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21 people are interested
Post-harvest Volunteer/Intern
ORGANIZATION: Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Please visit the new page to apply.
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21 people are interested
Harvesting volunteers will assist the Program's Coordinator in organizing harvesting trips. These trips provide refugees with an opportunity to go to a variety of locations to gather different fruits and vegetables. Refugee families take some of these fruits and vegetables for consumption at home and the rest comes to the Iskashitaa Office or other distribution points. Iskashitaa will also use some of the fruits and vegetables for the value-added fruits program (juice, marmalade, jellies, jams, relishes, chutneys and more). Harvesting volunteer will research and educate on local foods new to the network or the community.
After Wednesday, Friday/Weekend harvests, the volunteer will help with weighing and culling gleaned produce. The assistant will determine what is ready to be redistributed and work closely with the Iskashitaa team to determine where food needs to be redistributed. The volunteer will use GIS applications to create an up to date map that reflects where refugees are located, and determine a main contact for apartment complexes/areas with large refugee populations in order to advertise distributions. The assistant will develop an understanding of Salesforce, Iskashitaa’s database program, and update harvest data on a weekly basis.
Applicant Characteristics
Volunteers/Interns should have an interest in supporting refugees and the local food system. Interns must be able to show respect for and be willing to learn from persons from other cultures. A successful intern will be able to use critical thinking and problem solving to help coordinate programs. Interns should be able to work independently. Knowledge of local food resources, harvesting techniques or food preservation techniques are not necessary but would be a benefit.
When
Volunteers/Interns at Iskashitaa establish a weekly work schedule with their supervisors. Interns will need to be available for programming specific to their internship. For example, the food workshop intern will need to be present during the food workshops. Often interns are work on coordinating one of our food programs. Therefore, the tasks needed to coordinate that program will need to be done before it occurs.
Supervision
Volunteers/Interns will be directly overseen by Iskashitaa staff who runs the program the intern will be participating in. The Harvest Volunteer will be under the supervision of the Program's Coordinator. Each of the Iskashitaa staff has unique backgrounds, interests, experience, and education. On staff, we have persons who are passionate about and have years of experience in reducing food waste through harvesting and composting, reducing the human carbon footprint, seeking justice for refugees and asylum seekers, and making food products from locally grown produce.
Current Staff includes:
- Barbara Eiswerth, Executive Director
- Valerie Seeton, Program's Manager
- Nolan Rose, Harvesting Coordinator
- Kate Crooks, Volunteer Manager
There is no stipend, but students interning at Iskashitaa will gain experience in a cross-cultural setting and will learn about local food and how it is used by persons from other cultures. Likewise, interns are encouraged to take harvested produce home. If students use their personal vehicle for Iskashitaa events, they may also turn in a receipt for gas reimbursement.
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About Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Location:
3736 E. 2nd St, Tucson, AZ 85716, US
Mission Statement
Iskashitaa Refugee Network creates opportunities to integrate UN refugees into the Southern Arizona community while educating the public, strengthening the local food system, reducing local food waste, and increasing food security.
Description
Iskashitaa Refugee Network is an intergenerational network of Tucson volunteers and UN refugees from Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries, who locate, harvest, and redistribute locally grown fruits and vegetables which would otherwise go to waste. IRN staff/volunteers create opportunities to empower recently arrived refugees by connecting them with a wide variety of resources to interact with the community. Through gleaning activities, refugees are introduced to local farms, hydroponic and aquaponics operations, farmers’ markets and other community festivities as well as backyard and community gardens. IRN teaches community members about sustainable food systems and fruit tree identification, harvesting techniques and seeks to increase food security and improve self-sufficiency among refugee households and other families in need. Refugees from the 37 different ethnic groups that IRN has worked with throughout its 17 year history, learn the geography of Tucson, gain valuable life skills, improve their English, develop a US work history and access to healthy foods and food preservation techniques.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
1406 E. Grant Road Bldg. 2TucsonTucsonTucson, AZ 85719
DATE POSTED
September 15, 2023
SKILLS
- Salesforce
- Basic Computer Skills
- Arabic
- People Skills
- Bilingual
- Gardening
GOOD FOR
N/A
REQUIREMENTS
- Driver's License Needed
- Must be at least 18
- Orientation or Training
- 5-10/h a week