Summer 2024: Refugee and Immigrant Pantry Education (RIPE) Intern (Unpaid)
Job Description
*Please note: this is an unpaid internship. This position is anticipated to start in May 2024.*
IRC IN SAN DIEGO BACKGROUND: Founded in 1933, the IRC is a leading organization providing relief, protection, and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression throughout the U.S. IRC in San Diego has resettled over 31,000 refugees to San Diego County over the past 48 years and provides numerous program services. In San Diego, the IRC opened its doors in 1975 and has grown to serve approximately 7,000 refugee and immigrant individuals from 115 countries of origin each year through 5 different departments.
IRC's Refugee and Immigrant Pantry Education (RIPE) Program honors the IRC SD's guiding principles of community-based collaboration, fostering a culture of learning and holistic wellness, and upholding the knowledge and power of our clients to ensure that food is a vehicle for positive change in the lives of IRC clients. RIPE seeks to increase access to preferred and nutritious food for at least 1,180 refugees and immigrants to ensure that all displaced families and individuals have quality and nutritious foods that adequately supports their locating safety in San Diego. The RIPE program includes a culturally inclusive food pantry, promoting refugee and immigrant-led food production, and improving food system navigation and knowledge for refugee and immigrant clients of IRC through workshops and cultural orientations in dignity-affirming ways.
SCOPE OF INTERN WORK:In this internship, students will have the opportunity to contribute to the RIPE Program through community engagement and outreach, food stocking and distribution.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Based on skills and experience, responsibilities may include a combination of program support, administrative support, and direct service:
Non-client facing
- Sort produce and stock the food pantry
- Lifting food products and items as necessary
Client facing
- Welcome IRC clients into the food pantry and help facilitate their shopping experience
- Support with outreach to IRC clients using interpreters when necessary
- Contribute to data recording of food distribution, restocking
- Provide IRC clients with information about the community resources available
- Other related duties as assigned
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Intern will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of food access issues and food insecurity in San Diego
- Intern will expand their experience providing comprehensive nutrition education classes to a variety of audiences
- Intern will participate in weekly and monthly team and department meetings to enhance
collaborative learning
REQUIREMENTS:
Non-client facing:
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds safely
- Reliable, punctual
Client-facing:
- Experience working as a team in a cross-cultural environment
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent organization, time-management skills
- Reliable and committed to continuously show up for scheduled volunteer shifts
- Proactive, motivated, adaptable
- Demonstrated success working and communicating with people of varied English-speaking abilities strongly preferred
- Proficiency in an IRC working language other than English highly desired
- Time Commitment: 4 months, 8-12 hours per day
This position reports directly to the Food Nutrition Specialist.
Compensation: This is an unpaid internship opportunity.
Working Environment:
- TheRefugee and Immigrant Pantry Education (RIPE) Internship is in-person at the San Diego (City Heights) office.
- San Diego Office hours are scheduled Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm PST.Morning and afternoon shifts are available. Internship responsibilities will involve both client-facing and non-client facing tasks. Selected candidates will intern 8-12 hours per week, with a preference for Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
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