We are Hiring Food Security Volunteers for Summer 2023!

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AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates Positions

Wake County Cooperative Extension – Food Security

Application Deadline: May 18, 2023

Service Term: June 12, 2023 – August 06, 2023

The AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate program offers you the opportunity to become engaged in a community through an existing AmeriCorps VISTA project for 8, 9, or 10 weeks during the summer. Join the Wake County Food Security AmeriCorps VISTA Program in 2023!

ASSIGNMENT SITES AND POSITION DESCRIPTIONS FOR 2023

Wake County Cooperative Extension (Main Office)

Listing Number – 118728

APPLY NOW

  • Distribute summer meals and food resources to individuals and families experiencing hunger in Wake County, North Carolina;
  • Develop and lead STEM and literacy focused programming at summer meal sites for youth in grade levels pre-k to high school;
  • Contribute to work in community gardens, food pantries, and food banks;
  • Provide programming at 4H Summer congregate sites;
  • Inform communities of vital resources to support increased need for social services.

City of Raleigh Health and Wellness Summer Camps

Listing Number: 118726

APPLY NOW

  • Teach youth how to stay healthy and active!
  • Receive training on youth development, empowerment, behavior management, adversity, resilience, safety, and topics related to the healthy lifestyle cirriculum
  • Evaluate activities, develop solutions, and implement necessary adjustments to meet summer camp participants’ physical and emotional needs.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role. This position operates in mostly indoor settings and the noise level is expected to be moderate. The SA is required to regularly stand, stoop, bend, hop, or walk up to one (1) mile during activity facilitation and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Summer Food Program

Listing Number: 118724

APPLY NOW

  • Deliver emergency food supplies to feeding sites in the Western portion of Wake County;
  • Set up meal sites in various neighborhoods of the Western Region;
  • Serve meals at community meal sites across the Western Region;
  • Clean-up meal sites after service is complete;
  • Maintain proper records of the amount of meals served and other needed data;
  • Provide outreach to let families know of available resources and identify unmet needs;
  • Develop and execute camp-style activities to promote education and physical health for youth, including activities such as reading groups, basketball competitions, small group science camps, etc.

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Agriculture Education and Food Distribution Program

Listing Number – 118731

APPLY NOW

  • Facilitate workshops inside of Wake County.
  • Create orientation guides for volunteers and interns to maximize the efficiency of programming.
  • Take an active role in the Shuttle’s online learning platform through creation of content both through recorded webinars and passive education.
  • Participate in the creation of a “Best Practices Guide” for Policy, Systems, and Environment changes at the Shuttle’s serviced senior living facilities inside of Wake County.
  • Participate in Food Rescue initiatives through the Shuttle’s Driver Assistant opportunities.
  • Participate in direct food distribution activities to Wake County residents.
  • As needed the SA will deliver food supplies to feeding sites in the Western portion of Wake County.
  • Provide garden assistance and maintenance to help facilitate growing food that is directly distributed to residents of Wake County.

Wake Forest Community Table – Summer Food Program and Garden Support

Listing Number – 118727

APPLY NOW

  • Assist local gardens and farms gleaning, planting, transporting, planning appropriate crops for program clients.
  • Attend produce and meal distribution operations on Mondays and Wednesdays.
  • Help the members of the board and the Director recruit, train, and coordinate community-based volunteers, including high school and college students and older adults.
  • Generate promotional materials to share with schools, the neighborhood and other area nonprofits.
  • Involve local restaurants and companies to sponsor quarterly meals for the program.
  • Be an ambassador for the organization at community events such as the Juneteenth Celebration in the Town to raise awareness about WFCT.

Urban Ministries of Wake County Summer Food Program

Listing Number – 118729

APPLY NOW

  •  Facilitate outreach efforts for food distribution 
  • Strengthen systems around data collection and management 
  • Support the strategic goal of “Building Capacity” by driving volunteer enrollment and engagement

Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC Summer Food Service Program

Listing Number – 118730

APPLY HERE

  • Provide operational and administrative support to program sites.
  • Implement and support organizational and site level outreach efforts to ensure target participation numbers are achieved at each sponsored site.
  • Conduct required sponsor monitoring visits: pre-operational, first and four-week visits.
  • Ensure site compliance with record keeping – inventory control sheets, daily and weekly meal count records, milk receipts, etc.
  • Conduct administrative review of program at conclusion of program participation.
  • Other assignments related to the management of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), up to and including recruitment of additional SFSP sites.

SUMMARY

Wake County Cooperative Extension (WCCE), in collaboration with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), will be hosting a full-time, eight-week Summer Associates program to improve food security in Wake County in partnership with seven sub-sites.

COVID-19 and its economic impacts have greatly increased the percent of food insecure individuals living in Wake County. VISTA Summer Associates will assist with food relief efforts underway in Wake County in partnership with Summer Food Program meal sites and community nonprofit organizations addressing hunger. VISTA Summer Associates will get vital food and resources to communities while also contributing to summer learning with onsite STEM and literacy activities for youth ages pre-k to high school. VISTA Summer Associates will also work alongside food security partners across the county to assist as needed in community gardens, food pantries, and food banks.

Wake County Cooperative Extension and its partners will be hosting up to twenty (20) full-time, AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates to perform services during the eight-week period from June 12 to August 6, 2023.

AmeriCorps VISTA builds permanent infrastructure and capacities in nonprofit organizations and communities to help bring individuals and communities out of poverty. The VISTA program allows for existing project sponsors like Wake County Cooperative Extension, to supplement their anti-poverty activities with an infusion of “hands-on volunteers” between the months of June through August. Wake County Cooperative Extension’s program is primarily focused on increasing food insecurity within Wake County, NC and the Summer Associates program will contribute to this long-term goal.

RECRUITMENT AND BENEFITS INFORMATION FOR INTERESTED APPLICANTS

Service Term: (8 weeks with no leave available)

June 12, 2023 – August 06, 2023 (must work at least 37.5 hours per week to be eligible for education award below)

VISTA Summer Associate Recruitment Guidelines

  • Must be 18 years or older
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen, National or Legal Resident
  • Not listed on National Sex Offenders Public Website
  • Preferably from your community
  • Cannot take any leave during the 8-week service term

Recruitment Timeline (through AmeriCorps.gov):

  • Positions posted on April 26, 2023
  • Candidates must apply on AmeriCorps website and accept the position (if the candidate doesn’t accept the position on the AmeriCorps website, the hiring process remains incomplete)
  • Positions will close on May 12, 2023

VISTA Member Benefits:

  • Biweekly Living Allowance (paid by AmeriCorps)
  • End of Service Education Award of $ $1,459.26 (must work a minimum of 300 hours) (paid by AmeriCorps)
  • Reduction of education costs (Ed Award Match)

For more information on the Summer Associate program and member benefits, explore the following resource: AmeriCorps VISTA Member Handbook, Chapter 11.

HOW TO APPLY?

Interested candidates should be encouraged to apply on MY.AMERICORPS.GOV (LISTING ID and link for each position is provided below for each organization). Candidates should  create a PROFILE AND COMPLETE AN APPLICATION ON THE AMERICORPS SITE. Candidates must then apply for the specific position they are interested in with the site of their choice. This is the link to the positions.

For questions regarding how to complete and application please refer to the applicant guide.

To apply to Wake County Cooperative Extension’s Summer Associates’ program, please use the following info to filter your search:

Program type – AmeriCorps VISTA

State – North Carolina

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Assignment of Summer Associates – The 20 Summer Associates’ openings for 2023 are detailed below. For detailed Assignment Descriptions please refer to the next section.

  • Wake County Cooperative Extension: 4 Summer Associates (associates assigned to Wake County will be supporting Cooperative Extension activities as well as other partners that are not getting full time associates assigned)
  • Kirk of Kildaire: 8 Associates
  • City of Raleigh: 2 Associates
  • Inter Faith Food Shuttle: 2 Associates
  • Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina: 2 Associates
  • Wake Forest Community Table: One Associate
  • Urban Ministries of Wake County: One Associate

Performance Measures – All Summer Associates will contribute to the Obesity and Food antipoverty measure by serving meals, activity kits and educational materials to youth at Summer food sites, or supporting community garden activities. The target performance measures for the 2023 Summer Associates program are detailed below:

  • Obesity and Food Output H4A- Number of individuals served. Target – 4,150 individuals
  • Obesity and Food Outcome H12- Number of individuals who report increased food security. Target – 2,760 individuals

Orientation and Training – All Summer Associates will be required to complete an on-site orientation prior to their start at their assigned site that will prepare them for the work that will be conducted and to help them gain a better understanding of food insecurity issues in Wake County. We also plan to offer learning opportunities during the Summer in which the Summer Associates will be able to participate.

Contacts

Sydney Mierop

Food Security Program Manager

Sydney.Mierop@wake.gov

Leyla Kester

AmeriCorps VISTA Program Manager

Leyla.Kester@wake.gov

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