Multnomah County Healthy Food Coordinator VISTA

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Recruiting Organization: Oregon Health Authority AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project

Join an innovative collaboration between health centers and farms. Help expand a national first and increase opportunities for health promotion activities and education!

The AmeriCorps member will aid the Multnomah County Health Center’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Partnerships for Health (CSAP4H) program. This program is an innovative food access program that works to reduce illness by distributing food from local farms to clients from community health centers. The program reduces barriers by offering delivery for the CSA shares, and the CSA shares are fully paid for using each client’s insurance benefits and grant funding. The program also focuses on health promotion programming to complement the CSA dietary intervention. This includes options like walking groups and cooking classes. Our clients often say they can’t afford to eat healthy foods; by removing financial barriers to healthy eating we facilitate their transition out of poverty by freeing up their financial resources for other important things (such as rent, utilities, tuition, etc).

The AmeriCorps member will leverage partnerships internal to the county to make better use of existing resources and develop outside partnerships to support client education and health promotion, develop and streamline our new internship program to support the work of Community Health Workers (CHWs), design and facilitate focus groups to collect client feedback, analyze and use data for program improvement, and may have opportunities to co-author material for publication in public health journals or conferences.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience working with people who experience health disparities
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Ability to build relationships and communicate in new environments
• Interest in food justice and creative health interventions

The position joins Oregon Health Authority’s statewide AmeriCorps VISTA team. In addition to activities at your individual site, each member receives additional orientation, trainings, team meetings, and the support of the team leaders and project director based at the state public health agency. For more information about the Oregon Health Authority AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project, please visit: http://healthoregon.org/vista . Selections are made on a rolling basis and early applications are strongly encouraged. The last day to apply is February 26, 2024.

The Multnomah County’s seven Community Health Centers provide low-cost family healthcare to all residents of Multnomah County, including those who are low-income and uninsured. We aim to address healthcare inequities and health disparities among populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, and non-English speakers. Over 70% of our patients live below the federal poverty limit, and more than 40% prefer to be served in a language other than English. The Community Health Centers play a crucial role in alleviating poverty and serving the needs of the low-income community members by offering affordable healthcare services, helping individuals and families access the care they need while reducing financial health burdens and improving health outcomes.

Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon has a regional population of 2 million people with access to nature within the city and beaches and mountains just an hour away. The area has reliable public transportation and offers a variety of arts, music, and cultural events.

The OHA AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project is committed to building a diverse workforce to broaden and deepen our work in the communities we serve.

With the innovative public health work happening in Oregon, Portland is a wonderful place to explore a future in public health.

Stipend ProvidedFalse

Training ProvidedFalse

Housing AvailableFalse

Language/Cultral Support AvailableFalse

Wheelchair Accessible

Fee RequiredFalse

Fee Amount: None

This opportunity is recurring