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Saint Louis University Volunteers

Department: The Campus Kitchens Project
Location:  Campus Kitchen at Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO
Job Title:  Campus Kitchen Capacity Coordinator, AmeriCorps *VISTA
Reports to:    CKSLU Coordinator/Program Manager (Jenny Bird)

A.  Communications
•    Work as liaison to improve communication with existing agencies especially the most prominent/larger client agencies such as Council Towers, Fr. Dempsey’s Home, Our Lady’s Inn.
•    Develop and implement satisfaction survey with agencies that includes questions about meals, service and ways to improve collaborative efforts.
•    Determine if all programming needs are being met by CKSLU and if not, what needs to be done to improve programming.
•    Build relationships with new client agencies and keep client lists updated to ensure records are correct.
•    Improve working relationships with most prominent food donors (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Chartwell’s)
•    Research and develop new food sources such as local museums, caterers, farmer’s markets etc.

B. Volunteer Recruitment & Training
•    Implement new volunteer orientation at shifts and offer periodic in-depth training.
•    Develop programming for Days of Service such as MLK Day of Service, recruit volunteers and implement orientation and training.
•    Publicize and assist coordinator in planning of special events (Turkeypalooza, Heart and Soul) so that the events may be expanded to greater capacity.
•    Create tools to engage and recruit new Leadership Team members.  These tools can be for either current volunteers that are prospective Leadership Team members or can include outside recruitment targeting new volunteers that have yet to be engaged. This may include going into the St. Louis community to give presentations on CKSLU.
•    Work with coordinator to improve on and develop new methods for skill based training for Leadership Team members, particularly assisting them in improving menu planning techniques.
•    In advance of university breaks and vacations, recruit community (non-university student) volunteers to cover the volunteer shifts during those times.

C. Culinary Job Training
•    Assist in finding partners to recruit new students (students are underemployed adults) for the Culinary Job Training Program.
•    Focus on building lasting partnerships with organizations that can help consistently place well targeted students in the Culinary Job Training Class and help find jobs post graduation.
•    Develop at least 3 relationships with community partners to teach culinary classes, tour on site facilities or work directly one on one with students to benefit their culinary skill set or interview skills.
•    Help with daily administration of the Culinary Job Training class such as training in safety and sanitation, supervise tours or offsite visits.

D. Other Duties
•    Fundraising: identify and submit at least two minor grant proposals or propose and develop an equal number of small fundraisers (target, total $1,000-2,000 raised)
•    Help create sustainable practices within the Campus Kitchen which will not only help make the kitchen more green, but be sustainable into the future.

QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

•    College degree and/or previous community service experience;
•    Excellent written and oral communication skills;
•    Experience with public speaking and outreach;
•    Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications;
•    Entrepreneurial skills to seek funding or fundraising experience;
•    Relationship-building, teamwork, and leadership skills;
•    Excellent organizational skills while multi-tasking;
•    Knowledge of and interest in food-justice issues and the local foods movement;
•    Ability to work with a wide range of constituents and community partners – students, school administrators, and clients.
•    Commitment to the mission of the project and its impact on schools, communities and underserved populations.

The Campus Kitchen Project VISTA speaking about Truck Farm

Department: The Campus Kitchens Project
Location: Campus Kitchens Project National Office, Washington, DC
Job Title: Community Development Coordinator, AmeriCorps *VISTA
Reports to : CKP Director (Maureen Roche)

A. New Site Development
•    Use community assessment tool, feasibility study and newly developed scoring rubric to research and develop a targeted list of schools and communities for CKP. Focus should be on schools in the western half of the US.
•    Assist expansion through evaluating feasibility studies, scoring rubric and assisting school representatives with the application process.
•    Assist students in developing CKP model for service and delivery shifts to be utilized at their campus. Programs should identify potential partners, client agencies for meal assistance and scope of program and include beyond meals initiatives.
•    Help prospective kitchens develop community partnerships identified in community assessment.
•    Help students connect with potential service delivery agencies (shelters, after-school programs, homebound seniors) in their communities.
•    Work with students/administration to identify sources of funding and a sustainability plan as part of application process. Help develop 4 year Campus Kitchen budget for the CKP affiliation application.

B. Community Development
•    Work with at least two Campus Kitchen coordinators to implement new programming; focus should be on summer feeding, contract foods, food policy councils, on-campus food banks, farmer’s markets or community gardens. These programs should help low-income residents save money on food or make meals readily available or available at a lower/no cost to residents.
•    Work with program managers and individual coordinator to implement community mapping tool during on site visits.
•    Use information from community mapping tool to help develop and implement increase in meals, new programs or partner agencies.
•    Plan days of service for MLK Day of Service, new sites and community partners.

C. Press and Social Media
•    Work with CKP Social Media Coordinator to highlight CKP and Campus Kitchen activities for new partners, volunteers, host schools and funders.
•    Write entries for the CKP blog, Facebook page and Twitter about CKP activities, programming at Campus Kitchens, development of new Campus Kitchens and the work of community partners and volunteers.
•    Continue tracking current media stories and archiving photos/video on CKP and existing Campus Kitchens.
•    Research stories on hunger, homelessness, feeding programs and local community efforts to update the CKP Facebook and Twitter accounts.
•    Update CKP Pantry with appropriate materials for use by existing Campus Kitchens.
•    Work with Social Media Coordinator on developing and writing monthly CKP newsletter which is distributed to over 6,000 supporters.
•    Assist CKP team with development of the annual report theme and content. Collect photos, quotes and stories from each featured Campus Kitchens and compile stats.

D. Fundraising
•    Work with program managers to implement twice yearly First Giving campaign (November – January & March).
•    Develop a tiered outreach plan for First Giving campaign which includes social media, use of local media and campus media outlets.
•    Research family foundations, corporations, charitable organizations and develop new donor contacts list of possible foundation support to be included in existing CKP grant calendar.

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Help organize garden projects like these.

TO APPLY: Please submit cover letter, resume and list of references to ayers@gonzaga.edu and bdesantis@gonzaga.edu

Position:   Campus Kitchens Community Coordinator

Center for Community Action and Service-Learning (CCASL)

Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington

Full-time, 11 months (Start date:  September 1, 2011)

Position Description:

Gonzaga University’s Center for Community Action and Service-Learning (CCASL) is seeking a full-time AmeriCorps member to coordinate the Campus Kitchens many community-minded endeavors.  One of these is the Campus Kitchens Community Dinner, which provides a Thursday evening meal to homeless and low-income individuals in downtown Spokane.  The dinner not only provides a weekly meal service to low-income individuals and families but is also a nexus of support for those in the community suffering from hunger, homelessness, and the impact of the recent economic downturn.

A second focus is on the Ruellen-Day Community Garden. Located on the Gonzaga University campus, the Ruellen-Day Community Garden engages GU students, staff and faculty in the growing of fresh organic produce for the Campus Kitchen.  Service-Learning courses use the garden as a touchstone to teach about local issues of food insecurity and sustainability. Youth from the mentoring partners use the garden as a resource to learn more about where their food comes from and making healthy meal choices.

A third focus is working with the Gonzaga University Mentoring Programs Nutrition Education Programs. CKGU partners volunteers and service-learning students with Gonzaga’s mentoring programs.  They provide healthy meals as well as programs on nutrition and healthy eating.  Youth and their mentors also volunteer at the community garden and in the process learn more about where their food comes from and how to make healthy meal choices.

This Americorps position will work in partnership with the Campus Kitchen Coordinator and CCASL staff to support these Community-minded endeavors.  The Americorps will report directly to the Assistant Director of CCASL and schedule regular meetings with the Campus Kitchens Coordinator.  They will help to build program capacity by recruiting and coordinating volunteers, conduct outreach to connect with community members who could benefit from participating in health education programs, partner with Gonzaga’s mentoring programs and service-learning faculty to provide nutritional education and activities including involvement in the Ruellen-Day Community Garden, develop the volunteer recruitment and management plan for the garden,  fundraising and resource development, building upon current community partnerships to provide additional services, and completing various other projects that help to develop and sustain this program.

Or you could be gleaning these delicious plums, donated by a generous neighbor.

Responsibilities include:

• Assist in the organization and coordination of the weekly Campus Kitchens Community Dinner
• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers, with a focus on recruiting veterans to volunteer.
• Collaborate with the Campus Kitchen, community partners, university departments, students and faculty to develop and sustain programming for the Campus Kitchens Community Dinner
• Partner with Gonzaga’s mentoring programs and service-learning faculty to provide nutritional education and activities including involvement in the Ruellen-Day Community Garden.
• Outreach to the L’Arche Community, serveral adult family homes for developmentally disables adults, to see if there is a need for fresh produce from the community garden.
• Track the number of referrals to local social services CHAS and other agencies provide to clients met at the Campus Kitchen Community Dinner.
• Track the number of veterans receiving food and other services at the Campus Kitchens Community Dinner
• Attend Spokane Homeless Coalition and Feed Spokane meetings and events
• Identify resources, solicit donations, present program outcomes and statistics to governmental and community stakeholders e.g. Spokane City Council, local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.
• Participate in professional development and training activities
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications needed:

• Ability to advise higher education students
• Ability to work with marginalized groups (homeless)
• Leadership experience
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Background in community service work
• Self-motivated, a self-starter
• Must be 21 years of age or older and a college graduate (or graduating in May of 2012)
• Must be a US citizen or legal permanent resident
• Must be able to successfully complete a twelve month term beginning September 2011

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Volunteers power DC Central Kitchen. 14,000 individuals volunteer with us every year, preparing meals, processing fresh produce, and serving breakfasts to clients on the street. But during AmeriCorps Week we want to recognize the individuals who go one step further and donate a whole year to support our mission to dismantle poverty and hunger in DC and across the nation.

Each year, AmeriCorps in particular offers more than 80,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. These individuals apply their skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.

Our 5 service year volunteers have contributed to the Kitchen in numerous ways.

Karli Hurlebaus, serving with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, works as the Nutrition Outreach Coordinator. She works with our Healthy Returns agencies to provide nutrition education lessons and she does outreach for enrollment in summer meals and SNAP participation.

Stephen Kendall, serving with the HandsOn, works as the Food Donations Coordinator. He manages relationships with food industry partners and oversees the day-to-day procurement of donations for use in 4,800 daily meals.

Tamara Rushovich, serving with AVODAH and Mike Serzan, serving with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, are both part of DC Central Kitchen’s First Helping Street Outreach Team. They work with clients to access health care, insurance and other entitlements, employment, mental health support, addictions recovery, as well as affordable and supportive housing

Abbie Steiner, also serving with HandsOn, is the Community Development Coordinator for DC Central Kitchen’s national arm, The Campus Kitchens Project. She manages new site development, helps current programs expand their community impact and consults with gardening initiatives throughout the network.

In addition, the work of Campus Kitchens across the country is supported by numerous AmeriCorps volunteers.

AmeriCorps Week is an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners and friends to demonstrate impact on critical issues, bring more Americans into service, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible. The work of our service year volunteers has enabled DC Central Kitchen to reach more individuals, develop deeper connections, and further strengthen the communities that we serve.

If you are interested in long term service, check out opportunities at http://www.americorps.gov/

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WASHINGTON, DC:

Following their official swearing-in in Philadelphia’s City Hall with top federal and local officials, the VISTA team is helping nonprofits like DC Central Kitchen at nearly 30 sites in 18 states. The first goal of the program will be to convene community leaders and members – including community and faith-based organizations and local public sector officials – to identify barriers to USDA program participation and develop a comprehensive Benefits Access Plan to overcome those barriers and increase participation within their communities. Additionally, VISTA team members will work to increase access to nutritious food options by expanding outreach and programming designed to increase utilization of benefits at farmers markets as well as supporting local, community gardening, and agriculture and nutrition education efforts.

The program is being led by the nonprofit New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) and funded jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), with additional support provided by non-governmental sources including the Wal-Mart Foundation. “Wal-Mart has committed $2 billion through 2015 to fight hunger, but we know that this serious issue will only be solved if we work together – government, nonprofits and the private sector,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation. “That’s exactly why we are supporting the Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps and its efforts to reduce hunger rates in this country.”  This unique public-private partnership is aimed at reducing the hunger and food insecurity faced by 50 million Americans.

“In this nation of plenty, it is unacceptable that millions of children still go to bed not knowing if there will be food for their next meal,” said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds AmeriCorps and a senior member of the subcommittee that funds the USDA. “The Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps is a win-win – it will play an important role in the fight against hunger, while helping young people build leadership skills and pay off school debt.”

Michael A. Nutter, the Mayor of Philadelphia, Kevin Concannon, the USDA Undersecretary who is the chief anti-hunger official in the Obama Administration, Paul Davis, the acting Director of AmeriCorps VISTA, and Joel Berg, NYCCAH’s Executive Director, swore in the new VISTA’s at Philadelphia’s City Hall earlier this week as part of a national training conducted by NYCCAH and the federal Corporation for National and Community Service.

ginnerobot/Flickr

“Increasing access to nutrition assistance for our most vulnerable populations is a top priority of the Obama Administration,” said USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Concannon.  “We are committed to working with our partners at the federal, state and local level, as together we help millions of families in need.”

“For more than 45 years, VISTA has been in communities working to improve the lives of millions of the most vulnerable Americans,” said Paul Davis, Acting Director of AmeriCorps VISTA. “This cross-agency collaboration with USDA will prove instrumental in helping individuals and families get on the path to economic stability and build stronger communities.”

DC Central Kitchen’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Curtin said, “We have worked with the AmeriCorps VISTA program for years and have seen firsthand the impact it can have on front-line organizations like DC Central Kitchen. As a partner in this new program, we will be able not only to continue but to expand our work of combating hunger and creating opportunity in the District of Columbia and across the country. Perhaps more importantly, this program is developing the leaders of tomorrow who will creatively and passionately fight for the empowerment, inclusion and liberation of our neighbors who are hungry, homeless and marginalized.”

“The AmeriCorps VISTA program is a perfect tool to fight hunger and improve nutrition,” said NYCCAH’s Joel Berg.  “We are grateful that this new public-private partnership will cost-effectively aid the ability of grassroots nonprofit groups in 18 states to increase their capacity to enable eligible families to access the federal nutrition assistance benefits that they need to avoid hunger and improve their diets.  We are extraordinarily grateful to the Obama Administration and to local officials around the country for this tremendous federal and local support.”

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FoodCorps the newest branch of AmeriCorps (funding permitted) is looking for applicants with a passion for gardening, agriculture, food, public health and service.  FoodCorps will provide work experience, professional development, and an opportunity to be mentored by professionals in food world.

Applications are due on April 10, 2011

Applicants must:

• Be 18 years or older by August 15, 2011
• Be legal US residents
• Have a high school degree or GED

FoodCorps is looking 80 leaders to serve in these host sites:

• Arizona – The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health
• Arkansas – The Delta Garden Study at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institut
  
• Iowa – The National Center for Appropriate Technology
• Maine – University of Maine Cooperative Extension
• Massachusetts – The Food Project
• Michigan - CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University
• Mississippi – The Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity
• New Mexico – University of New Mexico Office of Community Learning and Public Service
• North Carolina – North Carolina 4-H and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems
• Oregon – Oregon Department of Agriculture

FoodCorps members will be required to serve August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2012

Those that complete a year of service will receive:

• A yearly stipend of $15,000

• Health Insurance

• Student loan forbearance

• $5,500 for student loans or future education

Join the FoodCorps mailing list to find out more about recruitment calls on March 3rd and April 7th.

Apply Now!

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Megan worked closely with the national office to develop her leadership skills.

*Written by Megan Crowe, AmeriCorps VISTA, Capital Area Food Bank

A CKP blog post by Taylor Reno a few weeks ago  caught my eye: “CKP Prepares Students for a Future in the Food World”.  I decided to read on and became further intrigued when I saw the picture just below the title – I took that picture!  I was hooked, I had to read this.

In her post, Reno writes, “Your work with The Campus Kitchens Project could guide you to your future career whether you started working with Campus Kitchen because you love to cook or have a passion for social justice.”

For me, it was neither.  I was led to the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College because:

1) I needed a summer job

2) They were hiring someone to develop their nutrition programs and nutrition was a field I had recently decided I wanted to pursue.

After working with the Campus Kitchens Project for two years, I left with a love of cooking and a passion for social justice. I also left with much, much more. Campus Kitchens equipped me with the skills to confidently walk into a job interview and prove to the employer that I was the right person for the job.

Have you…

Recruited, trained, and retained volunteers?  Check, check, and check.

Juggled several tasks at one time and completed them on schedule?  Sure, I’ve done it.

Worked with community-based agencies to expand the reach of a program and created/maintained partnerships?  Ohhh yea.

Coordinated courses?  Managed the classroom?  Worked with diverse participants?  All the time.

And here’s my favorite.  Maintained accurate records?  Captured program through photos and video?  Completed reporting and paperwork on a timely basis?  Yup, thanks Ariel.

I could go through a job’s list of duties and relate each of them to something I had done with the Campus Kitchen.

So what did I do with CKP, and what do I do now?

I worked with the Campus Kitchens Project at Gettysburg College for two years, starting as a summer intern charged with developing a nutrition program to run over the summer months.  After the summer I was hired to continue my work as the Nutrition Program Coordinator, and that summer nutrition program turned into something that occurred every semester. The program, “Green Goodies”, taught students about nutrition, food justice, farming, and food waste, to name a few.

We utilized resources we had around us at the college and in the community, planning field trips each lesson to places like the on-campus garden, the college dining hall, the food pantry, the local grocery store, and the senior center.

I also led cooking shifts to provide meals to the senior center on Fridays.  I especially liked leading shifts between September and December because it was apple season!  I loved making applesauce from scratch for the seniors and loved teaching volunteers how easy it was to make.

I currently work at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington D.C. coordinating Share our Strength’s Cooking Matters™ program.  This innovative nutrition program helps families by teaching them how to prepare healthy, low-cost meals and receive the most nutrition from a limited budget.  My day to day duties include things like gathering food and cooking materials for courses, recruiting and managing culinary and nutrition volunteers to teach courses, and maintaining relationships with course sites in the D.C. Metro area.

My job is an AmeriCorps position, a program I highly recommend to anyone interested in a career in social justice. As an Americorps member, I am able to pursue something I love to do while at the same time gain valuable skills and experience in my desired field.  AmeriCorps opportunities are growing, see for yourself!

Campus Kitchens was a great jumpstart to my future. Working with CKP allowed me to explore issues I had never previously encountered, move out of my comfort zone, learn that I loved working with a community, and gain invaluable skills that helped me land a job after I graduated in May 2010.  I’ve benefited from a great network of CKP support with passionate individuals who are eager to help you in any way possible.

Three years ago I never would have thought I would love cooking or be passionate about social justice, but Campus Kitchens can do that to you.

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For anyone graduating soon, what’s up next in your life has probably crossed your mind. If working with Campus Kitchens has inspired in you a love of community nutrition and the desire to work toward providing healthy food for everyone, you may want to apply to participate in FoodCorps.

This new national service program has been designed to provide limited-access high-obesity communities with individuals ready to tend school gardens, source fresher food for school cafeterias and provide nutrition education as part of the school day. This is all part of the plan to serve vulnerable children and improve access to healthy, affordable school meals, and also training leaders for careers in food and agriculture.

Host sites for the inaugural year of FoodCorps were announced in the end of 2010 and include the following:

Arkansas: The Delta Garden Study at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute

Arizona: The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health

Iowa: The National Center for Appropriate Technology

Maine: University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Massachusetts: The Food Project

Michigan: CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University

Mississippi: The Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity

New Mexico: University of New Mexico Office of Community Learning and Public Service

North Carolina: North Carolina 4-H and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems

Oregon: Oregon Department of Agriculture

The Corporation for National and Community Service is reviewing the proposal now, but the hope is that 80 motivated leaders will march into these communities in the fall.

If you are interested in applying or want to learn more, join the FoodCorps mailing list to receive more information.

FoodCorps is a program of the National Farm to School Network, developed in partnership with the National Center for Appropriate Technology, Slow Food USA, and the documentary and advocacy organization Wicked Delicate.

Read more about it in GOOD Magazines recent article.

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We still have a few slots open for Campus Kitchens who complete the AmeriCorps* National Direct Service Application by no later than August 13, 5 p.m. EST.

Approved Campus Kitchens will receive three AmeriCorps* service members each – that’s right, a small army – to help advance the national objectives of the HandsOn Corps program.

Program requirements include: supervision by a full-time staff member, host site training, background checks, compliance with the AmeriCorps regulations, reporting, and more.

What you get: a dedicated volunteer force to restructure your leadership team, keep kitchen shifts running smoothly, start up a culinary job training program, or whatever your community/volunteers desire.

Take a look at the information and application attached below, and don’t hesitate to contact Maureen -mroche@campuskitchens.org – if you have any questions.

Below are the revised, important dates and application downloads:

• Host Site Application Technical Assistance Calls: July 14
• Host Site Applications Due: August 13
  
• Host Site Selection Announcements: August 27
  
• National Direct Member Selection Date: September 27
• National Direct Member Start Date: October 4 – November 1

CKP_2010_National Direct RFP Extension

CKP_2010_National Direct Application Extension

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Six Campus Kitchens who complete the AmeriCorps* National Direct Service Application will receive three AmeriCorps* service members each – that’s right, a small army – to help advance the national objectives of the HandsOn Corps program (youth leadership, service learning experiences, development of effective, local non-profit programs, addressing basic needs like hunger, and more.)

Program requirements include: supervision by a full-time staff member, host site training, background checks, compliance with the AmeriCorps regulations, reporting, and more.

What you get: a dedicated volunteer force to restructure your leadership team, keep kitchen shifts running smoothly, start up a culinary job training program, or whatever your community/volunteers desire.

Take a look at the information and application attached below, and don’t hesitate to contact Maureen – mroche@campuskitchens.org – if you have any questions. Important dates are included below:

• Host Site Application Technical Assistance Calls: July 14
• Host Site Applications Due: July 23
• Host Site Selection Announcements: July 30
• National Direct Member Selection Date: September 27
• National Direct Member Start Date: October 4

CKP_2010_National Direct Application (final)

National Direct RFP

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With Memorial Day officially here and gone, AmeriCorps*VISTA positions are opening up as fast as umbrellas on the beach. Positions begin at the end of summer.

Campus Kitchen coordinators, volunteers, and enthusiasts are officially invited (in fact, encouraged) to apply. This is the perfect opportunity for a service-oriented, recent graduate looking to hone skills while contemplating next steps in life.

Hurry! Applications for the Washington, D.C.-based positions are due June 11. The Boston position application is due June 15.

JOB #1

Job Title: Community Development Coordinator, AmeriCorps*VISTA position

Location: Washington, DC

Reports to: Director, The Campus Kitchens Project

Overview

The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP) is an emerging leader in community service for students and resourceful anti-hunger programs for communities around the country. We empower thousands of students each year to recycle food from their cafeterias, turn these donations into nourishing meals, and deliver those meals to those who need it most in communities across the country. We currently operate on 26 campuses in 17 states across the country and are growing.  Our mission is to use service as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities.

The mission of the AmeriCorps*VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) is to develop programs that fight poverty in a ways that are sustainable and build the capacity of the host organization.  VISTAs develop new programs, make already existing programs more efficient, and sustain those programs by augmenting the resources the program uses. Over a one year term of service, a VISTA can make a lasting mark on the success of the organization.

The Community Development Coordinator major activities include:

• Creating new Campus Kitchens at locations across the US focusing on underserved populations in New York, California, Texas and Massachusetts.
  • Use research tools, social media and school-based resources to prospect and develop a targeted list of attractive schools and communities for development of a Campus Kitchen;
  • Perform community needs and resource assessments on targeted communities to determine the feasibility of a Campus Kitchen;
  • Assist expansion through cultivating new partnerships with schools, organizing site visits, evaluating feasibility studies, and assisting school representatives with the application process;
  • Help students connect with potential service delivery agencies such as shelters, after-school programs, and homebound seniors in the community;
  • Help students and sites develop new collaborations with community partners and campus groups to develop programming, a base of volunteers and partner agencies.
• Develop a model for a student-led direct street outreach program to be implemented in at least two cities nationally.
  • Act as liaison between DC Central Kitchen’s First Helping program, CKP and a service learning class to develop  model.
  • Work with at least two Campus Kitchen coordinators to pilot and implement new programming on a local level
• Plan days of service with MLK Day of Service Grantees, new site and community partners to develop a base of volunteers for local Campus Kitchens.
• Coordinate CKP’s presence at applicable conferences, programs, and events.
• Participate in planning for annual conference, specifically to developing conference sessions on community development and resources.

Qualifications and skills of VISTA candidates:

• College degree and/or previous community service;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Entrepreneurial skills to seek funding or fundraising experience;
• Relationship-building, teamwork, and leadership skills;
• Excellent organizational skills while multi-tasking;
• Knowledge of and interest in food-justice issues and the local food movement;
• Comfort in networking with a wide range of community partners across the country;
• Experience with public speaking and outreach;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Commitment to the mission of the project and its impact on schools, communities and underserved populations.

To Apply

For more information about VISTA, please visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp

Visit the My AmeriCorps portal for a full job description and to submit an application and resume.

https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do

Applications are due no later than June 11, 2010

JOB #2

Position Title: Food Donations Coordinator, AmeriCorps*VISTA position

Location:  Washington, DC

Reports To: Manager of Partner Relations

Overview
The rescue of surplus food from area food-service establishments and farms has been crucial to DC Central Kitchen’s mission since the organization was founded. The food donations coordinator’s job is to seek new partners for donated food and kitchen equipment, maintain and strengthen existing partnerships and provide educational opportunities for donors about the work the Kitchen does and the issues we address.

DCCK is a leader in using local produce, and one of our biggest sources of fresh fruits and vegetables is gleaning trips where we take volunteers to pick surplus crops at local farms. The food donations coordinator will organize and lead these trips. Volunteer groups who do food drives or off-site cooking projects are another important source of donated food. The food donations coordinator will help facilitate these projects, recruit new groups and give speeches about DCCK, hunger, homelessness and food-justice issues to these volunteers both on and off site.
This position sits within the Kitchen’s Partner Relations Department, which comprises volunteer programming, nutrition education and agency relations, and which places a strong emphasis on building meaningful ties in the local community. The coordinator will work closely with kitchen-production and transportation staff members to ensure that the day-to-day logistics of the food-donations program run smoothly and to implement strategies for effective use of donated food.
Coordinate food and in-kind donations programs

• Answer telephone and email inquiries about donations of food and kitchen equipment. Schedule pickups of donations and work with other staff members to resolve problems.
• Maintain food-donor database.
• Run reports to identify trends in donor activity, provide statistics to DCCK’s development team, and compile information for yearly audit report.
• Write weekly thank-you letters to donors.
• Coordinate logistics for food drives with organizations, corporations, school groups, etc. Give groups ideas for food that they could make/donate that would be most useful to DCCK.
• Facilitate Thanksgiving and other special or seasonal donation/recovery projects.
• Coordinate logistics for large food recoveries at trade shows and other events (two to three per year).
• Work with kitchen directors and procurement coordinator to propose and implement specific plans for using donated food efficiently and effectively.
• Do targeted outreach to potential food donors (e.g. hotels; catering companies; farmers markets; religious and school groups that could do food drives and other food-prep projects for us) to increase the amount of useful food the kitchen receives.
• Generate information materials for new and potential donors.

Run gleaning program and provide educational opportunities for these and other donors

• Run DCCK’s gleaning program, which takes volunteers to local farms to pick surplus produce. Responsibilities include: leading weekly trips six months a year; scheduling volunteers; coordinating trip logistics; and developing ways to educate volunteers about disparities in access to healthy, affordable food and the work that is being done to reduce these inequalities.
• Give speeches about DCCK and food-justice issues to volunteer groups that are doing off-site food-prep projects.
• Lead on-site snack-making projects for elementary-school aged groups.
• May periodically lead orientation sessions for evening volunteers.

Additional duties

• Attend Partner Relations Department meetings and collaborate with nutrition educator, agency relations coordinator and volunteer coordinator on special projects.
• Do additional duties as assigned by manager of partner relations.

Qualifications

• Knowledge about and interest in food-justice issues and the local food movement, as well as desire to be part of a large nonprofit whose mission is to “combat hunger and create opportunity.”
• Comfort in making “cold calls” and networking with a wide range of community partners.
• Experience doing public speaking and teaching classes.
• Desire to work with volunteer groups.
• Ability to be organized and pay close attention to detail while juggling multiple tasks.
• Ability to stay flexible and keep a sense of humor while working well in a fast-paced and crowded environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Valid driver’s license, and ability to drive cargo van or willingness to learn..
• As food donations coordinator leads weekly gleaning trips, willingness to do physical labor outside in hot or cold weather is required.

To Apply

For more information about VISTA, please visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp

Interested applicants must visit the My AmeriCorps portal for a full job description and to submit an application and resume.

https://my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do

Applications are due no later than June 11, 2010

JOB # 3 (not DCCK/CKP affiliated)

Boston: The Food Project seeks two AmeriCorps VISTA Coordinators

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 15, 2010

The Food Project has two AmeriCorps VISTA positions open.  One for a Communications and Outreach Coordinator working in the Boston Public Schools Farm to School Initiative.  The other position is for a Community Outreach Coordinator who will assist in developing a service and community engagement initiative that will address community food security issues in Boston and on the North Shore.

Details for both positions can be found on The Food Project’s website: http://thefoodproject.org/jobs

Interested applicants MUST apply through Americorps. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Szeto: tfp.vista@gmail.com.

Positions begins August 30, 2010. Required Pre-Service Orientation is August 23-26, 2010.

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