Hiring: Food Access Coordinator – Grow Food Northampton
Grow Food Northampton is an equal opportunity provider and employer. People of color are encouraged to apply. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.
Position Announcement: Food Access Coordinator
May, 2020
Job Type and Schedule: Part-time (approximately 20 hours per week) with an intended start date of July 6th, 2020 and an estimated end date in early to mid-November, 2020. Hours may increase in September and October.
Compensation and Benefits: $18 per hour.
To apply: Please email a resume and cover letter to michael@growfoodnorthampton.com by June 12th, 2020.
Grow Food Northampton seeks a Food Access Coordinator, a new, seasonal, and temporary position reporting to the Associate Director. The Food Access Coordinator will support our Community Food Distribution Project and other initiatives that provide access to healthy food to community members experiencing food insecurity. The current manager of this program will be taking leave in early Fall, at which time the Coordinator will assume responsibility for this programming through the end of the season in early November.
About Grow Food Northampton
Grow Food Northampton builds a community that supports its farms and farmers and makes local food available to everyone who lives here. Grow Food Northampton owns a 120-acre community farm that leases land to four different farmers practicing sustainable agriculture; manages a vibrant 290-plot organic community garden; grows over 8,000 pounds of produce annually that is donated to people in need; operates a thriving downtown farmers’ market; educates over 1,200 students about local food on the farm and in the classroom annually; and manages food access initiatives that invite people of all incomes into the local food movement. Founded in 2010, Grow Food Northampton serves the city of Northampton and nearby communities with three full-time and three part-time staff members, Terracorps service members, and volunteers.
About our Food Access Initiatives
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our Grow Food Shares programming provided access to healthy and locally-grown food to approximately 350 households on a weekly basis during the growing season. This was done through our Neighborhood Markets, a mobile farmers’ market selling subsidized produce at 11 locations throughout Northampton, subsidized farm shares at Crimson & Clover Farm, and a SNAP Match program at our Tuesday Market farmers’ market.
In response to the pandemic, Grow Food Northampton has partnered with the Northampton Survival Center and Community Action Pioneer Valley to provide emergency access to food for community residents experiencing food insecurity. Our role is two-fold: to support local farms experiencing a loss of revenue due to the pandemic by purchasing Grow Food Northampton is an equal opportunity provider and employer. People of color are encouraged to apply. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.
food from them, and to deliver it to subsidized housing communities. On a weekly basis, we are delivering thousands of pounds of food to over 400 households.
Position Description
The Food Access Coordinator will work closely with the Associate Director to coordinate aspects of the Community Food Distribution Project and other initiatives during the 2020 growing season.
Responsibilities
– Staff the Community Food Distribution Project on Tuesday and Thursday delivery days. This includes transporting food, distributing at subsidized housing communities and other locations, and interacting with participants, volunteers, and staff.
– Coordinate Grow Food Northampton staff who are supporting the project.
– Develop and manage a volunteer system for the project.
– Coordinate participant intake and record-keeping.
– Support the purchase of food from local farms and vendors.
– Communicate with participants via text messaging, email, and phone.
– Staff Grow Food Shares programs if/when they begin.
– Assume management of all of the above when the Associate Director takes leave.
– Become an integral member of the Grow Food Northampton team.
– Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
– Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, sound judgment, and professionalism
– Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and diverse groups of people
– Patience, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude
– Basic computer skills including the use of spreadsheets
– Strong written communication skills
– Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail
– Demonstrated commitment to working in the community
– Commitment to addressing food insecurity and the building of a sustainable local food system
Preferred qualifications:
– Minimum experience of 2 years coordinating projects
– Experience working with and managing volunteers
Requirements
– Hold a valid driver’s license and feel comfortable driving a 12-passenger van.
– Meet the physical requirements of food delivery, including but not limited to, repeatedly lifting 40 pounds and walking on uneven terrain.
– This position requires a physical presence and interaction with volunteers and program participants. Following the safety protocols defined by Grow Food Northampton is required.