Background

Since 1976, St. Joseph Center has been meeting the needs of low-income and homeless individuals and families in Venice and throughout Los Angeles County.  The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that assists people without regard for religious affiliation or lack thereof through 20+ programs in four pillars of service: Outreach and Engagement, Housing Services, Mental Health, and Education and Vocational Training.  St. Joseph Center serves more than 10,000 people each year. 

Brief Description of Principal Activities

Multifaceted intervention, prevention, mental health, and housing assistance is offered through street outreach and 9 service sites throughout Los Angeles County. St. Joseph Center also provides on-site services at five permanent supportive housing developments, and will provide services at an additional six more sites in the coming year.  St. Joseph Center’s total holistic approach to services provide our clients with the help they need to regain their stability.

Job Summary

The Food Pantry Associate works as a team member with several social service professional and paraprofessional staff performing duties and providing support to program staff and clients.  The Food Pantry Associate ensures that pantry operation and service is performing optimally.  The Food Pantry Associate works at a fast pace in a dynamic environment and will be required to lift, move and carry heavy items of up to 60 pounds.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Food Pantry Associate's key areas of responsibility and duties include: 

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Operation of food pantry, and supporting food pantry service.
• Acts as point person for food donation sources.
• Maintain and manage food inventory and pantry storage space.
• Assist and manage pantry clients.
• Assist and support pantry volunteers or case managers.
• Ensure data and documentation is correctly maintained.
• Lift, move and carry heavy bags (approximately 50-60 pounds) of produce and crates to facilitate stocking and storage.

Essential Duties:

• Set-up and clean-up before and after pantry operating hours. 
• Make sure the pantry is presentable. Restock food, put away refrigerated items and dispose of expired items.
• Support and help determine daily distribution amounts.
• Support pantry volunteers and delegate specific assignments.
• Document and distribute emergency food bags for non-pantry clients.
• Update the pantry chalk board and PowerPoint (e.g., closed dates, relevant information, events, and activities).
• Help submit the monthly supply order to the program manager before the order date.
• Perform monthly cleaning of the pantry (e.g., sweep and mop walk-in refrigerator, clean milk crates, clean produce racks, and sweep pantry storage)  
• Support Food Forward: Deliver Sunday Farmer’s Market boxes every Friday, Pick-up Farmer’s Market donation every Wednesday, act as contact person for Sunday volunteer drivers, and notify of St. Joseph Center closures
• Support WSFB pickups and stocking at pantry.
• Clean and organize the pantry storage space, as well as sort new donations
• Rotate and distribute food in a timely manner.  Keep food pantry office fully stocked in order to make room in the pantry storage for basement stored donations.  Maintain an organized and open space that ensures there is always available storage for drop-off of new donations.
• Schedule the renewal and registration appointments for pantry clients.
• De-escalate and resolve any client issues.
• For onsite workshops, collect pantry cards as well as create and distribute receipts.  Provide a list of workshops completed in July and August for clients’ preparation of holiday sign-ups.
• Assist with holiday registration and seasonal or special projects.

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here, nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to estimate quantity of food needed on a daily and weekly basis in order to determine appropriate amount of food to be ordered.
• Must have excellent communication and relational skills to assist and coordinate with clients, volunteers, and staff.
• Must have the ability to de-escalate and resolve client issues and grievances.
• Must have the ability to repetitively lift, carry and move heavy items including bags of produce sometimes weighing 50-60lbs.
• Bilingual in Spanish and/or Russian preferred.

Experience:

• Prior administrative assistant or food sector experience is a plus.
• Prior customer service experience is a plus.

Education:

• High School Diploma

Direct Reports:

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. 

Computer Skills:

• Strong proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to use widely supported internet browsers.

Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• Valid California Class C Driver License. 
• Valid automobile liability insurance.

Travel Requirements:

• Reliable transportation required to carry out job-related essential functions.
• Twice weekly pick up trips to West Side Food Bank. Occasional donation pickups within LA area.
• Some driving for delivery and pick ups in the Greater Los Angeles may be required.

Status: Full-Time/Non-Exempt 

Salary: $18.49 - $20.44/hr

Employment with St. Joseph Center is contingent on completion of satisfactory background check.

For consideration, please submit cover letter and resume. St. Joseph Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran or any other protected status under state or federal law

All applicants for employment are invited to voluntarily self-identify their gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status, by completing the EEO Information. Providing your EEO Information is voluntary and refusal to self-identify will not subject applicants to any adverse treatment. Similarly, applicants who do self-identify will not be subject to any adverse treatment based on the information they provide.

St. Joseph center invites you to review the current "EEO is The Law" poster as part of the application process. A link to the current poster is located here.

 https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf