POSITION: Administrative and Special Projects Intern
ORGANIZATION: Food Forward (501c3 non-profit), www.foodforward.org
HOURS: 20 hours per week M, W, F from 10 – 5pm at our North Hollywood office.
DATES: January 15th, 2012- December 15th, 2012
COMPENSATION: This position is currently unpaid.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:
Food Forward’s mission is to reconnect people with people – through food – by bringing together volunteers and neighbors to share in the gleaning and distributing of locally grown food from private homes and public spaces which is then distributed to local food pantries and organizations serving those in need. Since forming in 2009, Food Forward has rescued over 640,000 pounds of produce from over 325 local backyards and orchards.
Food Forward is growing by leaps and bounds and is at an exciting point in it’s development. To keep up with the increasing opportunities and demands coming to our organization, we are looking for an individual who will assist the core Food Forward team with administrative and programmatic needs!
We seek someone who is looking for a dynamic experience that will provide a highly valuable work experience in a fast, mission-driven, non profit setting. This position will provide professional experience assisting in the development, planning, and execution of vital programs at Food Forward. The position provides intimate exposure to working with several of Food Forward’s partnership agencies as well. We seek an applicant who is excited to become better familiarized with the Food Justice community of Los Angeles.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Admin/Program assistant will work directly with the Managing Director, Volunteer Coordinator, and the Harvest Coordinator on various projects and tasks pertaining to Food Forward’s daily operations and programing. The Admin/Prog Assistant will work closely with the core team on following:
Volunteer Coordinator
- Support the volunteer in community outreach and community development efforts to grow volunteer base in LA region and Ventura County.
- Maintain an organized volunteer database
- Maintain strong organizational relationships with super volunteers (pick leaders, property scouts, and neighborhood captains).
- Help with administrative needs to maintain and develop Food Forward Community Chapters.
- Help to ensure that the logistics of each pick is organized and coordinated.
- Make site visits to community organizations, institutions, and events to pitch Food Forward’s mission and encourage involvement.
Harvest Coordinator
- Assist the Harvest Coordinator in maintaining the database of properties and coordinating the scouting of trees in LA and Ventura Counties.
- Manage the “FruitLine”, Food Forward’s telephone messaging service.
- Provide support for the development of the “I Pick It” model
- Conduct research on potential properties for larger picks as well as private picks.
- Help coordinate property scouting with available property scouts.
- Manage Vehicle Maintenance on Food Forward vehicles.
Managing Director
- Assist in the development and implementation of the Farmer’s Market Recovery Program
- Assistance with CAN IT! Program – FF’s food preservation fundraising program.
- Manage inventory and status of merchandise (Create a system that works for Food Forward and clients selling Products).
*This role also requires the Admin/Program Assistant to become a Pick Leader and a Property Scout. This person will be required to lead at least 1 fruit pick monthly and scout 1 property monthly.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Ideally, candidate will have a strong interest in hunger and food justice issues. We are looking for an extremely detail-oriented person who enjoys organizing and collecting data and who can work efficiently and comfortably on a website to manage information. Candidate should be personable and able follow up with property owners of various personalities and temperaments. Candidate must have a strong interest in local fruit tree varietals and fruit tree care. Candidate should be well versed in Los Angeles and SFV geography.
Other qualifications include:
- Bachelors Degree in a related field
- Strong knowledge and comfort with WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, & other social media
- Experience in food justice work desired
- Proven effective data management skills
- Strong people and public speaking skills
- Flexible and able to work well under pressure
- Experience working in a fast paced environment, start up or non-profit desired
- A valid drivers license and ability to easily navigate the SFV
- Willingness to work some weekends
- Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred
- Must have a reliable form a transportation
If you are interested in this position, please email your most current resume and a 100-150 word letter explaining why you want to work for Food Forward and what excites you most about our mission. Please send your resume and letter of interest in PDF format (one PDF File, please) to Max@foodforward.org.
