Hunger Intervention Program Summer HungerCorps

Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) and United Way of King County are partnering together and seeking a team of full-time Summer HungerCorps Associates to end hunger in King County. This team will help families and youth access nutritious food during the summer months.   

Hunger Intervention Program:

Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) is a nonprofit organization based in the Lake City neighborhood of North Seattle. HIP’s mission is to increase food security for underserved populations in North King County through nutritious meals, educational programs, and advocacy. The Summer Meals program is one of our direct service meal programs that support families with children, focusing on families of color, with nutritious food during the summer break when school meals are not available. 

United Way of King County:

United Way of King County is working side by side with communities to build an equitable future for everyone by ensuring that everyone has access to resources, quality education, enough to eat, and a safe place to call home. United Way concentrates on issues that affect the most vulnerable and on which it can have measurable influence. Under our priority of breaking the cycle of poverty, we are committed to ensuring that families, especially families of color, have access to nutritious food.

Program Overview:

Access to good food and supportive relationships shouldn’t end when school is out. In King County, 100,000 low-income students have access to free meals during the school year, but less than 1 in 5 access free meals served during the summer.

The Free Summer Meals Program is a critical resource to ensure that children continue to have access to summer nutrition support, by serving meals in the places where kids live, learn, and play. National studies show that summer meals programs increase food security and mitigate summer learning loss – but less than 15% of low-income youth in our region access Summer Meals programs each year. This is due to preventable barriers – including too few sites, lack of awareness about the program, and a lack of activities and incentives to engage kids and teens.

Your Role:

Summer HungerCorps Associates will be part of a passionate cohort of 100 direct service AmeriCorps members working across King County in partnership with community-based organizations to connect families with the food they need. Here at HIP, you will join more than ten other members in this work to support food security during the summer months in northeast Seattle and Shoreline. 

Our Summer Associates will increase access to Summer Meals through their service. This is a great opportunity to gain a variety of experiences in a collaborative, fast paced, and supportive work environment. You’ll help to prepare meals in the kitchen, serve meals to kids and families in different outdoor or indoor settings, and facilitate hands-on educational activities to engage youth. Additional duties include conducting grassroots community outreach to get the word out about available food resources, which is imperative in breaking down barriers. Your service will aid in protecting participation and access to the Summer Meals program and help ensure that our community is able to achieve a just and equitable economic recovery from the pandemic.  

As a part of this team, you will be supported with a robust orientation, ongoing training, and the tools and resources you need to be successful. Full training and certification provided.  

Eligibility

• At least 18 years of age
• US citizen, US national, or lawful permanent residents, or persons legally residing in a state. Unfortunately other residency statuses and VISAS are not sufficient.
• Available full-time (40 hours per week) from June 17, 2024 to August 25, 2024
• Must go through background checks
• High school diploma/GED
• As part of the hiring process, all candidates will be asked to complete a screening survey. This survey will confirm eligibility and will ask a few started questions to learn a bit more about you. We will send you the link to the screening survey once we have your application, but you can also get a head start on it here: Summer HungerCorps Associate: Screening Form (google.com)

Desired Qualifications:

• Self-starters who are passionate about supporting their community and public service 
• Experience working independently in high-energy environments
• Flexible, resourceful, and adaptable
• Ability to build relationships and effectively communicate information to a broad audience, including conducting outreach to parents, youth and other community members
• Experience working with diverse populations and an ability to apply a racial equity lens towards anti-hunger work
• Second language skill (especially Spanish, Somali, Amharic, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Russian, or Ukrainian) is highly desirable so that we can offer services to families in their preferred or native languages.

Members will frequently move or lift boxes weighing up to 30 pounds. This position may frequently involve service in outdoor weather conditions, and may involve standing, walking, or moving around the service location for the duration of a shift. This position frequently communicates with staff and community members, and must be able to exchange accurate information.

• Bi-weekly stipend of $1,303.70, pre-tax
• Eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($1,459.26).
• Unlimited public transportation (ORCA) pass
• Mileage reimbursement for travel between service sites, if required by your site placement
• Receive a Food Handler’s Permit and other professional development trainings
• Become part of the AmeriCorps Network and part of a high-impact team
• Receive special consideration for United Way's Full-Time AmeriCorps teams beginning Fall 2024