New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) is a community development corporation committed to sustainable development in housing opportunities, economic development, vacant land strategies, community engagement, and real estate development. NKCDC advances social equity and economic empowerment by nurturing and creating opportunities for residents to live and actively shape their neighborhoods of choice. To that end, NKCDC provides free housing counseling to anyone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and offers many additional resources to residents and businesses in the Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond neighborhoods. NKCDC has a strong reputation, both locally and nationally, with longstanding credibility of serving as a trusted and valuable partner and collaborator. The organization is one of only two community development organizations in the City of Philadelphia that is a chartered member of the NeighborWorks America network. Historically, our approach to arts-based development and vacant land management has been considered innovative and transformative. Our current work using a trauma-informed community engagement model, applying a racial equity lens across the organization, and leading programs at the intersection of health and housing are keeping NKCDC at the cutting edge of community development. NKCDC draws on the strengths of the communities in Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond — a population of over 62,800, 23% of whom live below the federal poverty level — to make sure neighborhood development benefits all residents. More information can be found at nkcdc.org.
Function
The bilingual community nutrition educator is a new and exciting role within our growing Health and Wellness department. The bilingual community nutrition educator is responsible for planning and implementing nutrition education programming for the SNAP-Ed nutrition education program in English and Spanish with the support of our Nutrition educator and Program manager. Programming entails providing hands-on in-person or web-based lessons and workshops that are exciting, motivating, and reinforcing learning. Programming will occur in community-based settings like food pantries, community centers, libraries, community gardens, corner stores, and low-income residential housing. The Community Nutrition Educator works from a set of core values and ethics consistent with the concepts of empowerment, collaboration, and learning.
The Community Nutrition Educator will be working with the Nutrition Educator and Program manager to facilitate workshops and lessons from an equity and trauma-informed lens while addressing specific areas of expertise such as nutrition, healthy cooking, exercise, food budgeting, and goal setting using our standardized curricula. In addition, they will be critical in our policy, systems, and environmental change work, with the support of SNAP-ED community health workers. This entails working with food distributors, corner stores, residents, and other community partners and assisting with food tastings and take-home recipes, providing signage to the site, and distributing other health education materials.
Reports to
Manager of Nutrition Education Programs
Professional responsibilities
- Assist in designing and implementing lesson plans that include health and nutrition education, cooking, physical fitness, food budgeting, and more.
- Develop and support new initiatives/programs that are responsive to the education and support needs of our residents.
- Attend community meetings, events, and training as needed, possibly some weekends.
- Facilitate food tastings and nutrition education workshops with the Nutrition Educator
- Assist the Nutrition Educator with administering and enhancing the SNAP-Ed curriculum.
- Provide food tastings with locally available produce/goods and take-home recipes.
- Outreach with partner groups and businesses to facilitate nutrition education in the community and virtual settings.
- Use SNAP-ED approved curriculum to plan and deliver workshops in a community based or an online setting while maintaining consistency with mission and goals.
- Collaborate with Community Health Workers in facilitating SNAP-Ed-approved programming.
- Establish and maintain relationships with community stakeholders and organizations.
- Supports recruitment planning to engage and enroll community members.
- Work with community-based food distribution partners, such as Small Things Philly, Firm Hope Baptist Church, and the food pantry at the Community Center at Visitation.
- Support NKCDC’s Gardening Initiative, growing a community of gardeners to activate vacant land near their homes to increase access to fresh food.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and requirements
- Knowledge of basic nutrition, public health background, and facilitation experience preferred.
- High level of creative skills, innovation, and organization
- Passion for teaching people about nutrition and helping members of the community learn.
- Must display a high level of dependability and accountability.
- Minimum 1-year experience working in community-based organizations preferred, facilitating groups and programs.
- Candidates with experience in health, nutrition, or cooking-related programming and experience with children preferred.
- Must be computer savvy, able to access e-mail, electronic calendars, and utilize Microsoft Office.
- Strong work ethic with excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with diverse programs and people in high-stress situations.
- Both a team player and a self-starter with ability to prioritize tasks Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and ability to make last-minute changes as necessary.
- Spanish proficiency, must be able to read, write and effectively teach.
- Must have a valid driver’s license, a car is a plus.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Familiarity with social service networks in Philadelphia is a plus.
- May need to work off-site or off-hours on occasion as needed.
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
Compensation
Competitive salary with excellent benefits including HMO health plan, long- and short-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid vacation, and 403(b) retirement plan. The salary for this position is $25.93/Hr., with a Part-time schedule, 25 hours per week with a possibility to become full-time. This position will be located on-site at our main office, 2771 Ruth Street, Suite 1, Philadelphia, PA 19134.
Application process
Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to HR@nkcdc.org, with “[YOUR NAME] Community Nutrition Specialist Application” in the subject line. Applications received by Friday, May 19 will be given full consideration. All candidate resumes are given due consideration and are kept on file for one year, but we cannot always respond personally due to the high volume of inquiries.
NKCDC provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, race, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, religion, language, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or physical ability.