Program Assistant

Organization: Open Cupboard is a hunger relief organization serving the East Metro. Open Cupboard operates several different programs that serve the community, including a Drive Up food shelf, Mobile Food Shelf, Delivery Program, and Today's Harvest. Today's Harvest is a free market that provides fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bakery items we rescue each day from local grocery stores, farms, and other partners.

Position: The Program Assistant will support customer service and restocking in our Today's Harvest market and support operations of our Drive Up program.

Hours: There is some flexibility with the schedule but our preferred hours are 12-6pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and from 9:30am-2:30pm on Saturdays.

Reports to: Market Manager

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Program Assistant will:

- Greet and assist people coming to shop in Today's Harvest and/or visiting our Drive Up program

- Support restocking and coordinate volunteers who are restocking the Today's Harvest market

- Assess and manage inventory and communicate needs to other team members when inventory runs low

- Assist with market operations, including market restocking, sorting of food, etc.

- Support operations of our outdoor Drive Up food shelf program on Thursdays

Qualifications & Experience:

- Ability to communicate, motivate, and relate effectively to a wide variety of Individuals

- Retail or grocery experience a plus

- Bilingual Hmong/English and/or Spanish/English is strongly preferred.

- Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to see change as an opportunity rather than an obstacle

- Volunteer training experience is a plus

- Strong communication and customer service skills

- Physical ability to load and unload boxes and bags on a regular basis, up to 50 pounds, and be on your feet for long periods of time

- Willingness and ability to work outdoors during the Drive Up program hours

- Ability to assess needs and communicate to the team any adjustments that need to be made throughout each shift

Compensation: $19.00 per hour

Open Cupboard programs are designed to increase access to fresh, healthy food and basic necessities, and to provide those services in a positive, supportive way that reduces stigma and increases access to food.

Our programs include:

Today’s Harvest

Our Today's Harvest market is open 6 days a week (10:30am-6pm on weekdays and 10:30-2:30 on Saturdays) and offers fresh produce, proteins, dairy and deli items in a highly accessible, welcoming format.

Mobile Food Shelf

Through our Mobile Food Shelf program, we support targeted communities that lack access to food. We distribute food, personal hygiene items and household products to seven senior living facilities and two mobile home communities.

Drive-Up Food Shelf

Our traditional food shelf program is provided through a drive-up service and distributes fresh produce, meat, dairy items, and other essentials like diapers, feminine hygiene items, household and personal care items, and more. This program is open to anyone, regardless of address, and also provides culturally relevant and special diet choices.

Food Deliveries

We provide approximately 150 food deliveries per week through our partnership with Door Dash and in collaboration with Valley Outreach and White Bear Food Shelf. These deliveries are provided to anyone in Ramsey or Washington counties who lack transportation to get to our programs or have health conditions that make it difficult to leave their home.

All of the programs listed above serve our community in a distinct way, providing different access points for people to receive fresh and healthy food, and other basic needs, in the way that works best for them. Open Cupboard’s programs provide fresh and healthy food to over 4,000 households per week.