Program:
Funded by the County of San Diego’s Aging and Independence Services, the Jewish Family Service Expanded Senior Nutrition (ESN) Home-Delivered Meal Program is a nutrition service established to support those most critically impacted by food insecurity within the County. As part of this program, JFS volunteers deliver meals to the homes of those who are 65+ and have limited or no access to food each day.
Goal of Position:
ESN Volunteer Passengers assist drivers by providing home deliveries of boxes of either frozen meals and/or pre-packaged groceries. This role is both physically and emotionally supportive, and is great for those who no longer drive, are unable or unwilling to drive, or for minor children accompanying a fully vetted, adult volunteer.
Responsibilities:
- Schedule shifts in Galaxy Digital and work with Betty Munoz (bettym@jfssd.org) to be assigned a route.
- Wear closed-toed shoes and comfortable clothes (bringing a jacket or wearing layers is recommended).
- Adhere to Food Safety & Food Handling guidelines at all times.
- Maintain confidentiality of all client information (i.e. in your phone or on paper you should not include last names, addresses, or indicate their client status with JFS, etc.)
- If the client or caregiver does not answer the door or phone to accept the meal box, the volunteer driver must call their JFS contact to report the situation. The meal box can be given to subsequent clients. THE BOX SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT BACK TO JFS MAIN CAMPUS.
- At the end of the shift, volunteers call, text, or email their JFS contact to confirm completion of the route and report any unusual circumstances and difficulties they experienced. Volunteers must send a photo of the food transport log to the JFS contact by email or text as soon as possible after the shift is completed.
- All passengers under 18 helping deliver meal boxes must be under the supervision of a vetted volunteer driver (i.e., parent/guardian) at all times, and must complete current requirements.
- By the last day of each month, volunteer must log their hours into Galaxy Digital.
- Please note: Non-Driving passengers are not eligible for mileage reimbursement.
Qualifications:
Volunteers are allowed to serve as Home-Delivered Meals Passengers to assist with navigation and delivering meals. All passengers under 18 helping deliver meals must be under the supervision of a vetted volunteer driver (i.e., parent/guardian) at all times. As this volunteer opportunity requires frequent stops to deliver 25-pound boxes to each client’s door, we do not suggest children requiring car seats or hand-holding participate. However, this position provides a meaningful family opportunity, especially for those with teens gaining experience and completing hours for local community service groups.
Non-driving Passenger Volunteers must complete the following before scheduling a shift or riding along:
- Able to commit to the entire shift.
- Complete and maintain a Volunteer profile in Galaxy Digital.
- Review and sign JFS Volunteer Waiver annually (parent or guardian will sign on behalf of minors).
- Review HIPAA confidentiality requirements and complete/sign the acknowledgement form (18 years or older only).
- Complete and pass background check (18 years or older only).
- Obtain and maintain a Food Handler's Certificate (18 years or older only, renewable every 3 years) - certification will be provided at JFS free of charge
Please CLICK HERE to go to the ESN DRIVER opportunity in Galaxy Digital.
After Signing Up for a Shift:
• You will receive a confirmation email with instructions the day before reporting for route
Time Commitment:
- Minimum 3 month commitment preferred
- AM Shifts: Any weekday, 9:30am-12:30pm (~2-3 hours) - arrive on campus between 9:00-9:30am
- PM Shifts: Any weekday, 1:00pm-4:00pm (~2-3 hours) - arrive on campus between 12:30-1:00pm
If you feel you would be unable to meet the physical demands of the opportunity, please reach out to volunteer@jfssd.org before scheduling a shift to discuss possible accommodations or alternative opportunities.
