Job Description

Food AND Medicine
(members National Organization of Legal Services Workers
NOLSW, UAW 2320)

Community and Economic Justice Organizer

Based in Brewer, ME

About the Organization:
Food AND Medicine (FAM) is a regional, progressive, grassroots organization working to address issues causing and resulting from poverty. Current programs include food justice, worker rights, affordable public transportation, civic engagement and political education. Founded in 2002, our work and name is based on the belief that no one should have to choose between food, medicine and other basic necessities. We use a hybrid of direct service and community organizing to build power among working class and low-income people, and see our work as “Solidarity, not charity”. We work closely with local labor unions, including the Eastern Maine Labor Council, as well as many partner organizations and allied groups.

Position Description:
We are seeking an experienced and versatile Community and Political Organizer to join our team to work on our programs, build relationships with and develop leaders among our members, volunteers and allies. Organizers work with leadership to develop skills and implement strategies, work plans and goals. More than mobilizing or activating, our Organizers are working to build individual and collective power, as well as strengthen the organization, with a goal of social change.

This is a full-time position located in Brewer, Maine, reporting to the Program Manager.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Cultivate and sustain relationships with community members, community partners and key stakeholders;
• Coordinate and implement meetings, one-on-one outreach, surveys, events and the like to involve FAM’s constituency as volunteers and leaders in programs and as active FAM members generally.
• Organize and empower members to attend events, share their story, reach out to allies, speak to the media, attend committee meetings, volunteer, and otherwise become more involved in the organization.
• Identify, develop and empower leaders among members and volunteers.
• Facilitate members’ consciousness and foster analysis of obstacles to low-income communities’ access to basic necessities in relation to broader social issues and systemic inequality.
• Contribute to fundraising activities including phone banking, database updating, membership fundraising and grant writing.
• Coordinate our political program, including canvassing, recruiting and developing volunteers, tracking results and reporting.
• Contribute to organization-wide annual events such as Legislative Breakfast, Labor Day Celebration and Solidarity Harvest.
• Contribute to our electoral and civic engagement, public transportation and/or collective gardening programs.
• Thoroughly document interactions with members, outreach activities, meeting and event planning and turnout.
  

The ideal candidate will have:

• Minimum two years experience in grassroots community or union organizing strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with grassroots and/or union organizing strategies and techniques, and willingness to learn.
• Three years’ relevant experience in staff supervision and/or volunteer management preferred. Demonstrated leadership and organizing skills at work, on campus, or in the community, with experience as a union or community organizer preferred.
• Experience or knowledge of politics, the electoral and legislative process, especially as it relates to issues affecting low-income people and workers.
• Minimum two years experience in developing and managing a political organizing campaign, using VAN, MiniVAN.
• Experience and comfort with making phone calls, canvassing, surveying or encouraging people to become involved, complete surveys or sign petitions.
• Excellent project management skills, including planning, prioritizing, delegating, and overseeing tasks to completion and keeping to deadlines.
• Highly self-motivated, self-sufficient, and self-directed, yet comfortable taking direction, receiving feedback and working as part of a team.
• Excellent attention to detail and follow-through. Ability and commitment to do long-haul, sometimes gritty, organizing work.
• A commitment to FAM’s mission, values and approach, which focuses on grassroots organizing, leadership development, base building and social and economic justice in Maine. The capacity to work with diverse communities and to develop and maintain collaborative relationships.
• Ability to follow directions, problem solve and anticipate or suggest appropriate and creative next steps.
• Ability and willingness to adapt to changing situations mid-stream, and to comfortably interact with and build relationships with all types of people.
• Proficiency with current social media platforms, online fundraising/marketing tools and strategies for nonprofit organizations.
• Strong writing skills, and the ability to represent and communicate FAMs goals, objectives and outcomes for programs and projects, both verbally and in writing.
• Preferred experience in non-profit fundraising and development including grant-writing, solicitation and event planning.
• Strong computer and analytical skills. Comfortable working with a variety of office software, internet and email environments, including Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive and others; comfortable learning new software.
• Physical requirements include ability to spend hours listening and talking; working via computer and telephone; driving frequently to meetings and events; light lifting of equipment and materials.
• Willingness and ability to work occasional long days; periodic night and weekend meetings or events is a normal part of this work.
• A collaborative working spirit and desire to explore ideas, test assumptions, and find solutions as a team.

Application Process:
Timeline: Search will continue until a suitable candidate is found. Applications will start to be reviewed immediately and the position will be hired as soon as an appropriate candidate is selected.

How To Apply: Interested applicants should send ALL FOUR of the following: (1) cover letter, (2) résumé, (3) at least three references, and (4) a writing sample to: [email protected] .

FAM is an equal opportunity employer. Women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, low-income, people of color, working class and people with lived experience in poverty are particularly encouraged to apply.

Compensation/Benefits: Salary is competitive for the region and commensurate with experience, starting at $23/hr. Benefits include 100% employer paid health insurance, dental, and vision benefits for the employee, a retirement plan with match, compensatory time and generous paid time off covered under a union collective bargaining agreement with the UAW.

WHEN APPLYING: Be sure to indicate that you saw this information at .

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