2024 Americorps Food Hub Coordinator
This brand new Americorps Service Member position is a unique hybrid role that will work with both the ACORN Food Hub and CVOEO’s Feeding Champlain Valley. The Food Hub Coordinator will assist in developing the multipurpose food hub in Addison County.
ACORN's mission is to promote the growth and health of local food and agriculture in Vermont’s Champlain Valley by providing support to our farmers and food producers, engaging in food education and ensuring access to healthy food for all members of our community.
Feeding Champlain Valley is a program of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). We address fundamental issues of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice and work with people to achieve economic independence.
This service project helps build food security by providing access to healthy foods to low income populations as well as ensuring that local producers are seen and valued as land stewards and food security agents. The Food Hub Coordinator will experience various facets of our county's food system through direct client service, market development and storytelling.
By partnering with both Feeding Champlain Valley’s Food Access Network and the ACORN Food Hub, the role will be a mix of direct food access as well as indirect, “bigger picture” thinking and communications in an effort to address the systemic root causes of food insecurity and sovereignty.
Dates: September 2024 - August 2025
Key Responsibilities, Listed by Program
ACORN:
- Communications + Storytelling:
- Develop an understanding of the local food system and how farmers act as client stewards
- Meet with farmers and producers to understand their climate smart practices and resilience stories, and weave those stories into a cohesive narrative that communicates the value of a strong local food system
- Document these practices, stories and narrative using photography, written and digital tools
- Collaborate with the ACORN team to update the ACORN website and social media with farms’ stories as they are developed
- Accurately capture and creatively share the value proposition of local food, and why supporting the Food Hub is important.
- Develop an understanding of the local food system and how farmers act as client stewards
- Farmacy
- Assist with weekly Farmacy CSA packing and distribution in Middlebury as well as home deliveries
- ACORN Food Hub
- Provide logistical support to the Food Hub team as related to weekly operations of the Online Market, including supply chain and delivery schedules.
CVOEO:
- Operations
- Expand in person and intermediary grocery deliveries to food insecure residents of Addison County.
- Expand opportunities for food rescue and gleaning in Addison County.
- Help grow our network of agencies, clinics and community partners.
- Direct client support deliveries
- Assist in data collection and program evaluation to increase user satisfaction and generate impactful referrals to relevant services.
- Order fulfillment
- Conduct outreach and engagement around new services offered through the Food Access Network and our online grocery ordering system (ie mobile pantry locations and automated food kiosks)
Opportunities to work on other tasks may be possible based on the service member’s interests.
Qualifications:
- Detail-oriented, self-motivated, organized with excellent time management
- Enthusiastic about the mission of both organizations, sustainability, food access and food justice
- Proficient in the use of Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Canva. Interested and able to learn new computer-based software quickly and thoroughly.
- Comfortable with a mix of computer/desk work and in-person Food Hub work
- Personable, customer-oriented, comfortable interacting with a broad range of people
- A proficient communicator with strong written and verbal skills
- Capable of handling many tasks and managing several priorities simultaneously
- Valid driver’s license and ability to lift 40 pounds.
- Ability to stand 1-2 hours at a time
To Apply, visit https://dec.vermont.gov/administration-innovation/eco/becoming-member.