Space Planner Volunteer
Your Purpose and Impact:
Most Minnesota food shelves are volunteer run and don't have additional capacity to think through the best design and flow of their food shelf. That's where you come in! You will work alongside food shelf leadership to build more capacity in their space or process to better serve their shoppers. Many times, this looks like a food shelf space redesign! There are many reasons a food shelf will want to redesign their space; wanting to create a more welcoming environment for food shelf users, needing to allow for more families to be in their space at once, or switching their distribution model!
When matched to a food shelf you will be responsible for:
- Review Current Layout: Volunteers can visit food shelf locations during service hours to see the current design in action. Meet with the food shelf contact to hear about current challenges in the space, and their hopes for the new layout.
- Recommend New Layout Options: Create and document new option(s) for the food shelf contact to review in collaboration with FFEN staff and volunteers.
- Client Centered Approach: Collaborate with food shelf leadership and identify other recommendations in relation to client needs.
What you will need to find success in this volunteer role:
- Experience in space planning, layout design, architecture, or interior design
- Ability to document new layout option(s) through online tools, software, or sketches
- Access to a computer for consistent communication and documentation
- Being organized and task-driven
Your opportunity for growth includes:
- Participating in a unique organization supporting the work and sustainability of MN food shelves.
- Gaining knowledge of the broader hunger relief sector and system and the organizations addressing the issue of hunger and food insecurity
- Expanding and building your layout design experience
- Experience food flow and a client centered approach while having a localized impact
Time Commitment:
- Total Time Requirement:10-20 hours per food shelf design; includes consultation calls and meetings with clients and 1 hour optional volunteer connection event once a month.
- Work Site: Flexible and remote, with the ability to control meeting times and deadlines.
- Schedule: Some daytime availability might be required depending on the food shelf contact’s schedule.
- Status: Space Planner Consultant (volunteer)
To apply for this position, send your resume and cover letter to: volunteer@ffen.org