Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is the leading local hunger-relief organization in the state with locations in Milwaukee and Appleton. Founded in 1982 by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is a local and independent member of the Feeding America network. Driven by our mission to solve hunger, we are bringing more people together around the table to collaboratively address the root causes of hunger. Together with our network partners, we serve nearly half a million food-insecure people across 35 counties in eastern Wisconsin each year.       

JOB PURPOSE: 

The FoodShare Outreach Specialist plays a vital role in increasing awareness, providing education, and assisting with FoodShare applications and renewals, ensuring that eligible individuals receive the benefits they need. This position is key to connecting with hard-to-reach populations, including senior citizens, low-income individuals, the homeless, and others facing food insecurity.

This role specifically targets the northern and rural communities within our service area, such as Florence, Vilas, Marinette, Forest, Oneida, Oconto, and neighboring counties. The ideal candidate will have ties to these communities and be willing to spend significant time there. Preference will be given to those with lived experience with FoodShare or community outreach activities.

Please note: This position may require extensive community outreach, including potential overnight or extended stays.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Build relationships with community businesses and organizations to facilitate client referrals for FoodShare application assistance.
• Share expertise for development of promotional strategies and collaterals.
• Provide detailed explanation of FoodShare benefits to applicants.
• Screen potentially-eligible clients using the State of Wisconsin’s ACCESS online application tool and share results with clients.
• Provide personalized FoodShare application assistance utilizing the online application process and paper applications where online connectivity is not available.
• Submit clients’ verification documentation to the local FoodShare office in a timely manner.
• Act as liaison for future client follow up and communication.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all aspects of clients’ personal information.
• Conduct outreach to all potentially eligible households, particularly the senior, working individuals facing economic challenges and immigrant populations.
• Collect and report required data in a timely manner.
• Participate in mandatory food bank and statewide FoodShare Outreach team activities and meetings. 
• Work effectively as a member of food bank staff and as a member of statewide FoodShare Outreach team to share knowledge and build program capacity. 
• Coordinate local FoodShare outreach to achieve and exceed local goals and while also maintaining strong connection and information sharing with statewide program and outreach goals.
• Identify and act on problems, making solution-focused decisions in consultation with supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Commitment to understand and  support FAEW’s mission, vision, and effective actions to end food insecurity and its causes
• Respect for the people FAEW serves and commitment to learn the causes of their food insecurity and need
• Bachelor’s degree from accredited college/university and minimum of 1 year of related outreach experience, preferred
• Strong ability to set own priorities and work independently while also being a part of a larger team
• Professional written and oral communication skills
• Intermediate-to-advanced Microsoft Office Suite software and computer skills along with the ability to learn ACCESS online software
• Ability to travel throughout indicated territory on a weekly basis for outreach, application appointments and meetings
• Ability to develop extensive knowledge of FoodShare within 3 months of employment
• Experience working successfully with community based, nonprofit organizations preferred
• Bi-lingual in Spanish or Hmong, preferred
• Demonstrate the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be open-minded of differing opinions and views.
• Must have a valid driver’s license, automobile insurance that meets Wisconsin state minimum liability requirements and transportation to travel to work sites
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and/or hear, and/or use hands to finger, handle, or touch objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand, and/or walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds while moving files or small-medium sized packages. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The mental and physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in an office environment and off-site locations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an individual encounter while performing the essential functions of this position.

FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE:

A flexible work schedule at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (FAEW) benefits both the organization and employees by promoting work-life balance, enhancing productivity, and ensuring team coverage, ultimately leading to a more motivated and efficient workforce, to the extent possible. FAEW may offer this option to employees when it benefits both the organization and the employee. However, our FAEW campuses serve as a critical hub for collaboration and, while we want to embrace flexibility, the need to be in the office or out in the field and working on projects or networking through natural camaraderie, will be expected. This position does have the capacity to engage in a flexible work schedule. 

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Inc. is committed to fostering diversity in our workplace. FAEW does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, race, color, creed, religion, handicap, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, arrest or conviction record, physical disability, mental disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.