Seattle Parks and Rec: Summer Meals Service Member

START/END DATE: 6/23/2025 - 8/24/2025

Seattle Parks and Rec Outdoor Activation and Mobile Recreation Unit and United Way of King County are partnering together and seeking a team of full-time Summer Meals Service Members to end hunger in King County. This team will help youth access nutritious food and fun activities during the summer months.  

Seattle Parks and Rec is a national leader and innovator in the services and programs we provide to our residents who enjoy our public spaces such as parks, community centers, specialty gardens, and swimming pools. Our mission is to provide welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate, and build community and promote responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a healthy environment, and strong communities. We strive to deliver excellent customer service to each visitor and participant. SPR is also deeply committed to advancing the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative by working to end institutional and structural racism.  

United Way of King County: UWKC is working side by side with communities to build an equitable future for everyone by ensuring that everyone has access to resources, quality education, enough to eat, and a safe place to call home. Under our priority of breaking the cycle of poverty, we are committed to ensuring that all families have access to nutritious food. 

About Free Summer Meals: Access to good food and supportive relationships shouldn’t end when school is out. In King County, 100,000 low-income students have access to free meals during the school year, but less than 1 in 5 access free meals served during the summer. 

The Free Summer Meals Program is a critical resource to ensure that children continue to have access to summer nutrition support, by serving meals in the places where kids live, learn, and play. National studies show that summer meals programs increase food security and mitigate summer learning loss – but less than 15% of low-income youth in our region access Free Summer Meals programs each year. This is due to preventable barriers – including too few sites, lack of awareness about the program, and a lack of activities and incentives to engage kids and teens. 

Activities play a less-respected role in health and learning, with clear research links between access to recreational activities and reduced rates of mental illness, lifestyle disease, and youth violence. Coupling nutritious meals with active, community-responsive, and fun activities could be an effective way to increase summer learning and health outcomes for youth.  

Your Role: This Summer Meals Service Member will be part of a passionate cohort of direct service AmeriCorps members working across King County in partnership with food banks and community-based organizations to connect families with the food they need. At Seattle Parks and Recreation, you will join a team Summer Meals members to support food security during the summer months. Our members will target the barriers to Summer Meals through their service. They will work to implement creative solutions that increase access to the Free Summer Meals program by increasing the days, hours, and frequency of meal site operations, while also facilitating hands-on educational and recreational activities to engage youth. Additional duties include conducting grassroots community outreach to get the word out about available food resources, which is imperative in breaking down barriers.  

Responsibilities include:  

• Providing excellent customer service to the public at summer meals sites
• Daily set-up and break-down of the site, including ensuring proper signage around site
• Maintaining cleanliness of meals site
• Serving free, healthy meals to youth participants, ensuring safety guidelines and federal program regulations are followed
• Tracking program participation and completing required federal program documents and paperwork
• Weekly food ordering and adjustments of meal counts based on demand
• Creating and disseminating weekly calendars of site events and menus to the public
• Collaborating with youth interns from the Career Explorations youth mentorship program to engage children in educational, active, leisurely, artistic and recreational activities, like sports, board games, and art
• Communicating frequently with supervisors before and throughout shifts
• Documenting daily programming through pictures and videos
• Helping plan and execute special events at meal sites throughout Seattle
• Assisting with various tasks at Parks and Recreation headquarters, including creation of promotional materials and inventory organization
• Maintaining flexibility through changes to inventory, labor, and park assignment

Desired Qualifications:   

• Self-starters who are passionate about supporting their community and public service
• Experience working with children in high-energy environments
• Resourceful and adaptable
• Ability to build relationships and effectively communicate information to a broad audience, including conducting outreach to parents, youth and other community members
• Experience working with diverse populations and an ability to apply a racial equity lens towards anti-hunger work
• Ability to create a fun environment while following site and food service rules
• Photography and graphic design skills are a plus
• Second language skills (especially in Spanish, Somali, Amharic, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Dari, Russian, or Ukrainian) highly desirable to assist in providing services to families in their preferred or native language
• Members will frequently move or lift boxes weighing up to 30 pounds.
• This position may frequently involve service in outdoor weather conditions, and may involve standing, walking, or moving around the service location for the duration of a shift
• This position frequently communicates with staff and community members and must be able to exchange accurate information
• Must have access to a phone with texting and calling capabilities
• Must have access to transportation, as transportation to meal sites and training facilities WILL NOT be provided
• This is a public-facing role in an urban setting where adaptability and awareness are essential, as unexpected situations, including safety considerations, may arise. 

As part of this team, you will be supported with a robust orientation, ongoing training, and the tools and resources you need to be successful. Full training will be provided, including SMARTER Goals and racial equity skill building, as well as Management of Aggressive Behaviors (MOAB) and Food Handlers certifications.  

AmeriCorps Eligibility:   

• Must work full-time, 40 hours/week from June 23, 2025 to August 24, 2025.
• Be at least 18 years old upon start date. There is no upper age limit.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien.
• Members will need to provide ID documents in order to enroll (social security card, plus a US passport, enhanced state ID, or green card. If you only have a regular state ID, you will need to provide a US birth certificate or certificate of naturalization).
• Not be listed in the National Sex Offender Registry database as having been convicted of sex-related crimes; and not be convicted of murder
• Be willing to undergo a criminal history background check, including fingerprints. AmeriCorps assesses criminal history on a case-by-case basis when determining applicant eligibility.
• To be eligible for the Segal Education Award, candidates must have a high school diploma/equivalent or be working toward completing one during the service year
• AmeriCorps members may have additional employment outside of AmeriCorps, but this employment should not interfere with service hours.

 Benefits and Compensation:   

• Living allowance stipend of $1,385.18, every two weeks (pre-tax)
• ACA compliant healthcare
• Unlimited public transportation card
• Paid time off: 2 personal days, 2 sick days, 1 federal holiday
• Eligible to receive Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($1,565.08 pre-tax) after successful completion of your service year.
• Childcare assistance (will not cover entire cost)
• Member Assistance Program: mental health counseling, and access to personal and professional life resources
• Loan forbearance and interest accrual repayment on qualified government student loans
• Unique cohort experience, including a 3-day orientation