The Wake County Food Security VISTA Program helps develop sustainable strategies and programs to address hunger and access to services across Wake County, NC. Our program will have 8 full-time members serving in a variety of programs in January 2020. Our goal is to utilize community voice and grassroots programming to meet the needs of the vulnerable, yet resilient communities across our region. Our VISTA members work in a variety of positions including data analysis & mapping of food insecurity, strengthening our local food policy council – The Capital Area Food Network, building resident capacity and programming in SE Raleigh and Eastern Wake County, developing and enhancing school and community garden programs, strengthening the collaboration around the Adverse Childhood Experiences initiatives, and assisting with increasing the number of youth served and partners engaged in the Summer Food Service Program. Our program allows VISTA members to gain valuable skills, network with countless organizations, and most importantly, to be a part of making Wake County a more food secure and thriving place for all its residents. All positions are full-time and VISTA members serve yearlong terms with the option of serving two years and receiving two education awards. The VISTA Leader position is new and will help to mentor and guide our cohort of 8 VISTAs. The leader position requires applicants to have already served one year in an AmeriCorps program and pays an addition $200/month in living allowance.

VISTA BENEFITS

VISTA Living Allowance: Bi-Weekly pay of $479.08 (pre-tax).
Choice of Following: End of Service Education Award of $6,195 OR End-of-Service Cash Stipend of $1800.00
Relocation Allowance: Up to $1000.00 relocation expenses covered if moving more than 50 miles.
Settling In Allowance: Up to $550.00 for settling in expenses (utilities, deposits, etc.)
Mileage Reimbursement: Provided by host sites
Phone Reimbursement: $25/month phone reimbursement
Health Care & Child Care Info: See benefit Guide for more details
Requirements: All Applicants must be 18 years or older and an American citizen
More information on Benefits.

HIRING TIMELINE

Interview Dates: October–Dec 2019
Final Hire Date: December 20, 2019
Service Term: January 21, 2020–January 19, 2021
APPLY ONLINE – CREATE YOUR PROFILE AND APPLICATION. You must then apply to the specific positions you are interested in.

For questions regarding how to complete an application and apply for a listing, please reference: How to Apply to AmeriCorps VISTA

Wake Food Security VISTA Leader 

(To qualify, must have served for one year prior in an AmeriCorps Program)

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services – N.C. Cooperative Extension of Wake County,  Agricultural Services Building)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 88895
VISTA LEADER Living Allowance: Bi-Weekly pay of $571.20 (pre-tax)

Position Description: The Wake Food Security VISTA leader will support our VISTA program by assisting with recruitment, member training, tracking program outcomes, developing ongoing professional development opportunities, networking with community partners and county leadership to highlight the program, evaluating VISTA member satisfaction to improve program sustainability, and mentoring VISTA members throughout their service term. The VISTA leader may also apply for grants and funding to support member development or program expansion. Currently, our program has 8 full-time VISTA members and has anywhere from 10-25 VISTA Summer Associates from June – August each summer.
Candidate Qualifications: Member should have strong communication, leadership, time management & organizational skills. The VISTA leader must have already served one full term of AmeriCorps in order to qualify for this position. VISTA leaders should have previous experience supervising and mentoring others. Experience with program development & management is a plus, as is knowledge of food security, community development, and collective impact. The VISTA Leader should be comfortable working independently and on a team.

More information on the additional benefits of being a VISTA leader.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Community Liaison VISTA

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services – N.C. Cooperative Extension of Wake County, Crosby Garfield Building in Raleigh, NC)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 89707

Position Description: The VISTA will Coordinate resilience screenings to increase community awareness and dialogue around the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Including scheduling and identifying facilitators and speakers, finding appropriate community locations, conducting outreach, developing evaluation tools to assess pre/post learning occurring from the screenings, and create a facilitator toolkit to future partners to host screenings. The VISTA will recruit Restorative Circle participants & circle keepers to increase conversations and restorative practices. The VISTA will develop ACES structural concept to inform the Kaleidoscope gardening project at the Crosby Garfield Building by coordinating with community partners and identifying how to incorporate Nature to Nurture. Lastly, the VISTA will research available community resources, partners and trainings and share with community partners in SEV regions so they may incorporate trauma-informed care into their existing systems.

Candidate Qualifications: The VISTA should have skills in oral and written communications, grant-writing, public speaking, customer service, problem-solving & critical thinking skills, time management & organization. As well as have a basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, awareness of racial equity & cultural sensitivity, strong leadership, and the ability to work independently and on a team. Will require some weekend and evenings.

Social and Economic Vitality Food Security VISTA

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services –N.C. Cooperative Extension of Wake County, Crosby Garfield Building in Raleigh, NC)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 89710

Position Description: The SEV Food Security VISTA will implement strategies from the Moving Beyond Hunger Food Security Plan in SEV zones with an emphasis on economic development and job training. The VISTA will help increase the effectiveness of the Summer Food Program in Eastern Wake County, including identifying solutions to transportation barriers and identifying funding opportunities. The capstone project for the VISTA will be developing a food security action plan for the SEV Zones. The VISTA should have skills in oral and written communications, grant-writing, public speaking, customer service, problem-solving & critical thinking skills, time management & organization, and leadership. VISTA should possess a basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, racial equity & cultural sensitivity, food systems and food security and be able to work independently and on a team. Will require some weekend and evenings
Candidate Qualifications: College Degree Preferred but significant experience may be considered. Skills needed in communication, writing, public speaking, customer service, ability to work independently and on a team, problem-solving & critical thinking, basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, awareness of racial equity & cultural sensitivity, time management & organization and strong leadership. Knowledge of food insecurity, food systems, and community development is a plus. May require some weekends and evenings. Applicants must be 18 years or older and citizen of the United States.

Wake Food Security Eastern SEV Strategist VISTA

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services – Carver Center of Eternal Hope, Wendell, NC)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 85246

Position Description: The SEV Eastern Wake VISTA Strategist will implement strategies from the Moving Beyond Hunger Food Security Plan in SEV zones with an emphasis on economic development, job training, and community capacity building. In addition, the VISTA will help increase the effectiveness of the Summer Food Program in Eastern Wake County, including identifying solutions to transportation barriers and identifying funding opportunities. The capstone project for the VISTA will be developing an anchor asset action plan for the SEV Zones. The VISTA should have skills in oral and written communications, grant-writing, public speaking, customer service, problem-solving & critical thinking skills, time management & organization, and leadership. VISTA should possess a basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, racial equity & cultural sensitivity, food systems and food security and be able to work independently and on a team. Will require some weekend and evenings.
Candidate Qualifications: College Degree Preferred but significant experience may be considered. Skills needed in communication, writing, public speaking, customer service, ability to work independently and on a team, problem-solving & critical thinking, basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, awareness of racial equity & cultural sensitivity, time management & organization and strong leadership. Knowledge of community development and collective impact a plus. May require some weekends and evenings. Applicants must be 18 years or older and citizen of the United States.

Social and Economic Vitality SE Raleigh Strategist VISTA

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services – N.C. Cooperative Extension of Wake County, Crosby Garfield Building in Raleigh, NC)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 73885

Position Description: The Social and Economic Vitality SE Raleigh Strategist VISTA will focus on relationship building with grassroots and resident-owned organizations and creating resources to maintain, build, and track human capital development in the SEV target regions.
Candidate Qualifications: College Degree Preferred but significant experience may be considered. Skills needed in communication, writing, public speaking, customer service, ability to work independently and on a team, problem-solving & critical thinking, basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, awareness of racial equity & cultural sensitivity, time management & organization and strong leadership. Knowledge of community development and collective impact a plus. May require some weekends and evenings. Applicants must be 18 years or older and citizen of the United States.

School and Community Garden Program Coordinator VISTA

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services – N.C. Cooperative Extension of Wake County Building, Raleigh, NC)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 84364

Position Description: Many schools in Wake County want to have gardens to realize these benefits. At the same time, many organizations in the county are developing community gardens to improve access to fresh food, to reduce food insecurity issues and to educate the community on fresh foods. The goal of this project is to support school and community gardens in Wake County by building networks of garden leaders and by strengthening Extension’s role in supporting school and community gardens. The VISTA will assist with curriculum and program development along with training garden mentor volunteers.
Candidate Qualifications: Key skills needed for this work include excellent written and verbal communication skills, computer knowledge, understanding of program development, and experience working with or developing volunteer leaders. Technical expertise in gardening is helpful, but not required. Must be 18 years or older and a US Citizen.

Summer Food Service Program Coordinator VISTA

Location: Raleigh, NC (housed with Wake County Human Services – N.C. Cooperative Extension of Wake County Building, Raleigh, NC)
AmeriCorps Listing ID: 73858

Position Description: The Summer Food Service Program Coordinator VISTA enhance and innovate the SFSP program for summer 2020. The VISTA will develop regional collaborations built on community assets to address any identified barriers to children and families accessing the program. This position will require the VISTA to lead listening and planning sessions and to help form programmatic suggestions built upon research and best practices. The VISTA will assist sites in serving quality food, reducing food waste, building strong volunteer networks, and successfully marketing their site

Candidate Qualifications: Qualified candidates should have strong organizational and time management skills, understanding of community-led public health programs, the ability to problem-solve and lead strategic planning, and a strong desire to help children access meals during the summer.