Americorps*VISTA Volunteer Sustainable Food Systems Program Associate

The Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative (ISFC) is a new non-profit organization seeking 2 Americorps@VISTAs to assist with advancing our mission:

To advance the production of and access to healthy food produced in a sustainable, socially just manner by empowering faith communities with models and resources to impact local food systems and advance public policy.

The Position: The Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative offers VISTA's the opportunity to build sustainable food systems by working with the faith community. The positions focus on helping low-income people in Sonoma and Marin Counties access healthy local food. The VISTA's will participate in an orientation, and attend trainings to build professional and personal skills. The VISTA will gain familiarity with key aspects of non-profit management and network with community food access groups.

The goal of the project is in part to:

Increase food security for low-income individuals, AmeriCorps*VISTA members will share models and lessons learned on how congregations and farmers can partner to create gardens and farm marketing outlets that supply fresh, sustainably grown produce and products to low income people.

Americorps*VISTA's will develop skills in: grant writing, program development; community outreach, community organizing, and evaluation.The VISTA's responsibilities will include the following projects:

• Advance fundraising with an emphasis on grant writing to build the capacity of the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative to advance local food security and other organizational goals.

• Organize and promote training and networking for faith-based groups advancing food security including: a conference; and roundtable discussions.

• Develop publications including fact sheets and a 'tool kit' on best practices to increase food access for congregants and neighbors.

• Promote farmers markets and other local food outlets accepting CalFresh/SNAP to faith-based congregations to facilitate access to healthy food including for low-income people.

• Work with existing or new local pilot projects to develop a best practices guide for implementing projects. Assist in developing pilot sites that may include faith based community gardens, CSA's, entrepreneurial farms or promoting CalFresh/SNAP.

• Conduct outreach to faith-based groups and facilitate establishing or developing on-site farm stands or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) drop-offs at faith community sites to facilitate congregants and neighbors purchasing from local farmers.

Terms/Stipend for the Position: The full-time position is for one year beginning April 25^th, 2013 and will be based in Sebastopol, California. Serving as a VISTA is a full-time commitment. Some local travel for night and weekend meetings will be required. Compensation includes a stipend from the Corporation for National Service of approximately $1175.00 per month as well as basic medical insurance and a childcare allowance. VISTA's receive a $5,500 educational award upon successful completion of service and a student loan deferment while serving.

Qualifications: The best candidates will have a familiarity with community organizing, sustainable food systems and/or faith community work. Spanish language skills are highly desirable. Experience with cross-cultural relationship building and social networking platforms is a plus. Strong oral and written communication skills are key. A B.A. degree or above is required.

How to Apply: Interested individuals should contact Steve Schwartz at Steve@interfaithfood.org or (707) 217-5603 and review the www.Americorps.gov. This is a competitive position. Please submit a resume as soon as possible, we are scheduling interviews March 7^th and 8th.

Introduction to the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative

The project facilitates faith communities sharing models to produce and access healthy, local food and build a more sustainable food system by providing resources to help committed congregations increase their level of activity. The ISFC also facilitates policy activism by connecting congregations to educational resources and specific advocacy opportunities. The group's focus on sustainable food systems encompasses soil and water protection, social justice, market development and access to food aid programs. The ISFC works to broaden the base of the sustainable agriculture movement by building bridges between faith and farming communities.

The Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative (ISFC) empowers congregations to develop programs through networking, technical assistance and financial assistance. The group was established in Spring, 2012 based on programs including: Come to the Table in North Carolina and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. ISFC is building the movement of people demanding healthy, sustainable food by facilitating cooperation with and among faith community leaders.

Many low-income individuals in Sonoma and Marin counties do not have adequate access to affordable food. Farmers need more outlets to sell food and infrastructure to be able to accept payments from individuals using government assistance programs. Families without land or garden space need places to grow their own food. The ISFC empowers congregations with resources to advance programs that address these challenges.

The sustainable agriculture movement and local food advocates have had many successes over the decades and awareness has grown about how consumers can advance a sustainable food system. However, in many ways the work to facilitate a shift to a more sustainable food system has just begun. In recent years, several religious denominations at the national level have advanced initiatives highlighting the connection between the food system and spirituality. Many creative programs have blossomed from these efforts. However, the diverse application of congregational-level projects has not been catalogued and shared in a way that facilitates development of new projects across the faith spectrum. The ISFC fills the gap by facilitating sharing of innovative models. More information can be found at www.interfaithfood.org.