Now Hiring Communications and Development Coordinator
Table to Table, the volunteer-based not-for-profit food rescue organization serving Johnson County, is accepting applications for a Full-time Communications and Development Coordinator. To apply, email resume and cover letter to Nicki Ross Application deadline: July 26th, 2019.
View complete job description here.
Position Overview: Are you looking for a Communications/Marketing job that lets you do a little bit of everything and makes a real difference in your community? The Communications and Development Coordinator is outgoing, an outstanding communicator, and a community-minded individual. He or she is passionate about preventing food waste/hunger and is enthusiastic about conveying this mission and inspiring and encouraging volunteers, organizations, and the general public to participate in it. The ideal candidate is an organized self-starter who can lead but also step into others’ roles when needed, and is cheerful and patient in a dynamic work environment where there are tight deadlines and multiple requests or projects at any given moment. This coordinator is also a people person who enjoys interacting with those of diverse ages, abilities, and backgrounds. If you have these qualifications and want to put your time and energy toward making a difference, this is the job for you!
Employment Status and Work Hours: (Full-time salary position)
Monday through Friday 8-4 with flexibility, some weekends and evenings required
Salary & Benefits: $35,000 – $38,000 depending on experience.
Benefit package includes paid vacation and sick leave, employer retirement contribution, along with employee health and dental coverage.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Coordinate volunteer recruitment and ensure operations are adequately staffed.
- Reach out to organizations and the community with marketing development, and fundraising efforts.
- Implement community outreach and media relationships and strategies.
- Organize promotional events like Food Rescue Awareness Week, UI Homecoming Parade, and other outreach events.
- Assist the Director in writing content for key organization publications including: newsletters, the annual report, brochures, fact sheets, etc. Design ads, flyers, banners, brochures, fact sheets, event signage, invitations, etc. as needed.
- Execute social media strategy.
- Coordinate and plan annual dinner including promotion, logistics, food, and fundraising.
- With the support of ED, create and implement fundraising campaigns, including appeal letters and online giving campaigns.
Desired Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, or a related field, or a combination of relevant education and professional experience in marketing, event planning, communications, fundraising, and/or community relations.
Necessary Skills and Requirements
- Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
- Ability to sustain positive communications and model for volunteers a compassionate, non-judgmental approach.
- Functional knowledge of and ability to use Microsoft Office, publishing/layout programs, and CRM/databases.Strong computer skills a plus.
Now Hiring Part-Time Program Assistant
Table to Table, the volunteer-based not-for-profit food rescue organization serving Johnson County, is accepting applications for a Part-time Program Assistant. To apply, email resume and cover letter to Nicki Ross
Application deadline: July 19, 2019.
View complete job description here.
Position Overview: Looking for a part-time gig with a local organization doing big things? This job is ideal for a reliable, friendly, and organized person with some free mornings during the week. The Program Assistant is responsible for supporting the daily function of the food rescue program and its volunteers in a friendly and fast-paced environment. This person directs volunteers and communicates with donor/recipient sites to ensure smooth pick-up and delivery of donations. The best candidate is a team player with leadership experience and enjoys interacting with people of diverse age and background. Applicants must be energetic, self-motivated, and have strong communication skills. This position reports to the Food Rescue Program Manager.
Employment Status and Work Hours: (10 hours per week)
Two to three weekday mornings starting 7:30 am with flexible shift end time. One Saturday per month 8:30-12:30 pm.
Wage: $12-$15 an hour depending on experience
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Coordinate daily routes by getting volunteers started and directing their tasks for the day.
- Assist with training and orientation of food rescue, fleet, and facility volunteers.
- Communicate with key staff at donor/recipient sites to ensure smooth pick-up and delivery of donations.
- Accept and track one-time food donations and work with Special Projects and Requests Coordinator to distribute these incoming donations.
- Unload and organize food received at Table to Table. Work with Special Projects & Requests Coordinator to distribute drop-in donations.
- Accompany volunteers on food rescue route delivery when needed.
- Complete shop/facility duties normally done by volunteers as needed.
Desired Education and Experience
- Experience as a team leader or front office/reception experience in a fast-paced environment
Necessary Skills and Requirements
- Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced public facing role, maintaining energy through often repetitive tasks and communications
- Ability to sustain positive communications and model for volunteers a compassionate, non-judgmental approach.
- Functional knowledge and ability to use Microsoft Office and volunteer databases.
The Great Yogurt Boon of 2017
The impact of our grant from Frontier Co-op to purchase a new refrigerated vehicle and one year lease on our refrigerated “big truck” can be best illustrated by the “Great Yogurt Boon of 2017”. On a Wednesday in mid-September we received a call that a local food warehouse had 8 pallets, nearly 9000 pounds of yogurt to donate. Nine thousand pounds of yogurt and the expiration was more than a month away! What a windfall! 
In fact, dairy is one of the most needed items for agencies serving the hungry in our community.
However, 4 tons of dairy that needs to be refrigerated presents its own challenges. Since no single partner agency can store or redistribute food in those quantities, we needed a storage and distribution plan. With our two new vehicles, we were able to accommodate this challenge with little difficulty. Our new 22ft refrigerated had the capacity to transport and keep cool all 8 pallets. We were able to use the truck as a temporary warehouse and work over the course of several hours to distribute this high value food to more than 15 local programs.
Even so, at the end of the day, we still had 800 pounds of yogurt remaining, which was not likely to fit in the 7 household sized refrigerators we have back at Table to Table. So, we transferred the remaining yogurt to the new transit van we purchased with the help of Frontier Co-op. We can actually plug this new vehicle’s refrigeration system into a wall outlet, thereby expanding our refrigerated warehouse space to 350 cubic feet. By storing the yogurt for the next 36 hours, we were able to find additional recipients in need of dairy. Local after school programs received more than 50 cases to serve as snacks and small pantries with minimal storage capacity received a second delivery after distributing the first load of yogurt early in the week. 
These organizations served around 3,000 individuals with this single delivery. Without these new vehicles, this nutritious and high need food would have either gone to waste or been diverted away from those in need right here in our community. Thank you to Frontier for helping keep good food from going to waste and feeding 19,500 hungry people.
Emily Meister Fills Food Rescue Program Manager Position
As Program Manager, Emily will manage the day to day operations of our food rescue efforts. We are so lucky Emily has agreed to take on this new role at Table to Table. You may not know it, but Emily has a few key superpowers that make her perfect for her new role.
- With her compassionate manner and infectious smile, she makes everyone feel comfortable and welcome, which is especially important since she works directly with more than 100 volunteers each week who are the heart of the Table to Table mission.
- Emily is also extremely organized. With her background in both science and fine arts, she is uniquely able to consider the logistics of our food rescue operations. Scheduling more than 700 pick-ups and deliveries each month and managing the schedules of more than 80 volunteers is as much art as science.
- She also parlays this skill set into what her friends and family have termed a “refrigerator magic”. Never doubt the amount of stuff she can fit into a refrigerator. With Emily on task, a refrigerator is never out of space.
Emily has been part of the Table to Table mission for a year and a half, and prior to her staff position here, she volunteered with us! A few of her proudest moments at Table to Table include learning all of the volunteers’ names (we have a lot so that’s impressive) and helping to secure a grant from Frontier Natural Products to lease what we call the “big truck” to aid in picking up large scale donations. Her favorite parts of her everyday work include interacting with our dedicated volunteers and helping people get better access to healthy, wholesome food. Her predecessor and mentor, David Wellendorf says,
“I know from working with Emily she cares dearly about the environment and not wasting anything”
In fact, she describes this commitment as also one of her biggest challenges.
“It is hard to say no…when we don’t have the capacity to take on a donation or a client I have a really hard time if I know there is food to be rescued and people to help, and we simply can’t do it because we are already maxed out.”
What inspires Emily the most is also what inspires us about her.
“Humanity – witnessing kindness in unexpected places, triumph against adversity”.
Regardless of the day or what else she has going on, Emily’s kindness to others is unmatched. She is always there working hard, stepping up when the organization needs her most, and doing it all with a smile on her face and joy in her heart.
Want to congratulate Emily on her new role or have a question about Table to Table’s food rescue operation? Shoot Emily an email anytime at emily@table2table.org
Table to Table Welcomes New Executive Director
Join us in welcoming Nicki Ross to the Table to Table team! Nicki has dedicated her entire career to bettering the lives of those around her. An expert in nonprofit operations, development, and digital marketing strategy, Nicki knows how to build a brand and engage communities in a shared mission. Previously a senior strategist at Geonetric, Nicki worked with hospitals around the country to use digital marketing to help health consumers find care. Prior to Geonetric, she spent several years in leadership at nonprofits and public institutions. She served as development and communications manager at the Catherine McAuley Center, program director of the Boys and Girls Club and Women’s Center director at UW-Parkside.
As the new executive director, she is excited to help Table to Table deliver on its mission,
“I’m so thrilled to get to be a part of the great work Table to Table has been doing for more than 20 years. Every year dedicated volunteers and staff keep more wholesome, edible food from going to waste and get it to those who need it most right here in our own community. Now, I get to be a part of that and I can’t wait to get started.”
Nicki holds bachelor’s degrees in organizational studies and gender studies from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside and is completing her master’s degree in public administration at Drake University. When she’s not finding new ways to reduce food insecurity at Table to Table, you can find Nicki volunteering to raise awareness for homelessness and literacy or teaching her parrot Larry a new phrase.
Want to know more? You can meet Nicki at one of several upcoming events or contact her directly by email or by phone (319) 337-3400.
