Saturday Essential Services Operations Intern

About the role

Sacred Heart Community Service is seeking two dependable, community-minded individuals for a 16-Saturday unpaid internship in the Essential Services Department.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and organize volunteer workstations before activities begin
• Stock stations with food, clothing, bags, carts, pallets, signage, equipment, and other supplies
• Explain station procedures to volunteers after receiving appropriate instruction
• Maintain an efficient, respectful workflow
• Sort produce and other packaged or unpackaged food according to SHCS food-handling and sanitation procedures
• Assist with bagging and staging shelf-stable and frozen food
• Sort, organize, and stage donated clothing and household items
• Move food, clothing, pallets, bins, and supplies between storage and staging areas
• Operate approved electric pallet jacks or other equipment after completing required training and demonstrating safe operation
• Participate in required safety reviews and follow all warehouse-safety procedures
• Keep work areas clean, organized, and hazard-free
• Report hazards, damaged equipment, injuries, or unsafe conditions to the Warehouse Manager

Requirements

• At least 17 years old at the start of the internship; applicants under 18 must provide written permission from a parent or legal guardian
• Able to attend at least 13 of the 16 scheduled Saturdays
• Dependable, punctual, and able to follow verbal and written instructions
• Willing to learn about food-pantry, clothes-closet, warehouse, volunteer, and nonprofit operations, and to rotate through all assigned stations
• Able to work respectfully and collaboratively with staff and volunteers
• Committed to treating people and donated items with dignity, compassion, and respect
• Able to follow food-handling, sanitation, equipment, and workplace-safety procedures
• Able to provide and wear closed-toe, nonslip shoes for every shift (SHCS provides all other required personal protective equipment)

Qualifications

• Previous experience is preferred but not required — training is provided
• Warehouse, logistics, retail, food-pantry, clothes-closet, inventory, or food-distribution experience
• Interest in nonprofit organizations, community service, human services, logistics, supply-chain operations, or volunteer coordination
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Comfort working in a busy, changing environment
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills

Skills

• Safe practices for working in a warehouse and food-distribution environment
• Food-handling and sanitation procedures
• Equipment-specific instruction and safe operation
• Volunteer coordination
• Workplace safety

Benefits

Completion of the internship does not guarantee or create an entitlement to employment with Sacred Heart Community Service.

Pay

This is an unpaid, voluntary internship.

Schedule

Saturdays only, 6:00 AM–12:30 PM

Reporting relationship

The Saturday Essential Services Operations Intern reports directly to the Essential Services Warehouse Manager.