Urban Servant Corps (USC) is a full-time service year program in Denver, CO. Volunteers live together in the heart of the city, practicing service, simplicity, spirituality and intentional community. The Cafe Service Member will work in a kitchen/small restaurant setting and is responsible for engaging with volunteers and guests directly and creating a welcoming and safe environment. This position will be responsible for sharing the mission of the cafe to all guests and volunteers and explaining how guests can choose to participate for a meal. The Service Member will assist in coordinating daily scheduled and drop-in volunteers. This position requires excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to adapt to the needs of a diverse volunteer base and clientele.
Service Activities
- Assists the Cafe Manager in recruiting, training, and onboarding daily volunteers
- Assists the Cafe Manager in recruiting, training, and onboarding of CORE volunteers
- Assists in the coordination of volunteer exchange guests and front & back of house
pre-scheduled volunteers, including assignments, paperwork, and waivers
- Orient and lead daily volunteers in Cafe safety standards
- Assists in all daily set up, food prep, cleaning, and closing procedures
- Assists the Cafe Manager with volunteer and produce data tracking and scheduling
- Checks in and documents produce donations from partner farms and from guests for
meal participation
- Ensure compliance with all Health Department and cafe health and safety standards
- Prep and store product orders and donations in a timely manner
- Assist in monitoring Cafe cleanliness, food levels, and suitability of volunteers to
participate
- Ensure end of day tasks are completed and record money with a staff member
- Occasional evening, catering shifts, and off-site events optional
- Other duties as assigned
Community Need Addressed
Continued increase in the number of unhoused people and families in the Denver metro area with no access to a kitchen to prepare nutritious meals, inflated cost of living in the Denver metro area resulting in a need for food assistance, limited to no access to organic vegetables and meals that meet dietary needs, lack of a comfortable restaurant style environment where the unhoused and everyone are welcome and treated equally.
Position Outcomes
Increased access to nutritious meals for the unhoused and everyone, a place of dignity and welcome for the unhoused, fresh and hot meals that meet customer's dietary restrictions.
Benefits
Health coverage, Housing, Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Volunteers receive a food stipend, a personal stipend, and have an individual bedroom in a large Denver community home. The community house includes Wi-Fi, trash service and heating. USC offers volunteers who complete a successful year of service a $1,000.00 readjustment allowance at the end of the year to be used at the volunteer's discretion and $2,000.00 towards student loan debt reduction with the option to apply for a total of up to $7,000.00 towards student loan debt reduction. During a year of service, USC also offers each volunteer a $300.00 professional growth and development fund, a $500.00 medical fund (prescriptions, counseling, office visit co-pay, etc.), bikes to use or a bus pass for service sites that are more than two miles from the volunteer community house, spiritual direction, if desired, and 10 days of vacation time. Volunteers who experience menstruation will also receive an additional stipend to purchase necessary products. The community will also experience two retreat weekends and a trip to the U.S./Mexico border.
Skills you will gain
Timekeeping, basic food prep, conflict management, health and safety standards, teamwork, customer service, communication, some knowledge about organic produce and sustainability.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Turn taking
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise
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, 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
Tools
Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, 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, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, 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