Adam McFee Reflects on Time at Table to Table as Gleaning Coordinator
Adam McFee joined our ranks in January of 2024 as a weekly route volunteer before becoming a Summer term Green Iowa AmeriCorps member in June to serve as our Gleaning Coordinator. What excited him the most about this change was his personal interest in food rescue and sustainable practices, and the chance to have such a direct positive impact on his community. Building off the foundational work for our gleaning network set in place by a previous AmeriCorps member, Marquis Heard, Adam was able to increase the amount of food rescued through gleans by 106% compared to 2023, for a total of 2,046 lbs. of produce. He worked with five new growers in addition to existing partners and completed 27 gleans during the course of his term.
Adam has plans to graduate from the University of Iowa in the Spring of 2025 with a degree in Environmental Policy and Planning. He came to us with previous experience working with Iowa produce farms and volunteering at the University of Iowa Food Pantry, as well as an existing interest in food systems and security. This made him an enthusiastic, motivated, and insightful addition to our team.
Upon completing his service term in August, Adam took the time to reflect on his experience and impact at Table to Table.
From the start of the summer, the training process felt very deliberate. I found that beginning training with the big-picture presentation on the Table to Table mission really got me motivated and I began to understand what my role would be on a day-to-day basis. Marquis was super important at first for getting started and offered lots of insight on glean-specific information. Most of the growers I gleaned with this summer had been found and contacted before I started, which I owe to Marquis, he really had the program on its legs before I started.
This was my first job where I felt I had real agency over my time and how I would do the job. I was able to really build up the program in the way I felt was most effective and have a real hands-on role in its development. Fitting around program coverage, I thought of Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday mornings as my slots for gleans, and aimed for two or three gleans a week. I created a thoughtful and deliberate process through which I approached my daily responsibilities for setting up and executing gleans, in addition to serving as a core support team member for regular operations as well. The dynamic nature of my role and the independence it allowed me really helped me grow professionally and personally in ways I will carry with me throughout all my future endeavors.
Adam took the liberty of compiling and analyzing all the data he collected from his time as Gleaning Coordinator, offering valuable insight and suggestions for the ongoing development of our gleaning program. His dedication and thoughtful, deliberate approach to his work made a huge impact on Table to Table and the growth of our gleaning program. Thank you, Adam!
Now Hiring: Communications Strategist, AmeriCorps Nourish Iowa VISTA
Position Summary:
As a Communications Strategist VISTA for Table to Table in Iowa City, you will streamline communications processes for a regional network of food donors and other allied organizations. Your service term will leave you well-equipped to coordinate an organization’s outreach to volunteers, donors, and the public. You will research and support applications for new sources of funding and spearhead marketing of the organization to local businesses to form marketing partnerships. You will lead the team in updating the website to new brand standards and create ongoing content about current activities for Table to Table’s website and social media accounts with a particular focus on accessibility for diverse audiences as well as ease of use for food transportation workers seeking to donate rejected product that is still safe to eat. You’ll develop and share consistent county-level service information with the community to build broad awareness of resources available among the general public.
Read more about member benefits here.
Table to Table Communications Strategist AmeriCorps Nourish Iowa VISTA 2024-2025
Schedule and Duration:
32 hours per week for one year posting. Primarily four days per week from 8AM to 4PM with some flexibility, and some evening hours. One remote work day per week offered. Other days and times as needed and agreed upon.
Required: Willing to consent to an AmeriCorps background check.
About AmeriCorps VISTA
As a member in the AmeriCorps VISTA program, you serve full time for one-year. You will build capacity in nonprofit organizations and public agencies to help them more effectively generate the commitment of private sector resources, encourage volunteer service at the local level, and empower individuals and communities. As an AmeriCorps member you will serve in a project identified and managed by the community while earning a modest living allowance that reflects the income level of the community where you’re serving. Learn more here >
Financial Information, Benefits, & Additional Information: https://americorps.gov/members-volunteers/vista/benefits
Supervision Given by: The Communications Strategist VISTA is supervised by the T2T Executive Director and is part of a team including the T2T Communications & Development Coordinator.
If you’re interested in this AmeriCorps position, please submit an email of interest and/or a resume and cover letter (welcome but not required) to Elizabeth Wagner at Table to Table via email: hr@table2table.org
Qualifications & Competencies:
- Enthusiastic advocate for food rescue, hunger relief, and food waste reduction.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, maintaining energy through often repetitive tasks. Ability to switch gears quickly and manage multiple tasks concurrently.
- Ability to work autonomously and perform well under pressure. Detail-oriented & resourceful.
- Functional knowledge and ability to use Microsoft Office and Google Suite
- Experience with WordPress and Canva preferred
Licenses & Qualifications:
- Preferred but not required: Over 21 with a valid driver’s license for a minimum of 4 years and good driving record (must be insurable under organization liability insurance); willing to drive large vehicles.
- Must be able to use technology including computers, printers, phones, vehicle and refrigeration units, and other equipment. Functional knowledge of computer systems.
Table to Table’s Mission Statement:
Table to Table bridges the gap between abundance and hunger. Our mission is to increase food equity and reduce environmental harm by collecting and redistributing surplus food through partners to people who can use it.
Natalie Leathers Welcome Announcement
We are thrilled to welcome Natalie Leathers as our new Communications & Development Coordinator at Table to Table! Natalie brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to our team, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.
Natalie holds a BA in Political Science with a certificate in writing from the University of Iowa, where she also worked as a media intern for the Public Policy Center and a student researcher with the Iowa Policy and Opinion Lab. Her deep-rooted passion for communications, outreach, and community service makes her the perfect fit for this role. Natalie will be spearheading volunteer recruitment, outreach initiatives, and events planning—so you’ll likely see her in the thick of things at our upcoming fundraisers or community events.
When asked about why she was drawn to Table to Table, Natalie shared that she’s not only inspired by our food rescue mission but also deeply passionate about climate action. Her love for community work blossomed during her time with “Hawk the Vote,” and she’s excited to dive right into hands-on work—especially hopping on her food rescue routes! She’s also eager to start planning events, like our annual dinner, and exploring new ways to grow our community outreach.
A fun fact about Natalie? She’s an avid photographer! While she humbly claims not to be a pro, she’s been behind the lens since childhood, and we’re hoping to see some of her creative talent in action at our events. Natalie’s favorite food memory is baking the “Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies” with her mom as a kid. A recipe originally sourced from a food magazine, Natalie says “They really are perfect and so delicious. I still make them with her all the time when I go home to visit.” Since food is the way to win T2T hearts, we hope she will bring them back to Iowa City with her sometime!
So, whether you’re a volunteer, donor, or partner, we can’t wait for you to meet Natalie and work with her on telling the Table to Table story. Be sure to give her a warm welcome when you see her around!
Now Hiring: Development & Communications Coordinator
Position & Ideal Candidate Overview: Are you looking for a role in Communications, Marketing, or Fundraising where you’ll utilize your varied skill set to make a huge community impact? You could be the next Communications and Development Coordinator for Table to Table. We are looking for an outstanding communicator and a community-minded individual who is passionate and enthusiastic about conveying our mission to inspire and encourage engagement from volunteers, organizations, and the general public. The ideal candidate is organized, self-motivated, and has a great attitude to contribute to the positive strengths-based culture at T2T. The right candidate is patient and persistent in a dynamic work environment where there are tight deadlines and multiple requests or projects at any given moment. As this is a public-facing role, we’re looking for a “people person” who is tactful and enjoys interacting with those of diverse ages, abilities, and backgrounds. If you have these qualifications and want to put your time and energy toward feeding thousands of people in our community, this is the job for you!
Employment Status and Work Hours: (Full-time position)
Monday through Friday 8-4 with flexibility, some weekends and evenings required
40 hours per week, some overtime required
Pay & Benefits: $40,000 to $46,000 annually, depending on experience.
Benefit package includes paid vacation and sick leave, employer retirement contribution, along with 80% employer covered premium for employee health and dental coverage.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Create and implement fundraising campaigns, including appeal letters and online giving campaigns
- Implement community outreach and media relationships and strategies, including regular public speaking engagements and presentations.
- Lead the planning and coordination of the annual dinner fundraiser including event committee leadership, promotion, logistics, food, and fundraising.
- Organize promotional events like Love Food Fight Waste, UI Homecoming Parade, and other outreach events.
- Write and create graphics 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.
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.
- Excellent public speaking, presentation, and writing skills for the purpose of recruiting volunteers, fundraising, and promoting Table to Table’s mission. Ability to connect with others and forge strong relationships.
Review the complete Communications and Development Coordinator Job Description 2024.
To apply, email a resume and cover letter to hr@table2table.org
We Bid Farewell and Good Luck to Communications & Development Coordinator Anne Hlavacek
It’s with mixed emotions that we announce that Anne Hlavacek (née Langebartels) is leaving T2T to return to university to further her education.
In 2019, Anne joined us as our first development and communications staff. Before T2T, Anne served as an AmeriCorps Vista at Feed Iowa First, where she built their new development and outreach role. This made her uniquely qualified to do something similar at Table to Table. After only a few months on the team, we were particularly fortunate to have her support during the challenging pandemic years when nothing was normal and our template for communications and engagement went out the window.
Anne has been incredibly adept at communicating challenging concepts about food access & equity, food recovery, and the value of nonprofit work in both writing and design. Some of her favorite projects and most meaningful projects include
- 25 Years of Impact Report – Anne’s huge investment of effort into interviews, archive review, writing, and design is evident in this representation of the T2T legacy.
- “Greatest Table” card – packed full of great information in an easy to read design that makes you want to know more.
- The Power of Partnerships – in our most recent report to the community, Anne highlighted work that represents our values of collaboration, equity, appreciation, and love.
Through this incredible work and so much more not listed here, she has helped raise the profile and recognition of Table to Tables critical contributions to the community. Anne’s efforts have also helped T2T significantly build our program capacity. High fundraising performance of appeals and fundraising initiatives funded additional operational capacity that increased our food collection by 750,000 pounds.
When Anne joined the team, the road ahead was filled with opportunity and challenge which she approached with diligence and creativity. She has helped us build a strong, sustainable foundation for our relationships with funders, volunteers, and our community as a whole. We wish Anne well as she embarks upon her MFA journey at Iowa State University where we know she’ll build new skills and relationships that will continue to have a lasting impact on her community.
Know someone who might be interested in joining the team as our new Communications Coordinator – read more about the position here.
