Community Experience Coordinator (Bilingual: Spanish Required)

Ballard Food Bank’s mission is to bring food and hope to our neighbors because there can be enough for everyone. To achieve our mission, we provide access to nutritious foods through our grocery model food bank, Kindness Café, and Community Resource Hub, which encompasses financial resources, referral, and mail services. We advocate for food equity and justice. Our home, which opened in October 2021, serves as a Hub for Hope as it brings together food, services, and community partners in a one-stop shop. The Ballard Food Bank actively strives to be an anti-racist organization and promotes the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in its work.

Position Summary:

As a member of the Community Experience team, you’ll be a warm and steady presence at Ballard Food Bank. With a focus on hospitality, you will create a welcoming, calm, and supportive environment for everyone who comes through our doors. You’ll play an important role in ensuring clients feel safe, respected, and cared for while accessing food at our Community Market, Kindness Café, and Community Resource Hub.

Responsibilities:

• Be a face of hospitality by welcoming our community guests to Ballard Food Bank ensuring that new and existing clients have a positive experience.
• Oversee the milieu by providing a consistent and approachable presence across Ballard Food Bank spaces, including waiting areas, entrances, the Kindness Café, Community Market, Community Resource Hub, and outdoor areas.
• Create a safe environment by ensuring community members can easily and safely navigate throughout the space.
• Build trust with clients through thoughtful, equitable, culturally responsive, and creative engagement strategies. Direct clients to resources offered by Ballard Food Bank and our partners.
• Support client safety and wellbeing by participating in verbal de-escalation and routine wellness checks, setting boundaries, and working closely with the team to maintain a calm, safe atmosphere.
• Respond to urgent situations as part of a collaborative team, following established protocols and contacting emergency services when needed. Document interactions by regularly updating incident reports.
• Model Ballard Food Bank’s core values in every interaction with clients and coworkers, while following agency policies and procedures. Document interactions by regularly updating incident reports.
• Collaborate with the team to improve the experience for all community members.
• Ensure a smooth entry process into the building, including line management when we open and throughout the day.
• Support front desk volunteers as they check-in clients, as well as any other front facing volunteer positions. Help check-in clients for visits and/or make shopping reservations.
• Prepare materials for opening, front desk, and other administrative tasks.
• Serve as a float in other program areas as needed, for example bagging, unloading groceries, assisting with carts, etc.
• Occasionally assist with cleaning bodily fluids or biohazardous waste using proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Spanish is required.
• Commitment to racial equity and social justice
• Previous experience working in a social service setting is a plus
• Passionate about supporting individuals experiencing mental health challenges and/or substance use disorders, including those who may have difficulty engaging in traditional programs
• Experience with conflict de-escalation, harm reduction, crisis intervention, and trauma informed care
• Experience in maintaining strong, productive boundaries with clients
• Familiar with—or eager to learn about—local homeless services, mental health resources, and substance use treatment systems
• Background of working with clients experiencing SUD and active mental health struggles
• Thrive in fast‑paced, people‑centered environments
• Work well as part of an interdisciplinary team and value collaboration
• This position requires standing and walking inside and outside the facility, including the ability to be outside in inclement weather
• Comfortable using computers, including Microsoft products and databases

Hours:

This is a full-time position with much of the work happening during our open hours, Monday – Thursday with some evening hours. Ballard Food Bank currently works a 35-hour work week.

Equal Opportunity Employment: Ballard Food Bank is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to cultivate a staff team that reflects the rich diversity of our community. We value a team that is vibrant, inclusive and offers a place of belonging. Applicants representing the diversity of our communities are encouraged to apply, including people of color, people with disabilities, people with lived experience, and people of diverse sexual orientations, and gender expressions.

This is a non-exempt, hourly position with a starting salary of $35 per hour. Ballard Food Bank provides a comprehensive benefits package including but not restricted to: Medical, dental and vision benefits; employer-matched Simple IRA; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

Proficiency in Spanish is required.