Food Pantry AssistantAt — Pathways of Hope

The position is seeking a food pantry volunteer for between 25-40 hours for the semester who will assist with multiple food pantry tasks including the following: assist with client registration, unloading, organizing and bagging shelf stable and refrigerated food, hand out food to clients, clean surface areas and other places food is kept, and communicate with other volunteers and Pathways of Hope staff. Each shift is typically between 2.5 and 4 hours and may be completed inside our facilities or outside, depending on the needs of the day. Volunteers must be able to lift 20 lbs, complete a volunteer application, sign a volunteer waiver, initial a checklist, and wear closed toed shoes. It is recommended that the student bring drinking water and sun protection.

The student will demonstrate their learning outcomes by following all policies and procedures for safe food handling, by using computer software to register food bank participants, by communicate with participants of many backgrounds to get them registered and determine their needs, by communicating with other volunteers and staff so that the program runs on time, by assisting with the delivery, processing, and distribution food to our participants, and by making sure the areas where food is kept is clean and safe for our participants.

Training:

To help the student achieve their learning outcomes they will be trained on general employer orientation, weekly one-on-one mentoring, job shadowing, overview of assigned tasks, complete ServSafe food handling certification, how to handle food based on the Food Finders food handling rules, how to prepare for and run a food distribution center, how to register clients for food distribution, how to use Pathways of Hope’s scheduling program called SignUpGenius, and report their completed service hours

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the semester, the student will learn how to interact with people in the community seeking basic services. The students may need to use trauma-informed care practices. The student will communicate with other volunteers and our staff, giving them the important communication skills needed in the workforce. Other knowledge they will acquire will be how Pathways of Hope helps our neighbors in need seeking food, housing and other services. They will also learn how many people face food insecurity and housing issues. We serve on average over 300 households at our community-based food pantry in Fullerton, over 250 students at NOCE Community College, and over 350 students at Cypress Community College each week.