Shelf of Hope Coordinator

Overview: 
Agate Housing and Services helps people experiencing homelessness with the mission of ending homelessness and hunger. One way we do this is by offering a food shelf, called Shelf of Hope, open to anybody, every Wednesday, 10:00AM – 1:00PM. This operation is mainly run by long-term volunteers, who come on Mondays to put away shipments and prep, and then Wednesdays for distribution.

Agate is looking for a Shelf of Hope Coordinator who can lead the food shelf and its volunteer team to success. It is crucial that this person has experience managing a team of people, as the environment can be demanding, requiring a carefully planned course of action and a stable, consistent team to execute it. The Coordinator needs to know how to create a healthy and sustainable team dynamic, resolve conflict between volunteers, shoppers, and keep track of scheduling and logistics. Communication, de-escalation, and soft skills are essential for this role.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS

-Recruit, coordinate, and manage Shelf of Hope volunteers
-Lead team meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays
-Own communications to the SOH team, including meeting agendas, emails, and schedules.
-Track volunteer hours
-Create and update rules and policies which keep the team grounded and healthy
-Ensure clarity around individual team member expectations
-Hold team members accountable for their actions and responsibilities
-Train and fully integrate new team members
-Develop a healthy team culture which aligns with Agate’s values
-Manage team dynamics through empowerment and respect
-Fill in volunteer roles as needed; create new roles as needed
-Keep track of food and supply needs
-Maintain first in first out (FIFO) inventory practices to ensure food quality and minimize waste
-Ensure that weekly food and supply orders are submitted by deadline
-Report needs to appropriate staff
-Answer to in-kind donors, volunteer inquiries, and others contacting the Shelf of Hope

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

-Aligns with the mission and values of Agate
-Available morning through afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays
-Conflict resolution skills
-Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
-Basic computer and email skills
-Strong work ethic, takes initiative, self-directed
-Ability to engage with a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, preferred -experience engaging with people living unsheltered
-Ability to thrive in high-energy settings that call for flexibility and on-your-feet problem solving
-Ability to stand, walk, and move objects 15-20lbs for 3-4 hours at a time
-Ability to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in communication, attitude, and teamwork with food shelf clients, staff, and management.
-Fluency in English

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

In addition, successful applicants will embrace the following perspective, skills and abilities:

-Commitment to Agate Housing and Services’ values and mission of ending homelessness and relieving hunger through action and advocacy.
-Commitment to working towards an anti-racist culture both within Agate Housing and Services and the broader community.
-Hold the belief that every household can achieve housing stability.
-Commitment to harm reduction and housing first philosophies.
-Ability to work respectfully with clients, coworkers, and key stakeholders who are diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and religion.
-Ability to establish rapport quickly with people experiencing a crisis through use of trauma informed care, client centered care, and strengths-based approaches.
-Ability to meet expectations regarding paperwork and documentation through organizational skills, a strong attention to detail, and the ability to work efficiently and accurately, competency and comfort using technology and computers.

Experience that gives applicants the required skills, abilities, and perspectives listed above are commonly gained through one or more of the following:

-Personal experience with homelessness;
-Experience working, interning, or volunteering with people experiencing homelessness;
-An Associates, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Social Work (with accompanying licensure), Human Services, or Family Studies.

We encourage applicants with lived experience to apply. However, if you have received services from Agate Housing and Services within the last two years this will make you ineligible for employment.

Commitment:
-1 year minimum
-15 hours per week, potential for growth in future years

Training:
Noah Chan, Volunteer Development and Internal Engagement Coordinator will give the Shelf of Hope Coordinator a full agency introduction, orientation, and training regarding how to run the food shelf at the Food Centre.

Supervision:
Noah Chan, Volunteer Development and Internal Engagement Coordinator will be the Shelf of Hope Coordinator’s supervisor, and will be their main contact for training, guidance, questions, concerns, scheduling, and check-ins.

Location:
714 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55404

Impact:
The Shelf of Hope serves, on average, 100 people per week, supplementing their grocery, household, and personal needs. It carries a wide variety of products, from essential staples to treats and culturally appropriate foods. By leading the food shelf team, the Coordinator is actively sustaining a consistent source of free groceries and essential needs, helping to fight food insecurity for the local community. Further, the Shelf of Hope Coordinator empowers and supports the volunteer team, giving them a sense of community, fulfillment, and connection to Agate’s mission of ending homelessness and relieving hunger.

Contact:
Noah Chan (he/him/his)
Volunteer Development | Internal Engagement Manager
Phone: 612-327-6389
noah.chan@agatemn.org