Food Bank Assistant (Part-Time)

About the role

Join the YWCA Central Area Food Bank and become part of a small, dedicated team making a real difference every week. This is a hands-on role where you'll help ensure hundreds of local families have access to nutritious food while working alongside staff, volunteers, and community partners in a welcoming and supportive environment. The Food Bank Assistant plays an important role in keeping our food bank running smoothly, working alongside the Food Bank Coordinator and an incredible team of volunteers to organize inventory, prepare for weekly food distribution, stock shelves, and support new satellite pantry locations throughout South King County and Snohomish County.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys physical, active work, values teamwork, and takes pride in staying organized. No two days are exactly the same. If you enjoy staying active, working with people, and seeing the direct impact of your work, this could be a great fit.

Responsibilities

• Help support daily food bank operations alongside staff and volunteers
• Receive, sort, organize, and stock food deliveries
• Keep the warehouse clean, organized, safe, and well stocked
• Assist with inventory tracking and supply organization
• Help prepare for and support weekly food distributions
• Stock and monitor satellite free walk-up pantries at YWCA locations
• Build respectful relationships with clients, volunteers, donors, and coworkers
• Create a welcoming environment for people from all backgrounds
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Requirements

• Enjoys staying active and doesn’t mind hands-on work
• Dependable and enjoys being part of a team
• Can also work independently and take initiative
• Strong customer service skills
• Organized and pays attention to detail
• Treats every person with dignity, compassion, and respect
• Positive attitude and a willingness to learn

Qualifications

• Two or more years of customer service or similar experience preferred
• Experience working with underserved communities is helpful but not required
• Experience with trauma-informed care, de-escalation, or harm reduction is a plus
• Bilingual or multilingual skills (Spanish, Chinese, Tigrinya, or other languages commonly spoken in our community) are highly valued
• Commitment to racial equity and social justice

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• All positions at YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish are exposed to clients who have experienced or are experiencing trauma in various forms, including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment, financial hardship, mental health challenges, and substance use. As a result, employees may experience secondary trauma and are encouraged to practice self-care and utilize available support resources.
• Continuously communicates with clients, volunteers, staff, donors, vendors, and community partners through listening and speaking
• Continuously stands, walks, bends, reaches, stoops, kneels, and moves throughout the food bank, warehouse, and community locations
• Frequently lifts, carries, pushes, and pulls boxes, food products, and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds
• Frequently loads, unloads, and transports food, carts, and other materials
• Continuously uses hands and arms to sort, stock, organize, and package food items
• Occasionally climbs ladders or step stools to stock shelves or retrieve inventory
• Frequently works in warehouse, pantry, storage, and loading areas with varying temperatures, including walk-in coolers and freezers for brief periods
• Occasionally operates agency vehicles or personal vehicles to transport supplies or stock satellite pantry locations, as assigned
• Continuously uses computers, tablets, mobile devices, barcode scanners, telephones, and other office equipment to complete inventory, communication, and administrative tasks
• Must be able to move quickly throughout the facility and follow emergency procedures when necessary

Physical Demand Definitions

• Continuously: More than 80% of the workday
• Frequently: 20% to 80% of the workday
• Occasionally: Up to 20% of the workday

Pay

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Classification: Non-Exempt position

Schedule

Part-Time, 20 hours per week

Benefits

• Excellent benefits package including a retirement plan, with vacation, holiday, and sick leave provided on a pro-rated basis for part-time employees
• Retirement Benefit: Employees may become eligible to participate in the YWCA Retirement Fund after meeting hours-worked requirements, which may include completing at least 1,000 hours in a 12-month period or over two years, depending on plan provisions. Prior YWCA service may count toward eligibility if reemployment occurs within two years.