VISTA positions, Coalition Against Hunger

Posted by on January 07, 2013

The Coalition Against Hunger seeks applicants for three AmeriCorps VISTA positions that would focus on reducing hunger and food insecurity among children, seniors and immigrants in the Philadelphia area. See descriptions below.

Child Hunger Outreach Coordinator: Currently half of Philadelphia’s children receive food from a food pantry. While many children receive additional help through programs like SNAP (food stamps) and WIC, many others are eligible for the program, but not receiving the benefits. The Child Hunger Outreach Coordinator would serve to 1) coordinate benefits outreach to institutions that have interactions with children and families, such as day cares, schools, and recreation centers;  2) develop materials tailored to both children and their families; and 3) research and implement best practices for addressing child hunger.

Senior Hunger Outreach Coordinator: This VISTA project aims to improve citywide planning and coordination around senior hunger in Philadelphia with a focus on connecting seniors to resources and building capacity in underserved neighborhoods to address the unique challenges that seniors face around food security, such as mobility.  The VISTA will (1) utilize the City’s Senior Hunger Task Force to guide a strategic planning process to inform the long-term citywide goals to address senior hunger; (2) improve information sharing and conduct trainings to connect seniors to existing resources; and (3) grow the capacity of neighborhood-based resources to meet senior hunger needs.

Immigrant Outreach Coordinator: Immigrants are among the most likely individuals in Philadelphia to be eligible for SNAP (food stamps) and other benefits but not enrolled.  This year we made significant inroads in these communities and trained many providers to initiate SNAP enrollment for the clients they serve.  Over the next year, a VISTA would (1) continue outreach to immigrant services organizations to train them on initiating SNAP enrollment; and (2) convene a task force to develop and execute on a plan to increase the completion rate of SNAP applications among immigrants, including an assessment of current obstacles.

Applicants should send a resume and cover letter to Carey Morgan at cmorgan@hungercoalition.org or 1725 Fairmount Avenue, Unit 102, Philadelphia, PA 19130. No phone calls please.