Assistant Manager for Food Justice and Sustainability Initiatives - Via Mercy Volunteer Corps
This is a service year job, available either thru the Mercy Volunteer Corps or Americorps. The service placement is with the Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) at the University of Detroit Mercy. TENN fosters student and community collaboration for a more food sovereign Detroit. TENN provides students with real opportunities to apply things they learn in the classroom as they design and lead programs that promote equity and sustainability in the food system. As part of the Institute for Leadership and Service, TENN student leaders coordinate multiple service opportunities each week that reduce the immediate effects, and they work with community leaders to address systemic causes of hunger and food waste. https://www.udmercy.edu/about/mission-vision/leadserve/tenn.php
Role and Responsibilities of the Assistant Manager:
• Coordinate supplies, logistics for food distribution deliveries, garden work days, and other tasks/projects that
will support the AmeriCorps members programming;
• Create a diverse volunteer recruitment plan. This may include but isn’t limited to phone banking, utilizing
listservs/email lists, attending community events, and creating social media content to educate community of
volunteer opportunities;
• Link volunteers to opportunities based on programming needs. This includes, but isn’t limited to finding repeat
volunteers to assist with food deliveries, episodic volunteers for one day projects, etc..;
• Arrange logistics for volunteer projects such as securing locations, times, and dates and scheduling volunteers
for projects;
• In collaboration with the Garden Manager, coordinate campus garden operations including: maintenance of
garden spaces, leading volunteers project days;
• Coordinate Princeton Street produce deliveries. Schedule deliveries on coordination with Princeton Street Block
Club participants availability/schedule. Assure volunteers and participants are scheduled/available for
deliveries;
• Assist with food warehouse/Gleaner pick-up and deliveries;
• Develop and implement plans for sustainability activism on campus. This includes but is not limited to being the
liaison between TENN and Laudato Si Challenge committee. The Laudato sì Challenge supports measurable and
time-bound solutions to the global challenges of climate change and poverty;
• Promote enagement and attendance with the Bioneers Conference;
• Create plans, construct, and implement enhanced composting activities;
• Support social media posts on food justice, sustainability, and events, and volunteer opportunities;
• Participate in all Mercy Volunteer Corps cohort activities, reporting, etc.
As a part of the Mercy Volunteer Corps:
• Mercy Volunteers live in a fully furnished house or apartment in communities of 3-5. MVC covers rent and all utilities during your year of service.
• Transportation expenses are covered from Orientation in August to your service site, during your year of service, to all retreats, and back home again after your year of service is complete. During your time of service, MVC provides a car and gas stipend or public transportation for travel within your city.
• Volunteers receive both personal and community stipends. Community members pool the community stipends to purchase groceries and household items.
• Mercy Volunteers receive health insurance through Catholic Volunteer Network. Volunteers can also be reimbursed if already covered.
• MVC offers unique opportunities to engage social justice issues, particularly related to Mercy’s Critical Concerns of Earth, Immigration, Non-Violence, Racism and Women