This position is with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, located in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Food Shuttle we know that hunger and food insecurity result from two main root causes: lack of access to healthy food, and lack of sufficient income to purchase enough healthy food, or some combination of the two. Since 1989, The Food Shuttle has pioneered innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in our community. A grassroots movement from the beginning, over the last 26 years, we have built scalable models that will grow hunger-free communities. Food Shuttle is a community of people from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds that have come together with one intent—to build true food security for all.

THIS POSITION WILL HAVE A START DATE NO LATER THAN JUNE 1ST 2020. THE SERVICE TERM IS FOR 6 MONTHS FROM FIRST DAY OF SERVICE. 

**PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE UPLOADED ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS – RESUME, COVER LETTER, STATE OR FEDERAL ID, COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS, BIRTH CERTIFICATE (IF US PASSPORT NOT UPLOADED). If required documents are not uploaded at time of application, any offer for employment will be withheld until they are provided. All AmeriCorps Members must submit to having a National Sex Offender, State of Residence (if state is different than NC), State of NC, and Federal FBI Background check conducted. Any applicant denying to submit to these checks will be automatically disqualified as per federal regulations.

For this 6 month PART TIME (20 hours a week) 450 service hour term of service as an AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team member. The AmeriCorps program will offer a living stipend of $4,092 for 6 months (paid twice a month, on the 15th and last business day). Participants who complete the program will receive an Segal Education Award of $1,638.89 from the National Service Trust. Both the living stipend and Education Award is taxable income per federal regulation. (The living stipend may increase based on program participation)

CTNC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE BECAUSE OF RACE, CREED, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, AGE, DISABILITY, SEXUAL PREFERENCE OR FAMILIAL STATUS.

CTNC SEEKS TO ENGAGE APPLICANTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY OF ASIAN, BLACK, HISPANIC, MULTI-RACIAL, AND NATIVE AMERICAN BACKGROUND, IN CONSERVATION CAREERS. CONNECTING MORE DIVERSE APPLICANTS TO AN EMPLOYMENT PATHWAY HAS LED TO GREATER EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OF ALL PEOPLE IN CONSERVATION. 

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to realize the importance of being able to grow our own food at home. Having access to your own fresh produce, right outside your door, assures your family of an affordable way to continue to eat fresh, nutritious food all year long. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle has developed a new program to meet these needs called GARDENS FOR EVERYONE. This program will be building raised bed garden boxes for members of our food insecure community interested in having and maintaining a home garden.

It will also include gardening education so that new gardeners will have the knowledge they need for a successful garden.  THE GARDENING EDUCATION PIECE WILL INCLUDE DIGITIZING OUR VERY SUCCESSFUL “SEED TO SUPPER – A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LOW COST VEGETABLE GARDENING” SO THAT THIS EDUCATIONAL TOOL WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL GARDENERS AT THEIR HOME RATHER THAN HAVING TO GATHER IN A GROUP FOR IN PERSON TRAINING.

This position will be coordinating this brand-new program with the guidance of Urban Agriculture Staff. It will be a wonderful opportunity to be able to establish, implement and evaluate a new program. We look at GARDENS FOR EVERYONE as an extension of our very successful Community Gardener Program for people that are not able to garden at our Camden Garden site due to childcare or transportation challenges and will be available to people throughout our 7 county service area.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

In response to the current COVID-19 crisis, the PRIMARY DUTIES of the position will be assisting with sorting and packaging emergency food boxes to be distributed in the community.  This includes working in the warehouse and/or with our culinary team preparing meals to be blast frozen and distributed to children. 

SECONDARILY , this will be an opportunity to help launch a new, exciting program that will provide gardens for our food insecure community that want access to a home garden. Much of the planning has been done, but this position will be involved in all aspects of getting this project started. We are looking for a self-starter with enthusiasm for this project, who strives for excellence and has an attention to detail. This project will start in Wake and Durham County and once these programs are in place and successful, the project will move out to the other 5 counties that we serve.

PROGRAM PLANNING will include: Contacting potential gardeners and sites; Coordinating building materials and delivery; developing outreach materials, program and educational materials; planning for the implementation of this program in all 7 of our service counties (starting with Wake and Durham County).  PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION will include: Helping construct and fill garden boxes; coordinating with host sites; coordinating program volunteers; providing technical assistance to host sites and garden recipients; developing online information and resource page for gardeners and potential gardeners.  PROGRAM EVALUATION will include: Accessing implementation of garden box build; accessing activities and success of new gardens.

QUALIFICATIONS

Desired skills for this position include:  Highly organized; comfortable around all types of people; interest in community outreach and organizing; attention to detail; ability to work outside in NC conditions like high heat, rain, insects, humidity (probably half of this position will be outside); interest in gardening (experience preferred); able to lift 50 lbs.; skills in teaching and giving clear directions to adults; conversational and interested in meeting new people; respectful and polite to all; industrious and ability to problem solve; writing experience a must; excellent computer skills including Word, Publisher, Excel; experience with carpentry and use of power tools is preferred; able to work quickly and meet deadlines; and most of all enthusiasm and excitement for this project.

This position does not require a college degree but does require EXPERIENCE to be able to meet the needs of this position.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

This project will involve building 4’ x’ 8’ x 20” garden boxes at people’s homes. You will need to carry lumber; move wheelbarrows full of soil and shovel the soil into the garden box;  use power tools; keep up with tools and project supplies; drive a pickup truck; load and unload lumber. It will also require the ability to speak to people; demonstrate new ideas to people with no prior experience; and to help people gain confidence through your support and encouragement. 

This position requires travel within the 7 counties we serve, with the cost of travel to be reimbursed by the host organization (applicants must have their own vehicles).

AT HOME SITES, THE SERVICE MEMBER WILL FOLLOW THOROUGH SAFETY PROTOCOLS AS OUTLINED BY THE HOST ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING SOCIAL DISTANCING, WEARING A FACE MASK, GLOVES AND OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (SAFETY EQUIPMENT WILL BE SUPPLIED BY THE HOST ORGANIZATION).

PREFERRED SCHEDULE

The position is for part time service from June to November at 20 hours a week. Scheduling is based on needs of IFFS and applicant.