Anti Hunger & Nutrition Coalition Alert!

Alert - Farm Bill action & new hunger data Hunger in WA: USDA released its annual report on food insecurity in the U.S. last week and Washington residents continue to struggle with hunger and food insecurity more than most states. It's clear that economic recovery hasn't reached Washington families struggling with hunger: WA ranks 15th among states for hunger, or "very low food security".  And, WA now ranks 22nd among states for food insecurity (last year's rank: 14).    Nationally, 5.7% of households experience hunger - here, the rate is much higher at 6.1%. Nationally, 14.5% of households experience food insecurity; the WA rate is just slightly higher at 14.6% and this is an improvement from last year, when food insecurity in WA affected 15.4% of all households. This indicates that families on the margin may be experiencing some improvements in their family budgets, but very vulnerable families did not see a decrease in hunger. For more details and analysis of the data by our partners at the Children's Alliance - and how food stamps, summer meal programs and school breakfast play a role in Washington's anti-hunger safety net - click here. For the full data report, click here.   Congress reconvenes today - Farm Bill is on House agenda: Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass a Farm Bill yet negotiations over the summer broke down, and a final vote in the House passed an Ag-only bill. We learned on Friday that Republican House leadership has named their new Nutrition-only bill proposal the Nutrition Reform and Opportunity Act. The bill has not yet been released but expect it to includes cuts of up to $40 billion from SNAP, create more barriers to eligibility and enrollment, and strip out key efficiencies. We appreciate the strongly positive support for SNAP we saw over the August recess fromRep. Adam Smith, at the Cherry Street Food Bank; from Rep. Rick Larsen at the Marysville Food Bank, and from Rep. Denny Heck's staff in Lacey. Let them know you appreciate their support! TAKE ACTION: Call or fax your House member TODAY and urge them to protect SNAP in the House Farm Bill - vote NO on a bill that cuts SNAP! Let members know that WA is the 15th hungriest state in the nation: cuts to SNAP hurt our kids, our neighbors, our elders and our communities. Write & fax your personal message on our updated Empty Refrigerator campaign here.  Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-1) Phone: (202) 225-6311 Fax: (202) 226-1606 Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2) Phone: (202) 225-2605 Fax: (202) 225-4420 Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-3) Phone: (202) 225-3536 Fax: (202) 225-3478 Rep. Doc Hastings (R-4) Phone: (202) 225-5816 Fax: (202) 225-3251 Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5) Phone: (202) 225-2006 Fax: (202) 225-3392 Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-6) Phone: (202) 225-5916 Fax: (202) 225-3575 Rep. Jim McDermott (D-7) Phone: (202) 225-3106 Fax: (202) 225-6197 Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8) Phone: (202) 225-7761 Fax: (202) 225-4282 Rep. Adam Smith (D-9) Phone: (202) 225-8901 Fax: (202) 225-5893 Rep. Denny Heck (D-10) Phone: (202) 225-9740 Fax: (202) 225-0129 Thank you for acting TODAY.  With another year of data showing how much Washingtonians continue to struggle to feed their families, we are very concerned the House could damage SNAP irreparably - thanks for speaking up for hungry families.

Advocates Update from Northwest Harvest

Advocates UpdateFriday, September 6      IN THIS ISSUE Still Hungry and Hurting in Washington Upcoming Events Leadership in Advocacy - One-day advocacy training from Children's Alliance Three dates, three locations statewide. For more information and to apply:    childrensalliance.org       Free screenings of "A Place at the Table" Sept. 12 and 13,  Food Lifeline RSVP at foodlifeline.org   Dec. 2:  Washington Food Coalition Annual Conference Sept. 18-20, Wenatchee Convention Center wafoodcoalition.org/ conference    Northwest Harvest PO Box 12272 Seattle, Washington 98102 800-722-6924 Your Weekly Action Alert: Still Hungry and Hurting in Washington   Federal Level:   The US Department of Agriculture released the latest numbers on food security in American on Wednesday. The ranks of hungry Washington residents continue to be higher than the national average. Read more     Take Action: Share the new data about hunger in Washington with your elected officials! Congress will reconvene next week and will continue the discussion on renewing the Farm Bill, including the potential for deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly "food stamps"). Additionally, our state legislators are still at home in district, spending the time before the next legislative session begins in January, to learn about the issues affecting their constituents. You can use the new data from USDA and the Hungry in Washington report to talk with your Congressional members and state legislators about hunger and why they need to protect important nutrition assistance programs.    You can find your legislative and Congressional representatives by entering your home address here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/   Tip for our Partners: You can share this information with a short article in your next agency newsletter. Your donors, volunteers, and supporters can then see how their efforts are still needed to fight hunger.    The mission of Northwest Harvest is to provide nutritious food to hungry people statewide in a manner that respects their dignity, while fighting to eliminate hunger.

Job Opportunity at Ballard Food Bank

Ballard Food Bank

Title: Food Bank Operations Assistant

Schedule: 30 Hours per Week; .75 FTE

Qualifications:

• One year experience working in direct service in a social service setting;

• Valid Washington State Driver’s License & Clean Driving Record;

• Experience & willingness to safely drive box vans up to 17’ long;

• Understanding of food safety and inventory rotation;

• Willingness and ability to work in a calm respectful manner with large groups;

• Ability to lift 50 pounds;

• Ability to take direction and work in a team atmosphere;

• Ability to train, guide and manage up to 30 volunteers a shift;

• Ability to work well under pressure; and

• A sense of humor.

Position is an integral part of food bank operations. You will be the assistant to our

Operations Manager.

You must have the desire and ability to work with a diverse population of clients

and volunteers while multi-tasking. This is a fast paced job with a lot of interaction with

people. The ability to work in a calm respectful manner with large groups cannot be

emphasized enough.

Sound like the job for you? Send your resume and references to:

info@ballardfoodbank.org or mail to 5130 Leary Avenue NW, Seattle, WA  98107.

NO phone calls. Position will be open until October 15, 2011.

Job Opportunity at Pikes Market Senior Center and Food Bank

 85 Pike Street, Suite 200 | Seattle, WA 98101
206.728.2773 | www.pikemarketseniorcenter.org

Position Title:  Pike Market Food Bank Manager

Reports to:    Executive Director

Supervises:  Warehouse worker/driver, volunteers, Americorps/Vista service member(s)

Classification:    Full -time, 35 hours /week, Monday – Friday, Exempt

Position Summary: This managerial position oversees the daily operation of the Pike Market Food Bank, ensuring adequate food supplies, efficient distribution, proper food storage, inventory control, and adequate record keeping; in addition, the Manager works to maintain a congenial, respectful atmosphere for clients, staff, and volunteers.  The Manager recruits and manages teams of volunteers to run the Food Bank programs. The Manager represents the agency at meetings with organizations/coalitions which have food programs or food issues as their agenda.  The Food Bank Manager strategizes ways to improve and increase food donations, improve service delivery, and longtime goals to improve the Food Bank. At times, Food Bank Manager needs to be available for work outside normal hours (evenings, weekends).

A successful candidate for this position will:

·      Be able to work calmly and effectively under pressure

·      Approach  work with vision and imagination

·      Have a dynamic ability to cultivate relationships & partnerships,

·      Enjoy working with, supervising, and serving people of diverse backgrounds

·      Be skilled at conflict management & resolution

·      Be organized, detail-oriented

·       Enjoy working independently

·      Have excellent communications skills both in speaking and writing in English

The Essential duties of this position:

§  Assess services and delivery of services at the Food Bank with an eye toward improvement and growth.

§  Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise volunteers to assist with food packaging, distribution, home deliveries, grocery pick-ups, and food deliveries. Develop or maintain volunteer management system and materials

§  Develop partnerships to expand resources

§  Supervise Warehouse staff and Americorp/Vista service members

§  Make certain that Food Bank operations and facilities are clean, safe and efficient; this includes the warehouse, food storage, delivery and pick-up of food, food distribution, and food handling

§  Manage contracts with City of Seattle, Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest and other food suppliers, complete all required reports and insure that requirements are met

§  Manage system to collect client information and manage database.

§  Oversee Food Bank budget

§  Attend regular meetings of the Seattle Food Committee and other coalitions as needed

§  Attend monthly agency staff meetings

§  Be available for occasional work on weekend and evenings

§  Be in good physical condition and able to lift 35 lbs

§  Have a valid Washington State driver’s license and be able to drive an equipment van

§  Assist with special events – such as food drives, and fundraisers as needed and appropriate

Desired Qualifications: 

§  A Bachelor’s Degree of Arts or Sciences is desirable

§  Two years experience in managing Food Bank programs or related field.

§  Experience working with at-risk families or individuals with social and economic issues preferred.

§  Experience recruiting, training, managing, and establishing recognition systems for volunteers.

Compensation:

Salary - $35,000- $40,000, DOE

Healthcare and Dental benefits

Eligible after 12 months for retirement plan