AmeriCorps VISTA – Volunteer Engagement Specialist in Fort Worth, Texas at Tarrant Area Food Bank

This is an AmeriCorps VISTA national service opportunity supporting Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB), one of the region’s leading organizations fighting hunger and food insecurity.

If you're someone who wants to build real systems, strengthen communities, and create lasting impact beyond a single moment of service — this role is designed for you.

Why This Role Matters

At TAFB, volunteers are the heartbeat of everything we do — from community markets to food repacking and distribution.

In this role, you won’t just support volunteer programs — you’ll design the systems that make them stronger, more sustainable, and more impactful for years to come.

You’ll help answer questions like:

• How do we better recruit and retain volunteers who care about their community?

• How do we turn one-time volunteers into long-term advocates?

• How do we make community markets more efficient, consistent, and volunteer-led?

• How do we deepen engagement so more neighbors can access food with dignity?

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Service Term Details

• Program: AmeriCorps VISTA

• Host Site: Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB)

• Length of Service: 1-year full-time service commitment

• Hours: 35 hours per week

• Start Date: August 2025

• Stipend: $957.46 bi-weekly

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What You’ll Build

Over the course of your service year, you’ll help TAFB grow in three major ways:

1. Strengthen Volunteer Systems That Power Our Work

You’ll evaluate and redesign how we recruit, train, and retain volunteers — building systems that last beyond your service year.

You will:

• Assess current volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and retention practices

• Analyze volunteer data to identify trends and opportunities

• Research best practices in volunteer engagement

• Build a volunteer engagement and retention strategy

• Create clear benchmarks for growth and success

• Develop partnerships with local businesses, civic groups, and community organizations

• Design outreach tools that bring in group volunteer opportunities

2. Build Volunteer Leadership for Community Markets

You’ll help transform community markets into more structured, volunteer-led operations that expand access to fresh, healthy food.

You will:

• Evaluate volunteer roles within community markets and food repacking

• Identify gaps in training, support, and retention

• Create onboarding and training guides for volunteer leaders

• Develop systems to track volunteer participation and impact

• Build a sustainable volunteer leadership model for market operations

3. Expand Community Outreach & Engagement

You’ll help TAFB strengthen how it connects with the community — increasing awareness, participation, and long-term partnerships.

You will:

• Create outreach strategies and engagement materials

• Support campaigns and community events

• Build and maintain community partnerships

• Design systems to track relationships and engagement over time

• Develop new ways for community members to get involved in fighting hunger

What Success Looks Like

By the end of your service year, you’ll have helped TAFB:

• Increase volunteer engagement and retention

• Build a structured, scalable volunteer leadership system

• Strengthen community market operations through volunteer support

• Expand partnerships across the community

• Create lasting tools and systems that continue long after your service ends

Who This Role Is For

This role is a strong fit if you’re:

• Passionate about community impact and food access

• Interested in systems-building, HR, nonprofits, or operations

• Comfortable working independently and taking initiative

• Excited by improving processes, not just maintaining them

• Motivated by long-term impact over short-term tasks