Northeast Iowa Food Bank

The ideal Operations Intern for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank understands and is passionate about the organization’s mission to provide nutritious food and grocery product to those in need in our 16-county service area. This individual will be a vital component of the Food Bank staff in providing food to our partner agencies in the fight against hunger. This team member must demonstrate they are organized, detail-oriented and willing to be flexible in order to gain powerful experiences during this internship. The ability to work in a fast-paced and progressive environment will be a key to success in this role.

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This individual will utilize clear communication and have teamwork characteristics, which will be critical for the development of strong relationships between coworkers and the community. Cultural competency is of utmost importance, as the Kids Cafe Intern will work with diverse populations on a regular basis. The Kids Cafe Intern must possess a strong sense of initiative to continually improve their skills during their time at the Food Bank.

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A passion for social justice and compassion for others are keys to being a staff member at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. The Northeast Iowa Food Bank strives to work as a unified team to close the Meal Gap in northeast Iowa; to this end, the Kids Cafe Intern will need to be capable of working as a team as well as being a self-starter. In addition, maintaining a positive outlook will play a large role in being a motivator and encourager for the community, clients, and staff members alike.

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• Assist staff with daily meal preparation, including but not limited to the following; prepping and cooking meals, fill boxes with cold/shelf stable items

• Research, prepare and lead nutrition education lessons at meal sites

• Ride along on delivery routes to our partner meal sites for daily meal deliveries.

• Assist in daily operations, including but not limited to the following: temperature and delivery documentation, meal counts, inventory, site visits

• Assist with other areas of the Food Bank to gain an understanding of different functions within the Food Bank.

• Own a Kids Cafe project – create newsletter to help meal site staff understand the program and their impact on food insecure children and their families

• Perform other duties as assigned to meet food bank needs.

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Required:
• High School Diploma
• Currently attending secondary education where an internship is required
• Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software including but not limited to Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Along with other office productivity tools, with aptitude to learn new software and systems
• Culturally competent; have an ability to work with diverse groups and individuals
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed
• Must pass a criminal background check
• Valid drivers license, safe driving record, current vehicle insurance and ability to use personal vehicle for OFB business
• Ability to perform physical labor as necessary (stand/walk/move for long periods of time, lift up to 50 pounds, work with warehouse equipment)
• Ability to work both as a team player and independently, checking in as appropriate

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Preferred
• Previous culinary or nutrition experience
• Ability to train on an automated pallet jack and other warehouse equipment

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Desired
• Community involvement and knowledge of those communities in our 16-county service area

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