Food Service Coordinators (Volunteer)

Summary of Role:

A key role at the food bank, you will run one shift a week alongside other Coordinators. You will work in close cooperation with volunteers and guests, ensuring that the food service is as smooth as possible, dealing with any incidents that may arise.

Location: St Michaels Church Hall, 37 Bounds Green Rd, London, N22 8SD

Hours: Tuesdays or Thursdays, 9am - 1pm or 12.30pm - 5pm. Plus a fortnightly meeting (2 hours)

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,300 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who find themselves in a crisis situation where they need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

The Role:

1. Manage Food Service Volunteers 

• Manage the Section Leads and Food Service Volunteers, allocating tasks according to each volunteer’s experience and ability. 

• Make sure volunteers are aware of and follow food bank policies and procedures (e.g. the Kitchen Policy and using the food bank themselves).

• Ensure volunteers follow all health and safety precautions, including checking all items are in-date.

• Ensure all volunteers sign the register.

• Support volunteers, ensure they take breaks, help them deal with any difficult incidents and ensure they alert you to any issues.

• Be available to volunteers and responsive to their needs.

2. Manage Guests 

• Ensure that guests have completed the registration process and are referred to the Advice Team where eligibility to use the food bank has not been confirmed.

• Treat all guests equally, welcoming them to the food bank and making sure they are respected and thought about.

• Ensure the order of the queue is maintained. 

• Deal with any issues by speaking directly to the guest, asking them to follow the rules and helping them deal with any difficult incidents. 

• Ensure no alcohol or drugs are used at the food bank or in the queue.

3. Complete Daily Duties

• Prepare for setting up from 9am and complete shift at 1pm (depending on shift time).

• Prepare  to open the food bank to guests at 1pm and lock up at 5pm (depending on shift time).

• Receive deliveries: know what deliveries to anticipate and coordinate volunteers to direct the driver, unload their vehicle and load crates in the hall.

• Organise the decanting and repacking of items.

• Keep an eye on stocks and make a note of shortages.

• Complete additional tasks that may arise e.g. bagging food, getting rid of waste, and updating admin.  

• Ensure the hall is clean and organised before locking up. 

Person Specification:

• Has 6 months’ experience in a similar capacity.

• Can organise and manage tasks efficiently.

• Can keep calm under pressure.

• Able to de-escalate difficult situations.

• Be willing to attend training eg. safeguarding, first aid and management skills.

• Willing to do administrative work (eg. taking minutes and reading the minutes of other meetings shared with the Food Service Team).

• Reliable, assertive and tactful with both volunteers and guests.

• Team player with good communication skills.