United Way of King County is calling on all young adults 18 years or older—especially those who haven’t nailed down their summer plans yet. How would you like to make $1,900 a month and earn a free ORCA pass this summer while helping to provide nutritious food where local families live, learn and play?

Come join United Way of King County’s Summer HungerCorps team! From June 13 to August 21, we enlist young adults to be full-time VISTA Summer Associates to work in partnership with food banks and community-based organizations to connect families with the food they need.

HungerCorps is part of United Way’s efforts to ensure that low-income families are fed during the summer months. When the school year ends, many kids lose access to free and reduced-priced school meals, and many families are forced to make paychecks stretch further to cover additional food costs during the summer months.

The federal free summer meals program alleviates summertime food insecurity by providing free meals in parks, community centers, apartment complexes, schools and other neighborhood venues.

HungerCorps is part of United Way’s AmericCorps work. In partnership with the federal AmeriCorps VISTA program, we enlist AmeriCorps members to play critical roles in shaping our community. Whether behind the scenes planning or front-and-center with clients, they’re making King County a better place for all.

“Serving as an AmeriCorps member is one of the best ways to get involved in building a more equitable community. These positions will fill a critical need in King County this summer,” said Sara Seelmeyer, United Way senior manager, food security & benefits access. “We know that summer can be scary for some low-income kids, as they lose access to school meals and the consistency of being in class every day with teachers and friends.”

“By spending the summer serving meals to kids and engaging them in fun, firsthand enrichment activities,” Seelmeyer added, “AmeriCorps members will ensure that all kids in our community have a fun summer–and have access to the meals they need to grow and thrive.”

As a HungerCorps VISTA member, you will be assigned to a food bank or meals site, where you’ll use your skills and experience to support critical anti-hunger work. You will be trained in site management, marketing and data tracking–hard skills that will make your summer work influential on your resume.

You will prepare and serve meals, pack boxes of food, engage with community members and conduct grassroots community outreach to get the word out about available resources.

You will distribute meals or groceries at apartment complexes, parks, community centers or food banks. VISTAs are placed in communities that include Seattle, Tukwila, Renton, Auburn, Kent and Federal Way.

You will manage meal distribution logistics, including maintaining federal program requirements. You will also build relationships with families and collect client feedback. And you will receive a Food Handler Permit and other professional development training.

And you’ll get paid! AmeriCorps members receive a weekly stipend of $952.12 (pre-tax). Plus, members receive a $500 bonus in addition to the stipend when you successfully complete the position.

You’ll also receive mileage reimbursement for travel between sites and an unlimited transportation ORCA pass. And those who complete the service term will become eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($1,374.60) or a cash stipend ($345.80).

An AmeriCorps member must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent residents, or persons legally residing in a state. Persons legally residing in a state include (but are not limited to) those having the following legal residency classifications: refugee status, asylum or asylee status, temporary protected status, deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status. Unfortunately, F1 Visas are not sufficient.

Interested? Create an application on My AmeriCorps Portal or click here:

No resume or cover letter is required. The application process moves quickly; you should expect a response within 1-2 days. If you have any questions, contact unitedwayamericorps@uwkc.org.