Job Description

Organization: Food Forward, Inc., 501 (c)(3) non-profit

Position: Volunteer Coordinator

Hours: Full-time, non-exempt

Location: North Hollywood, CA (this position is temporarily remote due to COVID-19)

Organizational Overview: Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued over 175 million pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helped to feed millions of people across eight Southern California counties, throughout seven states, as well as in tribal lands in the Southwest in 2020 alone. See our core values posted below.*

Position Overview: The Volunteer Coordinator will report to the Volunteer Engagement Manager and will be responsible for volunteer outreach, recruitment, training, retention, and appreciation. As such, they will be one of the first touchpoints for volunteers new to Food Forward and will interact with a large number of community members. They will ensure that volunteers have positive, fulfilling experiences and feel welcomed and informed throughout the process. This position provides an opportunity to become deeply involved in the food justice and environmental community, while working with a prominent and growing nonprofit. 

The Volunteer Coordinator is expected to attend, lead, and represent Food Forward at volunteer and speaking events. These events occur across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties at different times during the week and on weekends; candidates must have access to reliable transportation, such as public transportation, rideshare service, or their own vehicle in order to attend. The Volunteer Coordinator must be comfortable communicating in Spanish, as basic interpretation and translation will be needed to expand our outreach and connection with the community. 

The ideal candidate is approachable, friendly, and able to enforce policies when needed. They are extremely detail-oriented, as paying attention to dates, names, times, and schedules is an important part of the position. In addition, they have a demonstrated commitment to social justice, anti-hunger, environmental and/or food systems. Finally, they are enthusiastic about learning on the job, comfortable handling a substantial amount of correspondence, passionate about engaging and expanding Food Forward’s large and diverse volunteer community, and able to take on ad hoc duties as needed. 

Core Responsibilities:

Volunteer Coordination & Stewardship

• Recruit and coordinate volunteers for ~200 monthly produce recovery events across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties; check daily to ensure that events are fully staffed and volunteers receive information before and after events
• Act as the main point of contact for volunteers via email, phone calls, newsletters, volunteer events, and other community events
• Learn and work within Food Forward’s custom software, CITRA
• Sustain, create, and coordinate inquiries and partnerships with volunteer groups, organizations, and institutions
• Collaborate with program staff to identify, recruit, onboard, train, and retain Event Leaders 
• Plan and monitor volunteer appreciation, including engagement events, volunteer highlights on Food Forward’s blog and other outlets, and incentive items

Program Operations

• Work with the Volunteer Engagement Manager to set annual goals and accomplish program objectives, as well as provide input in the budgeting process
• Recruit, onboard, and supervise office volunteers and interns as needed
• Assist in improving the inclusivity and accessibility of volunteer opportunities to community members of various backgrounds
• Assist in developing new volunteer opportunities and Event Leader positions as needed
• Become a trained Event Leader for all programs in order to lead volunteers at produce recovery events as needed
• Actively learn new methods and skills to enhance the Volunteer Program

Community Engagement

• Represent Food Forward at volunteer, community, and speaking events

Minimum Requirements:

• Experience using email, documents, spreadsheets, and Internet
• Computer literate and able to learn new computer programs, including our custom software, CITRA
• High school diploma/GED or equivalent work experience 
• Minimum of 1 year of work or volunteer experience in a position requiring speaking with the public or customer service
• Able to read, write, understand, and speak Spanish
• Availability to work weekends

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors
• Ability to lift and move boxes of produce and equipment weighing up to 40-55 lbs
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, climb stairs and ladders, bend, lift, twist, kneel, crouch, crawl, pull, push, carry, grasp, reach and stoop as needed

Application Deadline: June 10, 2021, or until filled

Desired Start Date: Early July 2021

Hours: Full-time, non-exempt

Compensation: $17 to $18.25 per hour

Benefits: 

• Medical, Vision and Life Insurance Coverage
• Simple IRA with 3% employer matching (after one year of employment)
• Generous sick days, paid-time-off, and holiday allocation
• Cell phone and internet allowance
• Telecommuting and work flexibility

 *Food Forward Core Values: 

• Creativity – We seek to innovate in all facets of our work. 
• Joyfulness – We cultivate a meaningful, fun, positive and spirited work environment. 
• Committed to Food Justice – We believe that access to wholesome food, and fresh nutritious produce, is not a privilege, but a right. We work hard to end food inequality and reduce food insecurity. 
• Authenticity – We are transparent and honest in our words, deeds, and actions. We act at the highest level of integrity. 
• Disciplined – We are reliable, professional, accountable, rigorous and committed to excellence in all areas of our work, both internally and externally. 
• Community-minded – We aim to include and connect people in the community, and to remain open, diverse, respectful, and accessible. We take pride in offering people meaningful volunteer and work experiences.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: community outreach, Program Support, and Volunteer engagement. Salaries: 20,000 - 40,000.

392 total views, 0 today

Apply for this Job