Community Support Associate

Driving and warehouse work for food rescue and hunger relief!

About Urban Gleaners

More than one in four children in Oregon lack consistent access to healthy food. They live in a culture of abundance, yet are surrounded by signals that it's not meant for them. The stress of not knowing when or what they'll eat next affects their physical health, emotional well-being, academic performance, and ability to thrive socially. At the same time, nearly 40% of food in the U.S. is wasted. The solution is simple - rescue good food and get it to the people who need it most. That's exactly what Urban Gleaners does.

For two decades, Urban Gleaners has been feeding children and families experiencing food insecurity in Multnomah and Washington Counties. Our mission is pure and simple: collect fresh, delicious food before it goes to waste, and distribute it to families who need it. We believe that access to nutritious food is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of a just society.

Every year, we deliver the equivalent of over one million meals, completely free to those we serve. We remove barriers by bringing food directly to where people already are: schools, housing communities, partner nonprofits, without paperwork or proof of need. More than half of our participants are under the age of 14, 70% identify as people of color, and all live in low-income households. Each week, we support over 8,500 individuals across 42 regular delivery sites, each built through deep partnerships in high-need neighborhoods.

Urban Gleaners is more than a hunger-relief organization. We're also a powerful force for environmental change. To date, we've rescued more than 12 million pounds of healthy food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, where it would decompose and release harmful methane gas.

Equity is Essential:

We understand the deeply rooted systemic causes of inequitable access to nutritious food - equity and equal opportunity are crucial to the success of our team and our program. We encourage Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, and applicants from different generational and economic backgrounds to apply.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

Position Summary: The Community Support Associate position is a full time position (32 hours, 4 days/week) responsible for warehouse upkeep and organization, food sorting, food safety, driving a cargo van on assigned pickup and dropoff routes, communicating and interacting with the public at our distribution sites, and general warehouse labor. We operate 7 days per week. This position is subject to work some weekend days.

Essential Job Duties (to include, but not limited to):

• Warehouse & Additional Responsibilities
• Maintain First-In, First-Out system (food backstocking)
• Manage incoming and outgoing food. This includes: unloading, weighing, sorting, repacking, clean up
• Assist in maintaining a clean, efficient and organized warehouse.
• Volunteer coordination, as needed (help our volunteers feel welcome and supported and give direction and oversight)
• Food Pickup & Delivery Routes
• Pick up and deliver food according to schedule, keeping contacts informed of schedule changes or delays
• Check in with food donors and site coordinators to pass on information to the Warehouse Lead or Operations Manager.
• Independently put together deliveries based on site size, food preferences, food on hand, day's schedule of other deliveries
• Stay on site to manage food distribution and volunteers when necessary

Requirements:

• Clean driving record
• Ability to lift and maneuver up to 50lbs repeatedly. This is an action packed job that is physically demanding
• Knowledgeable about safe food practices and comfortable handling all food. If you do not already have your food handlers card, you will be asked to obtain it
• Must be able to send and receive texts and use Google Calendar remotely (you will receive a cell phone stipend)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with attention to detail. There are lots of moving parts to what we do; it is important to stay in communication with the team
• Proven track record of prioritizing, multitasking, effective problem solving, and delegating
• Must be a self-starter who takes initiative
• Must be a team player, food lover, and maintain a positive outlook

Bonus Qualifications:

• Multilingual
• Experience with non-profit and volunteer-run programs serving a diverse population
• Familiarity with hunger and poverty in the Portland Metro area, including Washington County

Benefits

• $26/hr
• Full time, 32 hours per week
• Fully paid health and dental benefits
• 80 hours of paid time off, 3 wellness days, and 2 floating holidays annually
• One week of paid closure during the Christmas - New Year Period and One week of paid closure surrounding July 4
• Monthly cell phone stipend

To apply: Please email your resume and any supplemental information (cover letter, etc.) no later than 5pm, Wednesday September 9, to Natalie@urbangleaners.org with the subject line "Community Support Associate". Professional references will be requested during the interview process.