The Food Depository leverages part time AmeriCorps members to support the following areas:
- Health partner programs that provide nutritious meals to patients experiencing food insecurity
- Older adult programs that provide produce and healthy shelf stable items at older adult residences and senior centers
- SNAP Outreach at partner pantries to expand the reach of the Food Depository’s Benefits Outreach team
- Veteran pantries at Hines VA Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Service Activities
Exact position description will vary based on team placement, but members will participate in the following service activities:
∙ Develop an in-depth knowledge of the Food Depository’s food access programming and initiatives designed to alleviate the root causes of hunger
∙ Build, steward, and manage relationships with food access partners – such as health clinics, VA hospitals, older adult residences, senior centers, and traditional food pantries
∙ Perform outreach activities to spread awareness of programs and increase participation at program sites
∙ Provided ongoing training and technical support to program coordinators
∙ Support volunteers at food access partner sites
∙ Support food access site patrons
∙ Assist with tracking and reporting requirements (including data collection, data entry, and data analysis, as needed) for partner sites
Community Need Addressed
As the food bank for Cook County, the Food Depository distributes food through a network of over 700 community-based partnerships. More than 812,000 residents turn to the Food Depository’s network for support each year or experience food insecurity, having limited or inconsistent access to a variety of quality, nutritious food. These individuals also face a variety of interrelated challenges related to poverty, unemployment and health disparities. The Food Depository offers a variety of programs and services to partners throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County to provide food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in the community.
Position Outcomes
1. Connect individuals experiencing food insecurity to nutritious food and nutrition education
2. Support older adult food access programming throughout Cook County
3. Support and expand the SNAP-O Network
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Student loan forbearance, Training
Skills you will gain
CPR & first aid certification, stewardship of community partners, project management, program development and logistics, knowledge of Cook County community and food insecurity issues
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Drive decision making
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment