Are you interested in pursuing a nonprofit career? Are you looking to build skills and networks to help launch your first (or second) career? Would you like to see the impact of national service up close? If you want to make a real difference in our community, AmeriCorps might be for you! Harvesters’ mission is to feed hungry people today and work to end hunger tomorrow. Our agency network of shelters, food pantries, and kitchens feeds more than 66,000 people each week throughout a 26-county area. Since 1979 we have been providing food and hope to the people of NE Kansas and NW Missouri.
Position Summaries
Through a pending grant from the Missouri Community Service Commission, Harvesters AmeriCorps MO program educates, engages and empowers the community around food insecurity, because together we CAN solve hunger. AmeriCorps Community Specialists create and build relationships with a diverse network of supporters by engaging them in a range of opportunities to give food, give time, and give voice. AmeriCorps Outreach Specialists educate and empower our community to access food assistance resources such as SNAP (Supplemental Food Assistance Program, formerly known as ‘food stamps’), as well as enhancing the ability and capacity of our community partners to serve their clients. AmeriCorps Nutrition Education Specialists teach kids and adults how to make healthy meals and snacks and how to maximize their food budgets, as well as providing nutrition outreach through mobile and pantry distributions.Harvesters’ culture is team-oriented and we value the contributions which AmeriCorps members have made to the organization since 2005.
Member Activities Community Specialists Provide excellent customer service via phone and email, to new and current supporters by coordinating logistics for community-based food donation programs or individual and group volunteer visits. Take lead role in implementing at least one major annual community engagement event, including volunteer recruitment and management or coordinating food donation logistics with transportation and warehouse staff, and entering data to track project success. Coordinate all aspects of at least one ongoing community engagement program within the department, including a process improvement plan. Create and implement at least one new activity or event which will educate, engage, or empower the community to support Harvesters’ mission. Occasionally supervise volunteers in the Volunteer Outreach Center (VOC) where donated perishable and non-perishable food items are sorted and repackaged. Give tours of the facility, staff poster displays, and talk with groups about Harvesters’ mission and how to get involved. Develop and conduct service learning activities for youth groups and families in conjunction with community engagement events and national days of service. Service schedule is primarily Tuesday – Saturday with one evening per week, and some required and optional service activities on the weekend. Member Activities Outreach Specialists: Provide excellent customer service over the phone and in person to assist individuals with understanding and completing the application process. Educate public about SNAP at agency and community events such as mobile food distributions, farmer’s markets, health fairs, college campuses; and locations such as low-income senior and family housing, food pantries and kitchens, community and recreation centers, etc. Accurately record and enter data to create reports and track progress toward performance measures. Provide technical assistance for agencies and other community partners, targeting areas that are currently not meeting Harvesters’ food distribution goals. Service schedule is primarily Monday – Friday, with some required and optional service activities on the weekend.
Member Activities Nutrition Education Specialists:Teach low-income adults and seniors how to apply concepts of good nutrition to everyday eating and a healthy lifestyle by providing hands-on, creative cooking classes. Teach children (6 yrs and up) how to understand the nutritional value of food, interpreting a nutrition curriculum into exciting, fun, and easy to understand lessons. Be a food and nutrition resource for clients and staff at Harvesters’ agencies and mobile distribution sites. Assist in curriculum development of nutrition programs, including preparation and testing of new recipes. Accurately record and enter data to track participant progress. Occasionally conduct cooking demonstrations with common food pantry items. Educate community and volunteers about nutrition-related food insecurity issues in the region during annual community outreach events. Assist in developing service learning activities related to hunger awareness in conjunction with volunteer opportunities. Members are responsible for travel to and from classes, which are primarily conducted at agency sites within a 1 hour drive from KCMO. Harvesters provides the training, resources and support for members to successfully carry out their service activities. Service schedule is Monday – Friday with one evening per week, and some required and optional service activities on the weekend.
Qualifications: Some college credit or verifiable work history, with preference for college degree. Must be U.S. citizen or have Permanent Resident Alien status. May be required to lift up to 30 lbs on a recurring basis. Must have reliable auto, valid driver’s license and auto insurance, and pass required background checks and drug screen prior to starting. Bi-lingual skills preferred but not required. Have a commitment to the mission of Harvesters; be a quick learner and self-motivated, be an excellent team player; have excellent organizational and customer service skills, excellent written and oral communication skills; use of general office equipment, i.e. telephone, computers, fax and copiers; proficient in Microsoft Office programs preferred. If selected, must be able to commit to a full-time (40 hours per week) service term starting on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015 and ending on Aug. 31, 2016.
How to apply
Multiple openings available, applications processed on a rolling basis. Information on the AmeriCorps State programs and the Segal Education Award are at www.nationalservice.org Interested persons should email the AmeriCorps Program Director at InfoRequest@harvesters.org to request application instructions and a link to the online AmeriCorps site. ONLY applications submitted through the online AmeriCorps site will be considered. It is the policy and practices of Harvesters to recruit and to place AmeriCorps members regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, sexual orientation or because such applicant is forty (40) years of age or older.