Rachel’s Table Teen Board Coordinator Position

RACHEL’S TABLE

Rachel’s Table is the food rescue and redistribution program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts. Since 1992, Rachel’s Table has been working to alleviate hunger and reduce food waste in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. Six days a week, 200+ volunteers collect food from local supermarkets, restaurants, farms, caterers and bakeries, and deliver it to 50+ agencies, including soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and recovery centers. Rachel’s Table’s daily work is enhanced by special programs like the Teen Board, which fuses food justice education and action by connecting local teens to each other and to Rachel’s Table’s mission.

The Teen Board of Rachel’s Table is a youth group of primarily local high school students whose mission is to support food security and food justice locally through education, service, lobbying and raising funds and awareness to feed people in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. This mission includes educating themselves and others about food insecurity in western MA, volunteering at agencies that support food security, sharing with others legislation that helps alleviate and possibly eradicate hunger, and creating and implementing events that raise awareness and funds to fight hunger. Important to the Teen Board is understanding food justice within the context of Jewish agricultural values and how those values connect within a wider religious and humanistic landscape.

JOB OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Director of Rachel’s Table, the Coordinator of the Teen Board is an 11-month part-time position for 15 hours per month. The primary focus of the Coordinator of the Teen Board is to oversee, support, engage with, advise, and help recruit youth for the Board and its officers, to co-lead meetings with teen leaders and to help run programs co-sponsored by the Teen Board. The Coordinator will also ensure that the educational objectives of teaching Tzedakah (charity/justice), Mitzvot (good deeds), and understanding the Jewish underpinnings of food justice in connection with the values of the youth on the Teen Board are met through the activities of the Teen Board. The Teen Board Coordinator will assist in the creation of curricula to serve these ends. Of note, the youth of the Teen Board are of diverse religious backgrounds; therefore the Teen Board Coordinator’s role is to share Jewish values within a humanistic context in a respectful milieu.

This position requires good people skills, the ability to work with teenagers and some pre-teens, ability to plan and execute small and large events, use Zoom and other virtual platforms and social media, and the desire to work with a diverse group of youth. Candidates must have a commitment to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Oversee Teen Board Officers and Members
    • Recruit and fill Teen Board officer positions each year
    • Engage officers and members to support growth of mission and individual connection to the Board
    • Engage family members, guardians and parents of youth
    • Plan and execute leadership development training with Teen Board officers
    • Ensure that officers are performing their responsibilities
      • Distribute and oversee commitment contracts describing the responsibilities of youth officers on Teen Board
      • Support officers in planning, executing and publicizing all events and meetings
      • Follow up with officers to complete tasks
      • Encourage officers to recruit for members and other officers
  • Plan monthly meeting and activity with an educational component in conjunction with teen leadership
  • Research and acquire all materials needed for programs that go beyond officers’ abilities/responsibilities
  • Create spreadsheets, programs, registration forms, etc. for all programs including Outrun Hunger, Foodraiser, and Hunger Awareness Arts Festival/competition
  • Improve and expand existing programs
  • Use past and present resources to help recruit teens
  • Engage with school administrators and key clubs for events and to recruit new teens
  • Assist Director with fundraising, grant writing and reporting for Teen Board program
  • Evaluate events and Program with staff and volunteers

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

  • Knowledge of food systems, food rescue and/or food insecurity
  • Knowledge of workings of local food pantries and soup kitchens
  • Knowledge or interest in learning relationship between Jewish teachings and food justice
  • Skill and comfort in working with teenagers and youth
  • Skills in networking and program development
  • Comfort with public speaking
  • Good communication skills
  • Strong organizational abilities
  • Microsoft Office 365, Word, Outlook, and Excel

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor’s degree preferred; Associate’s Degree acceptable
  • At least two years of experience working with kids, youth, and adults, including in an educational capacity

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment for the Teen Board Coordinator is partly on-site in Springfield, MA, (depending upon current health and safety restrictions) and remote. The various administrative duties can be completed remotely, using a personal computer and phone.

SALARY

The Teen Board Director is an 11-month, 15 hour per month position with no benefits, starting at $20 per hour.

TO APPLY

  • Please email a cover letter and resume to: jfalk@jewishwesternmass.org. Please include names and contact information of three work references. For any questions, feel free to call Jodi Falk at 413-733-0084 x296.
  • Interviews begin June 29 and will continue until position is filled.

The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts welcomes the participation of interfaith couples and families, and people of all abilities, backgrounds and sexual orientations. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.