This document discusses engaging volunteers in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) outreach through VolunteerMatch. It provides an overview of VolunteerMatch and its goals in partnering with Walmart to fight hunger. The presentation covers what SNAP is, who would make good SNAP outreach volunteers, how to recruit and train them, and things to consider when creating a SNAP outreach volunteer program. Resources from VolunteerMatch are provided for additional information.

1. Engage Volunteers in SNAP
Outreach
To hear this presentation by phone dial
(702) 489-0008
Access Code: 431-436-165
Jennifer Bennett, CVA, Senior Manager, Education & Training
Matt Wallace, Senior Associate, Nonprofit Relations
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VolunteerMatch Overview
“VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people
and good causes to connect.”
94,518 nonprofits… 78,350 Active Opportunities…. 7,080,351 referrals since 1998
• VolunteerMatch has been around for 14 years, and is the top-ranked website for online volunteer
recruitment and employee-volunteer programs
• Our Learning Center offers over 20 webinar topics focused on volunteer management and
VolunteerMatch tools, serving an audience of over 6,000 attendees each year

3. VolunteerMatch & Walmart:
Fighting Hunger Together
What are our goals?
• Support nonprofit organizations that are working to end
hunger in local communities.
• Provide hunger relief organizations with the resources
they need to deploy, manage and expand their volunteer
engagement program.
• Support, train and share best practices for engaging
volunteers, and creating a multi-faceted relationship with
volunteers – donors, advocates.
• Increase visibility of the need for volunteers at hunger
relief organizations.
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4. Agenda
• SNAP – What does that mean?
• Who would be good at SNAP outreach
• Recruiting SNAP volunteers
• Creating a training and support program
•Things to think about
•Questions

5. What is SNAP?
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program
• Used to be called “food stamps”
• Now an EBT card – like a debit card
• Funded by Congress, implemented by each
state
• Funding currently threatened by passage of House
farm bill
• Each state has their own application/process – may
be delegated to county level
• Learn more http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap

6. The history of SNAP
• Food assistance started in the Great Depression, was
resurrected during Johnson’s presidency and grew
through the 70s.
• In the early 80s food stamps (and welfare) received
significant cut backs and by the mid 80s food insecurity
was wide spread again.
• Became SNAP in 2008 now 47.8 Million people receive
benefits

7. Why focus on SNAP outreach?
SNAP outreach and enrollment activities can
• Provide your current clients with more consistent
support.
• Free up support for emergency needs
• Shift the work volunteers do from stop-gap work to a
more long term solution
• Provide new opportunities for volunteers
• Create a different type of relationship with your
clients and community
• SNAP outreach concerns
• Suspicion from clients
• Has been an entry point for scams/identity theft
• May be viewed negatively by community

8. The right volunteers
• Who are the right people?
• Comfortable with clients or target community
• Engaging – able to create relationships or break
down barriers
• Logical and detail oriented
• Capable of knowing what they don’t know
• Calm in difficult situations or under pressure
• Who are they?
• Lawyers, law students, legal professionals
• Social workers, accountants, HR professionals
• Individuals with the rights skills and characteristics

9. What should they know how to do?
• Activities and responsibilities
• Approaching clients and building rapport
• Understanding and explaining SNAP program and
eligibility
• Filling out forms correctly and finding answers and
information on government sites
•Know the policies in your state/county
• May need to register or apply as an organization
• Applications for individuals may be done online
• Stay up to date on changes in eligibility or
application processes

10. Create the right training
• Two primary components
• Interacting with clients and understanding the
qualifications and filling out the forms
• Interacting with clients
• Ask clients to share their feelings, concerns.
• Ask volunteers to “walk in client’s shoes”
• Role play and create mentors or shadow
relationships
• Consider teams – experienced/new,
engaging/analytical

11. Create the right training
• Know the eligibility/know the forms
• Create support materials and in person/online
trainings
• Create job aids or just in time training materials –
Web page or wiki with quick links
• Review before volunteers meet clients – don’t
forget…
• Make sure volunteers know who to call if they can’t
solve a problem/answer a question on their own

12. Things to Think About
• If this is a different type of volunteer engagement for your
organization
• Consider a pilot program
• Set reasonable, accomplishable goals
• Create an internal and external communication plan
• Create evaluation points – early and often
• Evaluate from both the client and staff prospective –
both paid and volunteer
• Stay up to date on changes or policies that affect this work
• In your community and state/federal actions

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Resources
Fighting Hunger Together
http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/fighthunger/
Learning Center
Find upcoming webinar dates, how-to videos and more
http://learn.volunteermatch.org
VolunteerMatch Community
Ask and answer questions after the webinar – use keywords Fighting Hunger Together,
Volunteer Management
http://community.volunteermatch.org/volunteer
Questions?
FightHunger@VolunteerMatch.org

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Thanks for attending!
Join us online:
Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch
Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch
Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog:
blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/
For any questions contact:
Jennifer Bennett
(415) 321-3639
jbennett@volunteermatch.org