Assistant (poverty)
LOCATION
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Fingerprint/background clearance is required.To be a Home Delivered Meal Driver, you must obtain a level one fingerprint clearance card. This process can take approximately two weeks to obtain. You will be able to deliver meals with staff supervision while waiting for the clearance card to be processed.
SCHEDULE OPTIONS
Semester availability
FallSpring
Summer
Service hours
MorningAfternoon
Available days/hours
Home Delivered Meals are conducted Monday - Friday from 9:00am to Noon.
The TCAA Food Pantry is open Monday - Friday from 9:00 to Noon.
Food Drive Coordination can take place Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Senior socialization and wellness programs take place between 10:00am and 2:00pm (depending on the activity schedule)
The Escalante Community Garden is open Monday - Friday and every 2nd and 4th Saturday. Students have curiculum driven activities both during the day and after school in the garden.
REQUIRED/DESIRED SKILLS
The Escalante Community Garden needs individuals with a background in education to help facilitate afterschool curiculums with students from Thew Elementary.
Home Delivered Meals drivers must have reliable transportation, a clean driving record, and be able to obtain a level one clearance card. All interns must have good communication skills, client boundary skills, and the ability to adapt to a flexible work environment.
CATEGORIES
EducationElderly
Homeless
Hunger / Poverty
Social Services
Youth (direct interaction)
Youth II: 5-11 years (K-6th grades)
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Tempe Community Action Agency
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Duties
TCAA could utilize 4-5 ASU interns in a variety of capacities to provide direct services to the clients who utilize our emergency resources.
This first position would be working with the senior population, packing and delivering meals to homebound and disabled senior in our community. The intern would also work closely with the senior center program coordinator to enhance the social, health and wellness activities for seniors. Home Delivered Meals are packed Monday - Friday starting at 8:00am and are delivered to clients from 9:00am to Noon. Senior Center social and educational programs take place Monday - Friday between 10:00am and 2:00pm (depending on the activity schedule)
The second position would focus on the Food Pantry. The intern would work closely with the Food Pantry coordinator, preparing and distributing emergency food boxes. The intern would also assist in coordinating local community food drives. This would include developing press releases for marketing and promoting community food drives, delivering empty collection bins to local organizations and coordinating the pick up of full food bins. The Food Pantry is open Monday - Friday from 9:00am - Noon.
The third position would be to help coordinate Educational curriculum in the Escalante Community Garden. The interns would help facilitate curriculum driven learning activities in partnership with Thew Elementary School, the Tempe Parks and Recreation Dept. and the TCAA community garden staff. Class times fluctuate throughout the year. Students with Education or Childhood Development focus are most needed to help develop and facilitate the active learning curriculums.
Population served
TCAA provides services to working poor families, children, senior, and the homeless. The population we serve are very low income typically earning less than 150% of the federal poverty level.
Community need/impact
TCAA focuses on providing basic needs services for low income families and individuals in the community. The internship task will focus around meeting the food insecurity community need. Currently TCAA delivers 58,000 meals annually to frail and elderly individuals living in Tempe and Scottsdale. TCAA also distributes over 320,000 lbs of food annually through our Food Pantry program. The I-HELP program provides emergency lodging to 35 homeless individuals 7 nights a week. The Escalante Community Garden offers a learning environment for children while providing fresh produce to the food pantry.
You will have the opportunity to make a dramatic impact in the lives of those most in need. 50% of the Home Delivered Meals clients report that the only visitor they receive each day is the TCAA driver who delivers their meal. This service provides not only a nutritious meal but a wellness check to frail and elderly individuals. Over 50% of those who utilize the TCAA Food Pantry are children. TCAA has seen a 24% increase in demand for emergency food boxes over the past 6 months.
