Street Team Member

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Volunteer Position Description

Title: Street Team Member

Brief Description of Organization

Iowa Food Assistance is the federal program formerly known as the food stamp program. Food Assistance Outreach is a cooperative effort through Food Bank for the Heartland, and the Iowa Food Bank Association. Our program helps eligible citizens across Iowa who meet the stringent requirements apply for this valuable nutrition assistance, through our Food Assistance Hotline and in-person outreach. In fiscal year 2017, our outreach specialists helped more than 4,300 Iowa households receive benefits. Food Assistance provides $508 million back to Iowa’s economy.

Purpose

The Food Bank’s Food Assistance Program strives to reach every person in Iowa that qualifies for food assistance. One of the ways the Street Team can help make that happen is by increasing knowledge about this program in our local communities through canvassing. The more people know about food assistance, the better chance there is that they will seek the help for which they are eligible.

Results

By working in the community and meeting people face-to-face, members of the Street Team will be making a difference in peoples’ lives every day, and might even be the reason a family is lifted out of hunger by providing them with a tool to help themselves - our Food Assistance Hotline!

Activities

• Canvassing at local businesses and hotspots
• Driving to predetermined locations around town
• Hanging up Food Assistance flyers
• Interacting with members of the community
• Representing and raising awareness of our program

Measures: We will measure the success of this position by keeping track of where our Street Team has put up flyers to ensure we canvass as many areas as possible.

Qualifications

• Personal transportation
• Flexible schedule
• Comfortable approaching and engaging with the public
• Bilingual (Spanish) is a plus

Time Frame: Minimum commitment of 2 hours or more per month for 3 months

Site: Predetermined locations will vary; one shift will include visits to multiple businesses and hotspots

Supervision: This position will be supervised by our Volunteer Capacity Building VISTA.

Benefits Gained by Volunteer

• The chance to engage with local communities
• In-depth training and orientation on the Federal SNAP program and Iowa Food Assistance guidelines
• The potential for a professional reference from a well-known and reputable non-profit, if the minimum requirements are met!
• Pride in bringing valuable assistance to our food insecure populations

Contact Info and Next Steps

Contact Asefa Zebene at azebene@foodbankheartland.org or (855) 444-5556 ext 4834, or go to foodbankheartland.org and apply to be an Iowa Food Assistance Volunteer under Get Food/SNAP.