Now Hiring: Food Recovery Initiatives Specialist

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Host Site: Table to Table Food Distribution Network
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Service Term: (Winter 2025 varies by enrollment date) – August 2026 

Hours – Flexible for the right fit candidate: 

  • March Start Date – 300 hours total / 10 hours a week 
  • June Start Date – 10 weeks 300 hours total / 10 hours a week 

Member Type: Iowa Community Corps AmeriCorps Member

ABOUT AMERICORPS IOWA COMMUNITY CORPS

The Iowa Community Corps AmeriCorps Program partners AmeriCorps members with local organizations addressing public health needs across Iowa. Members serve on special projects that strengthen food security, expand access to social services, and increase volunteer and community engagement. AmeriCorps members build the human infrastructure that sustains community well-being — while gaining professional skills and credentials such as the Community Health Worker Certification.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Food Recovery Initiatives Specialist supports Table to Table’s food recovery operations, partner relationships, and collaborative food access initiatives. This role works closely with youth-serving community partners, local growers, volunteers, and transportation partners to strengthen food access, and expand recovery capacity.

The ideal candidate is relationship-driven, organized, and adaptable—someone who enjoys a mix of coordination, hands-on food recovery work, and community engagement. This position plays a key role in connecting food, people, and systems.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Local Produce Program Implementation

  • Lead gleaning trips to farms, including:
    • Educating volunteers about gleaning, farming, and food access
    • Coordinating harvest, processing, and delivery of produce to hunger relief agencies
  • Track and record harvested and donated produce accurately
  • Collect, organize, and maintain gleaning and produce stand materials, including tools, gloves, and supplies
  • Plan and facilitate produce stands to distribute excess produce directly to communities in need
  • Recruit, train, and support gleaning and produce stand volunteers, tailoring training and materials to site-specific operations

Partner Relationships Development

  • Work with the program development team to build and maintain a contact list of food transport drivers, dispatchers, cold storage facilities, and transportation companies serving the Eastern Iowa region
  • Build and sustain a network of farms and local growers interested in volunteer-supported gleaning
  • Serve as a liaison between growers and local hunger relief agencies by:
    • Gauging produce needs
    • Coordinating delivery windows and logistics
  • Facilitate deliveries of harvested food and complete pickups and deliveries as needed

Food Recovery Route Capacity Building Support

  • Recruit and schedule volunteers as needed to support and launch local food distribution routes
  • Support expanded and seasonal food recovery routes by contributing to:
    • Volunteer-driven food rescue
    • semi-truck food recovery
  • Record volunteer feedback and communicate relevant information to program staff to inform planning and ongoing program management

Youth-Serving Partner Food Support

  • Support food deliveries to youth serving partners 
  • Participate in partner assessments to understand and document the food needs of youth served by these programs
  • Engage directly in food deliveries and communicate emerging needs or observations to the program team

Qualifications

  • Strong interest in food access, local food systems, youth services, or community health
  • Experience working with volunteers, community partners, or service organizations (paid or volunteer)
  • Strong organizational and communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced, changing environments
  • Comfort with physical activity, including lifting, standing, and working outdoors (must lift up to 40 lbs occasionally).
  • Valid driver’s license and ability to complete local pickups and deliveries (preferred)

BENEFITS

  • Living Allowance (paid biweekly)
  • Segal Education Award upon completion of service term
  • Community Health Worker Professional Skills Training & Certification
  • Professional development opportunities in public health, food systems, and nonprofit operations
  • Supportive, team-based environment with access to volunteer management, logistics, and food recovery experience.

ABOUT TABLE TO TABLE

Table to Table is a nonprofit food rescue organization bridging the gap between abundance and hunger in Johnson County. Each year, we rescue and redistribute over 2.6 million pounds of food to more than 40 local hunger-relief agencies. AmeriCorps members are fully integrated into our team, receive individualized professional development support, and play a vital role in our mission to ensure that good food feeds people, not landfills.

HOW TO APPLY

Complete the Iowa Community Corps interest Application and indicate your interest in the Table to Table position. https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=TXssjVoIF0aFNjinbRmw2nDoc3kcNNVFtCZuUv4RJlRUMkVCVVpXVzhYVjIySDFGWUdQR1M1TEtDQy4u&route=shorturl