Join The Salvation Army in serving Utah when facing disaster! In times of disaster, through our Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) volunteers, The Salvation Army provides quality food and hydration services to those impacted by disaster through our mobile kitchens (canteens), capable of producing thousands of meals a day. Volunteers can provide emotional and spiritual care, manage and distribute donations, provide emergency/disaster social services, provide radio/communications support, and support our efforts in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles. Volunteers can choose from a variety of roles and duties such as driving our disaster vehicles, cooking and serving meals, make phone calls, helping us maintain our vehicles, equipment, and supplies, or serving on our Incident Command Team.

To protect those we serve, all volunteers are background checked and are required to participate in trainings related to their desired EDS roles.

Qualifications & Skills for all positions include -

Ability to work in high-pressure environments during emergency situations.

Experience in food preparation, serving, or hospitality (preferred).

Ability to lift and carry supplies (at least 20 lbs).

Strong teamwork and communication skills.

Willingness to be deployed on short notice as part of disaster relief efforts.

Commitment to following food safety and emergency response procedures.

Benefits of Volunteering:

Provide critical support to disaster survivors and first responders.

Gain valuable experience in emergency response and food service operations.

Work alongside a dedicated team making a real difference in times of crisis.

Flexible volunteer opportunities based on disaster response needs.

Remote Volunteer Opportunities

-Building Cleanup Kits: Assemble and package kits with essential cleaning supplies for disaster-affected areas.

Skills: Attention to detail, ability to follow instructions, organizational skills.

-Emotional and Spiritual Care Calls: Provide support and comfort to those impacted by disasters through phone calls.

Skills: Strong communication skills, empathy, active listening, emotional intelligence.

-Hosting a Donations Drive: Organize and manage donation drives to collect necessary items for disaster relief.

Skills: Organizational skills, ability to coordinate with others, communication skills, creativity.

Coordination with Divisional EDS Leadership: Ensure that all efforts are aligned with leadership to meet needs and manage delivery effectively.

Introductory/Spontaneous Volunteer Opportunities

-Mass Feeding Support: Assist in preparing and serving meals to those affected by disasters.

Skills: Ability to work in a team, basic cooking skills, ability to follow instructions.

Warehouse Organization: Help in sorting, organizing, and managing inventory in the warehouse.

Skills: Organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to lift at least 50 lbs and move items.

-Distribution of Essentials: Distribute water, hygiene products, and clothing to those in need.

Skills: Strong communication skills, ability to work in a team, organizational skills.

Advanced Volunteer Opportunities

-Driving a Canteen or Disaster Vehicle: Operate vehicles to transport supplies and provide mobile support.

Qualifications: Valid driver's license, additional training or certification may be required.

Skills: Safe driving skills, ability to navigate, reliability.

-Forklift Operation: Use forklifts to move and manage large quantities of supplies.

Qualifications: Forklift certification.

Skills: Safe operation of machinery, attention to detail, ability to follow safety protocols.

-Bulk Cooking: Prepare large quantities of food for mass feeding operations.

Qualifications: Experience in cooking for large groups, food safety certification may be beneficial.

Skills: Cooking skills, ability to follow recipes, organizational skills.

Leadership Volunteer Opportunities

-Warehouse Manager: Oversee warehouse operations, including inventory management and volunteer coordination.

Qualifications: Experience in warehouse management or logistics.

Skills: Leadership skills, organizational skills, ability to manage inventory, strong communication skills.

-Operations Chief: Lead and manage disaster response operations, ensuring efficient and effective relief efforts.

Qualifications: Experience in disaster response or emergency management.

Skills: Leadership skills, ability to make quick decisions, strong organizational skills, ability to manage a team.

-Canteen Coordinator: Coordinate the operation of mobile canteens, including logistics, staffing, and supply management.

Qualifications: Experience in logistics or food service management.

Skills: Organizational skills, leadership skills, ability to coordinate logistics, strong communication skills.

(You can volunteer for this opportunity remotely)

View informational brochure (PDF)