Community Connector AmeriCorps Position - Good Cheer
Description:
| SUMMARY | |
| Program Type: | |
| AmeriCorps State / National | |
| Program | |
| 21-22 Good Cheer Community Connector | |
| Program Start/End Date | |
| 09/01/2021 - 07/15/2022 | |
| Work Schedule | Full Time |
| Education level | |
| High school diploma/GED | |
| Age Requirement | |
| Minimum: 18 Maximum: 25 | |
| Program Locations | WASHINGTON |
| Accepting Applications | |
| From 06/10/2021 To 08/30/2021 | |
| Contact | Carol Squire |
| PO Box 144 | |
| Langley WA 98260 | |
| 360 221 0130 | |
| wscip@esd.wa.gov | |
Committed to creating a hunger-free community, South Whidbey Good Cheer Food Bank is the oldest non-profit on beautiful Whidbey Island. We enjoy strong community support and collaborate with many of our partner helping agencies, county departments and local municipalities. Our food bank is a model for dignified, grocery-style service which allows ’shoppers’ to choose what they need and want. We offer a large amount of fresh produce sourced from local farms, grocery rescue and our own organic farm. 200 hundred volunteers work alongside our staff of 20 in the food bank, kitchen and garden and in our thrift store operations whose revenues make our organization so sustainable. With this strong position in the South Whidbey community, Good Cheer is partnering with the Coupeville Farm to School program to connect our communities, educate a new generation of healthy eaters, support our local farmers and strengthen our local food system so that no one on Whidbey goes hungry Good Cheer wants to better assist our beneficiaries to find solutions to some of the underlying causes of their food insecurity by helping them navigate available services. Many struggle financially due to a lack of living wage jobs, a shortage of affordable housing, health care expenses or fixed incomes. Ours is a small community. Our neighbors, friends and colleagues may also be our volunteers, donors and beneficiaries. What happens to one of us is felt by many. We need a Community Connector who can work with us, help us with objective, data-driven assessment, create and maintain relationships with our many community partners to crate a healthier and ever more cohesive and resilient community. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis as applications are submitted.
The Good Cheer Community Connector will work with our beneficiaries to find solutions to some of the underlying causes of their food insecurity by helping them navigate available services. We need someone who can help us with objective, data-driven assessment, and create and maintain relationships with our many community partners to create a healthier and ever more cohesive and resilient community. Start date sometime between September 1 and October 15.
| Member Duties : The Community Connector will help Good Cheer connect the many moving parts of operating a food bank that is committed to a healthy and hunger-free community. After gaining an understanding of our key functions, they will support our volunteers in the food bank, commercial kitchen, garden, & surrounding areas for gleaning. They will help in our assessments of food distribution and food security. The Community Connector will have a special focus on developing relationships with local partners, volunteers, and food bank shoppers, along with ensuring that our shoppers’ needs are being met in our onsite community resource center. Training with and then supporting volunteer counselors, the Community Connector will have primary responsibility for maintaining a dynamic data base of available services, key contacts within other organizations and ensuring that all staff and volunteers meeting with our food bank shoppers can access and appropriately assist them to access the services |
| Program Benefits : Health Coverage , Stipend , Childcare assistance if eligible , Education award upon successful completion of service , Training . |
| Terms : Permits attendance at school during off hours , Permits working at another job during off hours . |
Positions are through Washington Service Corps. All applicants must be under 25 at the start of their term, and pass a background check (including fingerprinting) to be eligible. Members commit to a 40 hour per week, 10.5-month service term and will receive a $2,308 monthly living stipend (pre-tax), qualified student loan forbearance, a basic health plan, childcare (based on income eligibility and need), and a $6,345 education award upon successful completion of the service term.
How to Apply:Applicants can either apply through the Americorps website or by sending a resume and letter of interest to carol@goodcheer.org and garden@goodcheer.org (though all applicants must eventually apply through the Americorps website).
Washington Service Corps is holding a virtual recruitment fair Thursday July 15 from 2-5 PM PDT. Interested applicants will be able to talk to partner organizations via text message, video or audio chat. To register visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/americorps-service-recruitment-fair-tickets-157143998931