Looking for regional leaders to join our team!
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COME WORK WITH US AND REPRESENT YOUR REGION!
We are excited to welcome six Regional Food Council Network Weaver positions to deepen our food work grounded in values of equity, community leadership, and systems change.
These wonderful people will be experts of their own lived-experience in their region.
2022 applications closed Wednesday, March 9th.
Applications are open for this part-time position to represent your region!
You would be a good fit if:
- You are based in (live and care about) the region you will be working to weave and support
- You are committed to advancing racial equity in the food system
- You show up in and for your community in ways that you might describe as: a Storyteller and collector; Champion; Listener; Energy infuser; Connector; or Idea disseminator
Regional Food Council Network Weaver Overview
Existing food councils by NC region
- Charlotte Area
- Northeast
- Southeast
- Triad
- Triangle
- Western
Purpose
- Regional Food Council Network Weavers will uplift place, history, lived experience, and celebration in their region to the statewide NC Food Council Network. Network Weavers will play an essential role as a two-way connector between local leadership and the state level network.
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These six positions will work collaboratively and individually to share their community’s food stories that center equity, community leadership, and systems change solutions which can catalyze peer-to-peer learning and innovation across the network.
- Network Weavers will facilitate connection across food councils in a particular multi-county region, translate what’s happening on-the-ground in community food work to statewide initiatives, and build ownership of the NC Food Council Network.
The purpose of the NC Network of Food Councils is to help build an equitable, community-driven food system that improves the quality of life for all people. Community Food Strategies, a multi-organizational initiative, serves as a statewide convener and supporter of this growing network of change makers. We are excited to fill these Network Weaver roles with experts of regional lived-experience to deepen the ways this work lives out our values.
Benefits
- $4800 annual stipend for approximately 10-12 hours per month, April 2022 – April 2023
- Opportunity to connect with and learn from community leaders across the state, including close collaboration with other regions’ Network Weavers and with the NC Local Food Council Regional Representatives.
- Ability to support grassroots food initiatives working to uplift their community assets.
- Opportunity to participate in professional development trainings and coaching, including a 3-part communications training
Timeline
- March 9th – applications due
- March 15th – notification of acceptance
- March 23, 24, or 25th – 2-hr Virtual Onboarding with the team
- April 4th – Proposed start date
Position Essentials
- Be community members, geographically based in the region you support
- Be familiar with the regional food councils (as former or current members)
- Be passionate about equity, food systems, and coalition building
- Have an excitement for inspiring connection within and among the food councils across your respective regions
- Enjoy team work and having fun
What will this person do?
- Be a source of encouragement to the councils in your region by showing up and building relationships with each council in your region
- Connect councils in your region with quarterly calls, resources, and idea sharing
- Support, uplift, and share your region’s stories and solutions
- Join and help facilitate monthly meetings to connect statewide, to champion your region, to strategize collectively, and to exchange ideas.
- Participate in and document Community Food Strategies’ annual food council check-ins in your region, typically held during May & June.
- Help shape Regional and Statewide Gatherings for the Food Council Network by providing input and ideas for content and/or joining event planning teams as additional paid support for more involvement and coordination
- Work closely with our Community Food Strategies project team Region Liaisons, who will be partners to and offer resources for this new role
Background
Since 2016, Community Food Strategies Regional Leads/Liaisons have been convening and supporting food councils across six regions in North Carolina. As capacity, skill, and membership of food councils continue to grow, this statewide network demands place-based, community-embedded leadership.
We recognize our team’s gap of experiential context and geographical proximity to councils in each of the six regions across the state. In efforts to fill this gap and expand our team capacity, we are piloting and funding Regional Food Council Network Weavers through May 2023, with the support of the NC Local Food Council and a Center for Disease Control Health Equity grant.
These Network Weavers positions also were developed in alignment with NCLFC’s Regional Representatives, who have a similar regional focus. The Network Weavers will dedicate more time and connection across food councils within their region. See comparison graphic below.
We hope greater connection, collaboration, and understanding within and across regions will fuel meaningful collective action towards more equitable food systems change.
