Description
**UWKC AmeriCorps members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the first day of service.**
ABOUT THE POSITION
Whether FareStart students are coming from poverty, are in recovery, or have been formerly incarcerated, FareStart’s job training program provides self-empowerment and job skills training that will have a lasting and formative impact. By supporting FareStart’s goals of having transformational impact for individuals to thrive and poverty to be disrupted, the VISTA will build capacity for the Food Recovery program to develop, grow, and scale Value Added Processing.
The Value Added Processing aspect of FareStart’s Food Recovery program aims to reduce regional food waste while supporting the local food economy and benefit those that have least access to nutritional food. The VISTA will build this capacity through community engagement and collaboration, building shared knowledge around our regional food system, while also understanding and incorporating FareStart’s student-centered and trauma informed job training program into this work.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Build capacity for value-added processed upcycling products to distribute in the hunger relief system.
- Participate in current food recovery projects to get hands-on experience to inform understanding of the high-level state of the gaps in our regional food systems’ supply chain and identify the biggest challenges.
- Produce a comprehensive report detailing the gaps and challenges based on research and your hands-on experience on the food security team, as well as how farestart’s current work could scale to meet at least one of these identified gaps in year 2 and year 3 of this vista project.
- Creation of strategies to sustainably supply farestart’s food security work to ensure it can continue long term.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- Hunger and poverty disproportionately affect people who identify with multiple intersections of marginality—including people that identify as Black, Native, POC, queer, trans, disabled, first generation, etc. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage those that identify with these communities to apply
- Understanding of systemic racism and commitment to anti-racist work to ensure outputs are relevant and accessible to community members
- Flexibility and quick problem-solving skills to balance the variety of service activities and any potential shift in program priorities
- Experience working on multiple projects at once and ability to self-manage
- Ability to communicate clearly with staff members, partners, and AmeriCorps members
- Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with team, partners, and community members.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills including public speaking skills
ELIGIBILITY
- Must be over 18 years old on the first day of service
- Must be a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. Unfortunately, F1 visas are not sufficient.
- Must be available 40 hours per week. Exact hours may vary by site placement, but will primarily be Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Must undergo a Washington State Patrol background check, FBI background check and National Sex Offender Registry Check, plus state of residence background check if not currently living in Washington
- High school diploma/GED
**UWKC AmeriCorps members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the first day of service.**
ABOUT THE POSITION
Whether FareStart students are coming from poverty, are in recovery, or have been formerly incarcerated, FareStart’s job training program provides self-empowerment and job skills training that will have a lasting and formative impact. By supporting FareStart’s goals of having transformational impact for individuals to thrive and poverty to be disrupted, the VISTA will build capacity for the Food Recovery program to develop, grow, and scale Value Added Processing.
The Value Added Processing aspect of FareStart’s Food Recovery program aims to reduce regional food waste while supporting the local food economy and benefit those that have least access to nutritional food. The VISTA will build this capacity through community engagement and collaboration, building shared knowledge around our regional food system, while also understanding and incorporating FareStart’s student-centered and trauma informed job training program into this work.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Build capacity for value-added processed upcycling products to distribute in the hunger relief system.
- Participate in current food recovery projects to get hands-on experience to inform understanding of the high-level state of the gaps in our regional food systems’ supply chain and identify the biggest challenges.
- Produce a comprehensive report detailing the gaps and challenges based on research and your hands-on experience on the food security team, as well as how farestart’s current work could scale to meet at least one of these identified gaps in year 2 and year 3 of this vista project.
- Creation of strategies to sustainably supply farestart’s food security work to ensure it can continue long term.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- Hunger and poverty disproportionately affect people who identify with multiple intersections of marginality—including people that identify as Black, Native, POC, queer, trans, disabled, first generation, etc. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage those that identify with these communities to apply
- Understanding of systemic racism and commitment to anti-racist work to ensure outputs are relevant and accessible to community members
- Flexibility and quick problem-solving skills to balance the variety of service activities and any potential shift in program priorities
- Experience working on multiple projects at once and ability to self-manage
- Ability to communicate clearly with staff members, partners, and AmeriCorps members
- Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with team, partners, and community members.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills including public speaking skills
ELIGIBILITY
- Must be over 18 years old on the first day of service
- Must be a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent resident of the United States. Unfortunately, F1 visas are not sufficient.
- Must be available 40 hours per week. Exact hours may vary by site placement, but will primarily be Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Must undergo a Washington State Patrol background check, FBI background check and National Sex Offender Registry Check, plus state of residence background check if not currently living in Washington
- High school diploma/GED
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Living Allowance
$2056
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$2056 monthly
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance, Training
Additional Benefits
BENEFITS
- Bi-weekly stipend of $1027.88 (pre-tax)
- $6,895 Education Award or $1,800 End of Service Stipend upon successful completion of service
- Loan deferment and payment of interest accrued during service year on qualified student loans (loans must be federally-backed; personal/private loans not eligible)
- Noncompetitive eligibility for federal jobs for up to one year after completing service
- Health benefits that meet the minimum standards of ACA compliance
- Childcare assistance
- 10 days sick leave, 10 days personal leave plus 11 federal holidays
- Enrollment in an assistance program with 24-hour access to phone counseling
- Access to emergency assistance program to mitigate unforeseen financial emergencies that put your continued participation in AmeriCorps service at risk
- Monthly team meetings, high-quality training, professional development, and networking opportunities
- Lifelong friends and colleagues who are passionate about service!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Robust professional development to support your personal, professional, and service goals and growth.
- Skills to be gained include but not limited to: Interpersonal and Intercultural communication, community outreach, adaptability, relationship building, conflict management, customer service, resource navigation, data entry, knowledge of WA public benefits, knowledge of inner workings of non-profits and community college systems.
- Career development trainings provided by UWKC AmeriCorps team.
- Previous trainings include: How to Network, Resume Workshops, Mock Interviews, How to make your LinkedIn Profile Shine.
- Networking opportunities within United Way and Community Partners.
- As a member of this cohort, you will be supported with a robust orientation, ongoing professional development opportunities, training, check-ins, and the tools and resources you need to succeed.
Education Requirements
GED
Desired Languages
English
Other Conditions
Subject to criminal background check