Job description

*Hours: 8-10 hours of time commitment per week.

Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC)

Position Title: Corporate Volunteer Intern

Reports To: Content Manager & Brand Ambassador

Overview:

As a Corporate Volunteer Intern at Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC), you will play a hands-on role in the planning and execution of our impactful volunteer programs: Food Rescue Tours and Repack for Impact. This position is ideal for someone who is people-oriented, mission-driven, and eager to make a direct difference in addressing food insecurity and food waste. You’ll help ensure our in-person events and operations run smoothly, professionally, and meaningfully for all involved.

Food Rescue Tours Overview:

• An RLC staff member will meet a group of corporate employees at an office for a ~15-minute presentation on the issues of wasted food and food insecurity, our work at Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, and how the volunteers can get involved.
• Then, RLC staff members will lead the group to a nearby food donor where everyone will help pack up the food donations, and then walk them over to one of our nearby nonprofit partners.
• A staff member at our nonprofit partner will give a brief presentation on their work and share how the food donations will impact the community they serve.
• The experience typically takes between 60 and 75 minutes and includes photos, merchandise, and an overall hands-on and educational experience to feed people, not landfills.

Repack for Impact Overview:

• An RLC staff member will meet a group of corporate employees at an office for a ~15-minute presentation on the issues of wasted food and food insecurity, our work at Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, and how the volunteers can get involved.
• The RLC staff member will then distribute boxes or trays of food donations, along with packaging and gloves, to the group. Next, we'll pack food from these boxes into individual-sized containers.
• The group will help transport the individual containers of food to a nearby nonprofit recipient (shelter, food pantry, soup kitchen), where they will feed our fellow New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity.
• A staff member at our nonprofit partner will give a brief presentation on their work and how the food donations will impact the community they serve.
• The experience typically takes between 90 and 120 minutes.

Key Responsibilities:

1. On-Site Event Support

• Assist during Food Rescue Tours and Repack for Impact events
• Set up and break down event materials, including boxes or trays of food donations, containers, bags, gloves, and signage
• Greet and onboard volunteers and guests at events
• Help manage event flow and troubleshoot as needed to ensure smooth operations

2. Guest Engagement & Mission Representation

• Interact with corporate volunteers, donors, and patrons at events
• Confidently and clearly explain the mission and impact of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC)
• Answer questions and engage in meaningful conversations that foster connection and long-term support

3. Event & Fundraiser Participation

• Provide in-person assistance at RLC's special events, including:
• Cocktail hours
• Annual fundraiser
• Year-end film screening
• Support pre-event logistics and be present day-of to help with guest check-in, material setup, and general event management
• If our Photographer is not present, be able to take photos and videos to capture the event in an aesthetically pleasing way

4. Outreach & Lead Generation

• Assist in cold email outreach to potential corporate partners and volunteer groups
• Maintain and update Salesforce (we can train you on this) to ensure accurate outreach and event follow-up
• Support communication with past and potential collaborators via email or phone as directed

5. Administrative & Planning Support

• Ensure that each event’s setup and materials are prepped in advance (e.g., packing bags, counting gloves, confirming freight elevator usage, etc.)
• Track supplies and notify staff of inventory needs
• Support internal planning tasks that help ensure successful execution of events

Qualifications & Skills:

• Passion for food justice and RLC’s mission to reduce wasted food and fight hunger
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Comfortable speaking with new people and representing RLC in public
• Organized and detail-oriented with ability to manage logistics and materials
• Comfortable with outreach and data entry tasks
• Ability to take initiative and problem-solve on the spot
• Availability to attend in-person events during the week

Learning Outcomes

By the end of your internship, you will:

• Gain hands-on experience in event management and coordination
• Strengthen your public speaking and interpersonal communication skills
• Understand grassroots fundraising and community partnership strategies
• Develop operational and logistical planning abilities
• Location: Primarily New York City - various boroughs depending on event location.

Schedule: Flexible part-time. Must be available for key events (to be scheduled in advance).

Programs to be used:

• Slack (We can train this)
• Salesforce (We can train this)
• Google Drive
• Google Sheets
• Gmail
• The Rescuing Leftover Cuisine Website (We can train this)