Get Involved

Volunteers

AFAA is the only non-profit food allergy organization of its size that is volunteer-operated: For its 12 years, revenue has been used for programming instead of paying staff salaries.  Volunteers are essential for implementing AFAA’s programs and projects, and hundreds of individuals step forward each year to fulfill AFAA’s mission of food allergy education, advocacy, and support.  AFAA’s many accomplishments are a direct result of volunteers’ dedicated work.

We would love to have you as a Front-Line Volunteer or Planning Volunteer or Medical Volunteer!

Front-Line Volunteers

Front-line volunteers help on event days with a variety of tasks: load-in/load-out, set-up/tear-down, face-to-face interactions, registration, monitoring, distribution, etc.  Because these volunteer positions are enjoyable and meaningful, AFAA has a huge number of repeat volunteers, and positions often fill up quickly. 

These are the events and programs that utilize front-line volunteers:

  • Night Trains
  • Food Allergy Awareness Walk
  • Regional Seminars & Resource Fairs
  • MN State Fair Booth
  • Food Allergy Conference & Expo
  • Halloween Allergy-Free Zone
  • Silent Auction-Benefit Concert

Planning Volunteers

Planning volunteers are vital!  They organize AFAA’s major events and commit to one hour a month for a committee meeting and approximately another hour for independent work.  These positions groom leadership skills in a variety of areas: logistics, registration, publicity, sponsorship recruitment, team building, volunteer management, etc.

These are the events and programs that utilize planning volunteers:

  • Food Allergy Awareness Walk
  • Regional Seminars & Resource Fairs
  • AFAA Camp
  • MN State Fair Booth
  • Food Allergy Conference & Expo
  • Silent Auction-Benefit Concert

 

Medical Volunteers

Physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals are closely tied to AFAA’s work.  Depending on the event, medical volunteers serve as educators, or first responders at major events, or sometimes in activities alongside other volunteers.  AFAA publicly acknowledges their clinics in gratitude for their help.

These are the events and programs that utilize medical professionals as volunteers:

  • Food Allergy Awareness Walk (first responders or event-day volunteer)
  • Regional Seminars & Resource Fairs (educators)
  • AFAA Camp (first responders, educators)
  • MN State Fair Booth (educators at “Ask the Doctor” feature)
  • Food Allergy Conference & Expo (educators)
  • Halloween Allergy-Free Zone (first responders)

Medical Professionals are very welcome at Night Trains, Sports Events and other events.

 

Medical Professionals from these clinics have been AFAA volunteers:

Allergy & Asthma Specialists (MN State Fair Booth, Food Allergy Conference & Expo, Halloween Allergy-Free Zone, Regional Seminars & Resource Fairs, Food Allergy Awareness Walk)

HealthEast (MN State Fair Booth, AFAA Camp)

Healthpartners (AFAA Camp)

Mayo Clinic (AFAA Camp, Regional Seminars & Resource Fairs)

Minnesota Gastroenterology (AFAA Camp, Food Allergy Conference & Expo, Regional Seminars & Resource Fairs, Food Allergy Awareness Walk)

Mount Sinai Hospital – New York (Food Allergy Conference & Expo)

Southdale Allergy & Asthma Clinic (Halloween Allergy-Free Zone)

Southdale Pediatrics (AFAA Camp, MN State Fair Booth, Food Allergy Conference & Expo, Halloween Allergy-Free Zone)

University of Minnesota (Food Allergy Conference & Expo)

The Feeding Doctor (Food Allergy Conference & Expo)

Pediatric Home Services (Food Allergy Conference & Expo)

Northfield Hospital (Food Allergy Conference & Expo)

Specialized volunteers

Specialized volunteers serve in leadership positions at specific events or for specific projects.  These individuals have a history of long-time volunteer work with AFAA and are given a high level of responsibility.  Specialized volunteers are appointed in two ways: they are identified by AFAA leadership to fill key roles, or AFAA volunteers step forward indicating their interest in promotion to these positions.

These are the events and programs that utilize specialized volunteers:

  • AFAA Camp
  • MN State Fair Booth
  • Booth Outreach Program
  • Sports Events (Twins, Saints, Timberwolves games)
  • Advocacy efforts
  • Support Group Facilitators