooms.  Volunteers will provide nutrition education and cooking lesson each semester.  Volunteers will be working with allergy menu planning, large program menu planning, and classroom education.
• Healthy Munch Bunch  - This is a school lunch nutrition education program where volunteers visit school children during lunch periods to promote healthy eating by providing incentives (stickers, pencils, etc.) to children who ate fruits and/or vegetables at lunchtime.  Volunteers go to a school one day a week at the same time for 8 weeks.
• Dietary Analysis – Volunteers are needed to input client diet recalls (24 hour or 3 day) into a computer program and print out the detailed reports for dietary assessments.  Volunteers can pick times that work best with their schedule, but requires access to one of the Center’s computers.
• Education Material Creation - Creative volunteers are needed to produce education materials for the clients at the Center.  Come to us with ideas or we can provide a list of some material to recreate.  Volunteers are expected to provide references for any material used.
• Pediatric Programs  - On occasion, volunteers are needed to collect heights and weights from children at various school locations.   Over the summer, we provide our Kids in the Kitchen program that needs volunteers to assist in teaching children how to cook nutritious meals.

The Center has partnered with the Campus Kitchen Project at Kent State to provide nutrition education to individuals in need in Portage County and beyond.  Below is a list of programs that could use KSU volunteers.

• King Kennedy Education Lesson – This program creates new learning and tasting experience for the children.  Volunteers are needed to help prepare foods and teach children a little about the importance of the food.
• Mighty Pack Program – Volunteers are needed to help pack backpacks in Beall Hall kitchen for children to take home over the weekend.
• Delivery Shifts – Volunteers are needed to deliver 180 meals to Center of Hope in Ravenna and Kent Social Services in Kent.
• Farmer’s Market – Volunteers are needed to help station a booth, collect donations, and educate the community about Campus Kitchen at the local Haymaker Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning.
• Nutrition Talk – This is a monthly nutrition education lesson with a cooking component at Kent Social Services and Center of Hope in Ravenna. Volunteers will help assist in delivery of the education lesson and/or prep the food.
• Sandwich Prep – Volunteers help prep 70-150 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and baked goods to take to the Y-Bridge in Akron.
• Y-Bridge Delivery – Volunteers are needed to deliver the bagged lunches to individuals living under the Y-Bridge in Akron.
• Meal Prep – Once a week, volunteers cook meals in Beall Hall kitchen for 180 people in need.
• Pick Up – Volunteers are needed to drive to local businesses and farmers to collect donations whenever it is offered.  Volunteers are required to have a vehicle that can transport up to 200 pounds of food, and gas will be reimbursed.