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Community Garden Assistant (AmeriCorps)

AmeriCorps
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The Rural Health Service Corps (RHSC) Community Garden Assistant will assist with the development, maintenance, and expansion of community garden operations, which will include the initiation of the community composting program and systematic soil testing. Furthermore, they will help implement Green Thumb Educational Workshops. The member’s service will be key to advancing the goals of both VINES and the Rural Health Service Corps program of combating food insecurity by educating program participants on how to plant, care for, and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables in VINES’ network of approximately 20+ community gardens. The Community Garden Assistant will help build relationships with community gardeners and site coordinators to ensure that community members are receiving the information and materials they need to grow their own food and make changes in their health. 

Please note, this is a Public Health AmeriCorps position, not a traditional job or internship. Members will serve in-person in Binghamton, NY. A term of service involves 900 total hours of service throughout a 10 month period at 25-30 hours/week. Members receive a living allowance of $11,000 (divided into biweekly payments throughout the term) and an education award of $3,447.50 (to be used on qualified education expenses). 

 

We do not accept the Handshake application as a full application. To apply, please visit our website.

 

Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Assist with logistics and distribution of supplies, tools and materials to and from VINES’ 20+ community garden sites.
  • Assist with managing volunteers through garden improvement projects and maintenance on volunteer days.
  • Assist with data collection and entry regarding community garden needs and impacts.
  • Conduct outreach including but not limited to tabling, distributing flyers, and door to door outreach to engage community members in all of VINES’ programs;
  • Engage and educate volunteers and supervise volunteer work with Farm Share, Green Thumb Workshops, Soil Testing, the Community Meal and other areas as needed;
  • Assist in the coordination of Green Thumb workshop series which provides educational events for the public on the topics such as raised bed gardening, home composting, food preservation, and healthy cooking. This may include but isn’t limited to, identifying and communicating with instructors, being VINES’ representative at workshops, attending and assisting with instruction of workshops.
  • Assist the Community Garden Manager with creating educational materials for community garden members;
  • Assist in the collection of soil samples for both Community Gardens and Build-A-Garden (residential) program.
  • Occasionally drive van for distribution of Farm Share vegetable boxes.
  • Assist with running community meal on the 5th Tuesdays of the month (~3 times per year) at the United Presbyterian Church;
  • Document, report on and evaluate programs/progress;
  • Assist in resource development to support VINES activities to the extent permitted (10% of total time in service, no work on federal funding applications, etc. by the AmeriCorps National Service Program and with the specific guidance of the Rural Health Network).
     

Required: 

  • COVID vaccination (original shot(s) and at least one booster)
  • Valid driver's license