Program Ambassador Genesee County

Fair Food Network grows community health, wealth, and resilience through food—starting in Michigan and seeding change nationwide. As a nonprofit and investor, we exist so families can eat well, farms and food businesses thrive, and people can keep their food dollars in their own neighborhoods. We believe this is possible only when communities can grow, sell, and buy more local food. Through our on-the-ground programs, strategic investments, and policy change, we work with partners to strengthen local food economies and expand access to affordable, healthy food across the country.

About the Role: As a Program Ambassador, you will be the face of the Double Up Food Bucks Program (Double Up) in Genesee County. Program Ambassadors provide direct outreach to community members and shoppers by explaining how the Double Up Food Bucks Program works. This position will help shoppers gain knowledge about the usage of the program as they stretch their food dollars to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the ambassadors will cultivate relationships with retail cashiers to support the Cashier Engagement Program. Program Ambassadors will work 20 hours a week; with some flexibility in scheduling. The Genesee program Ambassador will work remotely and reports to Rachel Hoh, Double Up Food Bucks Michigan Director. This role requires travel to Fair Food Network’s Detroit office in May and October for Staff Retreats and 1 – 2 times per year for a Double Up Team Retreat.

Responsibilities: Outreach

• Explain the Double Up Food Bucks program to shoppers at prospective and participating grocery stores and farmers markets in Genesee County

• Identify and inform Double Up Program Managers of community events (such as health fairs, food policy councils), and coordinate with them to attend and share information about Double Up Food Bucks

• Attend 1 in-person community event per week per department outreach plan

• Increase awareness and usage of the program by helping new customers navigate the program at participating sites. This includes helping customers choose eligible items, walking them through the process at the cash register, and distributing flyers and information on other locations to shop as well as refreshing Double Up signage at our participating locations

Technical Assistance

• Provide technical assistance to shoppers; signing up new customers to the Double Up card
• Provide technical assistance to vendors at farmers markets and cashiers at grocery stores
• Answer the Double Up Food Bucks hotline to assist shoppers in program questions

Farmers Market and Direct Sites:

• Assist Double Up team with contacting market vendors and managers when follow-up is needed on contracts, technical assistance, and program administration
• Schedule site visits and tabling events at low performing farm direct sites to increase understanding and usage of Double Up program with shoppers and vendors

Grocery Implementation:

• Create relationships with cashiers at participating locations to ensure understanding of and program requirements for Double Up Food Bucks
• Assist Double Up team with cashier and store competitions when new sites enter the program

Miscellaneous Program Responsibilities:

• Share feedback from community partners and participants with supervisor and Double Up Food Bucks team on a regular basis
• Through Site Visit rubrics maintain accurate documentation of activities, visit schedule, relationships, and outcomes, materials distributed, and number of customers talked to, as well as any qualitative feedback
• Submit mileage and expense reports by the 30th of each month.
• Availability to work in the evenings and on weekends required to meet the needs of the retail and farmers market sites
• Various other duties as assigned

What You’ll Need:

• Strong knowledge of Genesee County.
• Commitment to Fair Food Network’s mission to grow community health and wealth through food
• Demonstrated public speaking and people skills; comfort speaking to a variety of audiences
• Experience with and understanding of nutrition incentives and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Bridge Card), preferred
• Enthusiasm for learning new skills and working collaboratively
• Strong organizational skills including attention to detail, follow-through and the ability to meet multiple competing deadlines
• Proficiency using standard Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point)
• Ability to travel independently to meetings, events and sites in Genesee County

The Rewards:

• Ability to help craft Fair Food Network’s future impact.
• Benefits include a 401K match after 1,000 hours of employment, a flexible PTO policy, and professional development opportunities.
• Work with passionate people who are dedicated to a food system that nourishes whole communities, leading to improved health, economic well-being and environmental regeneration
• Apply your skills for social change

The hourly wage for this position is $22.51.

Interested in this position? Please apply here: https://fairfoodnetwork.org/careers/. Applications are not accepted via LinkedIn.