AmeriCorps Program Coordinator (Durango, CO)

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About Cooking Matters

Cooking Matters is helping end childhood hunger by inspiring families to make healthy, affordable food choices. Our programs teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals. Cooking Matters is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.

We offer interactive grocery store tours, hands-on cooking classes, smartphone apps and other resources - all free, and run through trusted local community partners. Cooking Matters serves families across the country and is a trusted leader in food skills education, conducting research and supporting partners that reach families in need.

AmeriCorps programs provide opportunities for Americans to make a yearlong intensive commitment to service. The AmeriCorps network of local, state, and national service programs engages more than 80,000 Americans in projects around the nation each year.

Member Responsibilities

AmeriCorps members will work with the Cooking Matters team in Colorado - one in Durango,two in Denver - to implement programs that teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals. Member responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

1) Program Coordination:

• Work with culinary, nutrition and other volunteers, as well as agency/site managers, to implement courses and tours using Cooking Matters curriculum, with emphasis on serving priority audience (parents and caregivers of kids 0-5).
• Complete all preparations for class, such as assembling and transporting equipment, materials, and groceries, and preparing volunteer and agency staff for gold-standard programming.
• Complete program evaluation and other reporting as necessary.
• Participate in actively seeking out, working with, and maintaining positive relationships with agencies serving low-income clients to host Cooking Matters courses and tours.
• Assist with developing Cooking Matters outreach materials and handouts, as needed.

  *Applicants should note that while courses and tours are the main priority for the service year, the actual implementation ebbs and flows based on season as well as demand from community partners.*

2) Volunteer Management and Training:

• Provide volunteers with training and materials needed to teach courses and tours and make sure they follow procedures and program guidelines.
• Support, coach, and manage volunteers to make sure they have all required materials and communicate key messages.
• Provide timely and consistent communications with volunteers.
• Identify and participate in opportunities to recruit volunteers. Build relationships with chefs, dietitians, nutritionists and others to maintain enough trained volunteers to reach goals.
• Provide recognition for volunteers.
• Help with special events such as fundraising or volunteer appreciation.

3) Administration/Miscellaneous:

• Work with supervisor to set personal goals and follow work plan created with the AmeriCorps member.
• Ensure course and tour reporting is completed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Complete additional reporting and communications contributions as required, which may include blog posts, newsletters, photographs, and volunteer and participant story gathering.
• Submit timesheets in accordance with guidelines.
• Participate in national, state and other trainings - one of which may require travel out of state.
• Maintain working knowledge related to hunger, nutrition, food safety and food trends.
• Collaborate with other departments, as necessary, to ensure high quality service to families, volunteers, and our network of agencies.

TRAINING:

Cooking Matters AmeriCorps members are part of local and national Cooking Matters teams and take part in all associated training and activities. AmeriCorps members will receive orientation training from Cooking Matters staff, and be part of a peer network of AmeriCorps members from around the nation and be a part of regular training opportunities including monthly webinars and one in-person retreat.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 18 years of age
• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Experience or education in nutrition and/or culinary arts highly desired
• Driver's license and good driving record, as well as a reliable personal vehicle
• Ability to balance a variety of tasks simultaneously
• Volunteer or volunteer management experience preferred
• Experience and/or comfort with speaking to groups of 12-25 at a time.
• Experience working with adults in formal and/or informal education programs
• Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) candidate preferred
• Enrollment contingent on successful passing of criminal background search (including a FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check).

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Colorado office hours are 8:30am - 4:30pm. However, the nature of our community work means that our schedules fluctuate often. Members should plan to serve as late as 8pm on weekdays, as well as 1-2 weekends per month. We flex our schedules to maintain a 40-hr week.
  • For example, if you are coordinating a class that ends at 8pm, you wouldn’t be expected to start work until 12pm to make for an 8-hour day.
• If programming demand is consistent, members can expect to spend approximately 50% of their time at the office and 50% of their time out in the community. There may be times when you are spending 90% of your time in the office if programming is slow.
• Work environments will include a professional office setting, as well as various community settings (schools, community centers, health fairs, etc.)
• Member will use computer and phones extensively.
• Regularly lifts, moves and carries objects of up to 40 pounds, such as food and classroom supplies. Exposure to a variety of foods in residential, community, and industrial kitchens.
• In a class or tour setting, may stand and work at tables and stoves for extended periods of time.
• Members are required to have their own personal vehicle, since they will drive frequently due to work performed in the community. Mileage reimbursement is provided for work-related travel.

TERMS:

The Cooking Matters AmeriCorps members are being sought for a full-time, 12-month term of service (1,700 hours) starting September 3rd or 17th, 2018. The position will end approximately 1 year from start date. Share Our Strength is an equal opportunity employer and does not make hiring decisions on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religion.

TO APPLY:

Submit your resume and cover letter to Becky Mares, Colorado’s Community Engagement Manager, at bmares@strength.org (contact for this position only).

Or visit the AmeriCorps Recruitment Site at https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/publicRequestSearch.do and search for Cooking Matters.

For questions about Cooking Matters AmeriCorps nationally, contact:

Chef Ellen Damaschino, Program Manager, at edamaschino@strength.org

Equal Opportunity Employer.