Company description

For more than 50 years, Preble Street has been working to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, and advocating for solutions to these problems. We believe in our approach of combining social work services with public policy advocacy and education, working relentlessly for social and economic justice.

Preble Street is committed to hiring individuals who want to make an impact in Maine through their diverse lived experience, education, and other learnings, are committed to providing low-barrier services directly to Mainers, and have a positive regard for individuals accessing services for homelessness and poverty.

We seek to create and maintain an inclusive, safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all people. Everyone deserves dignity, equitable treatment, and respect for who they are from shelters to offices, from the streets to healthcare clinics. With the entire staff’s shared commitment, we can make progress towards a more equitable workplace and world.

Preble Street provides employees with comprehensive health and benefits packages. Additionally, we also offer generous time off and competitive salaries. Full and part-time positions are available, as well as as-needed positions for people looking for more flexibility in their work schedules. Internships are also available.

Preble Street recognizes that Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2IA+ people and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every qualification described in a job posting.

Our hiring process recognizes the value of various lived experiences and backgrounds when assessing candidates.

Individuals from all cultures and communities are encouraged to apply.

Job description

Preble Street is seeking a full-time Food Programs staff to join a small team that operates a Food Pantry, transports hot meals and needed foods between the Food Security Hub, homeless shelters and community programs and ensures that unhoused and vulnerable, food insecure Portland individuals have access to warm, nutritious meals daily. This team is also responsible for picking up Food Rescue items donated from local grocers and distributes those foods through the Preble Street Food Pantry and Preble Street social work programs.

In addition to providing task guidance and direction to staff and volunteers in the Food Pantry, this diverse food adjacent position unloads trucks, transports and distributes food and works in the Food Security Hub kitchen preparing meals from scratch cooking. The Team Lead plans and implements organized systems that improve food access, performs and coordinates pantry operations tasks, and performs and manages data entry for Food Programs.

The Pantry Team Lead is energetic, responsible, works independently and takes initiative. They ensure that there is access to nutritious, delicious food every day. Interacting with dedicated, diverse Preble Street social work program teams, this hands-on position will be directly involved in food pick up and distribution with Preble Street vehicles; receives deliveries at the Food Security Hub warehouse, works in kitchens and the Food Pantry; maintains orderly systems of receiving donated and purchased food; and makes meaningful contributions to our high-quality, mission-focused meal service through a range of Food Programs tasks.

The schedule for this full-time (40 hours/week) position is Sunday – Thursday 8:00am – 4:00pm.

Qualifications

Specific qualifications include alignment with Preble Street’s mission; Positive regard for individuals accessing services for homelessness and poverty; Strong organizational and communication skills; Experience in data entry, assessment and reporting; Experience working in a team setting; Knowledge of food safety practices and storage; One to three years supervisory/management experience in food service operations or similar field; Ability to drive a box truck and other agency vehicles with a valid driver’s license and a good driving record; And ability to pack and unload trucks.

Compensation & Benefits

This position has a full-time schedule (40 hour/week) and offers an hourly rate of pay of $24.64. Generous paid time off, insurance, and retirement plan benefits include:

• 4 weeks (160 hours, accrued) vacation time, 12 days (96 hours, accrued) sick time, 16 hours personal time, 12 Paid Holidays
• Health insurance w/ 100% employer-paid option; Dental insurance w/ 100% employer-paid option; Vision insurance; Employer-paid Life, STD, and LTD insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan w/ employer match

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

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Deadline

August 31, 2026