Genesis Gardens Steward

Program Lead – Genesis Gardens

Scope & Purpose

The Mobile Loaves & Fishes Genesis Gardens program exists at Community First! Village to cultivate connections in a beautiful and hospitable environment by inviting all to the banquet table, serving opportunities for engagement, dignity, and good food. The Program Lead position in Genesis Gardens is a key member of the team responsible for hosting large numbers of volunteers and neighbors who work together to cultivate and care for the gardens and host the weekly farmer's market.

The right candidate is a hospitable, creative, and adaptable team player who takes initiative, loves supporting others, and is energized by building meaningful relationships with the neighbors and volunteers who work and serve in Genesis Gardens.

This is a non-exempt position reporting to the Sr. Programs Manager. Due to the nature and requirements of the position, hours are typically 7am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday. Some nights and weekends may be required. The Program Lead will office at Community First! Village located at 9301 Hog Eye Road, Austin, TX 78724.

Duties & Responsibilities

Community Engagement and Empowerment

• Maintain a hospitable presence where volunteers and neighbor contractors (residents of Community First! Village who work in the garden) feel welcomed and valued

• Welcome volunteers, providing a clear overview of the program, its purpose, and the volunteer shift structure

• Recruit, orient, and lead neighbor contractors, serving as their primary day-to-day supervisor

• Design and lead volunteer activities accessible to all ages and abilities

• Connect with volunteers during their shift to foster meaningful connections with contractors, and ensure they are having a meaningful experience

• Train neighbor contractors, volunteers, and staff on safe food handling and tools safety policies

• Monitor the team's performance and find ways to optimize their efficiency

• Build lasting relationships with volunteers and neighbor contractors that inspire them to return working in the garden

• Collaborate with our Volunteer Team to ensure volunteers have a meaningful experience and are inspired to continue engaging with our community 

• Maintain a space that inspires abundance, connects people human to human, heart to heart, and transforms the stereotypes about homelessness

Garden & Program Operations

• Coordinate the seasonal planting for the vegetable garden, fruiting trees, vines, and greenhouse

• Oversee quality control and record keeping for the farmer's market

• Manage the proper care of garden animals including chickens, guardian dogs, and barn cat

• Lead space repurposing initiatives to optimize the use of garden resources and infrastructure

• Drive Genesis Gardens forward as a model program in the Community First! Village

• Own the purchasing process from planning to submission

• Submit support and work order forms when equipment, infrastructure, or resources are not functioning

• Coordinate contract signing for contractors working in the garden

• Own the creation and maintenance of all policies and procedures specific to the garden

• Identify and coordinate opportunities to establish external partnerships that support the Genesis Gardens program

• Represent Genesis Gardens and MLF in outward facing presentations and relationship building

• Collaborate with the MLF Team to fulfill the program goals and create new opportunities within Genesis Gardens

• Perform other miscellaneous duties as necessary

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Principles

MLF is a faith-based organization whose ideals and philosophy come directly from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an organization, we strive to reflect this precept in our communications, both internally and externally.

Who you Are

• Committed to serving those who have experienced homelessness and have a personal alignment with MLF's vision, mission, core values, and goals

• Creative in designing welcoming spaces where volunteers and contractors connect and grow

• Takes ownership and strives for excellence

• Adaptable to perform in a fast-paced, high-interruption environment

• Fast learner who takes initiative to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform in a garden role

• Highly skilled in relationship building with diverse populations

• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and manage a team

• Emotionally intelligent and able to navigate the natural dynamics of a diverse and vibrant community

• Able to articulate how the program supports the vision of MLF

What you Know

• 4 years of experience in coordinating people, schedules, and projects

• Demonstrated experience in gardening, landscaping, hospitality, nonprofits, or related fields is preferred

• Bachelor's degree and PMP Certification are a plus

• Have a driver's license

How you Work

• Proactive problem-solver who can troubleshoot across plants, equipment, animals, and people

• Manages projects and people (neighbor contractors, volunteers) in a changing and fast-paced environment and anticipates future needs, even when limited information and resources are available

• Skilled at teaching others and giving guidance

• Strong and effective communicator with conflict management and de-escalation skills

• Strong organizational skills and detail oriented

• Ability to remain poised under pressure

• Self-motivated team player who takes ownership of projects and collaborates with others

• Skilled with emails and spreadsheets for communication and record-keeping

• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and Asana preferred

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Able to work outdoors for extended periods in varying weather conditions

• Ability to frequently lift, move, and transport up to 50 lbs. throughout the day

• Ability to move about all phases of Community First! Village properties freely and comfortably

• Must wear attire that is presentable but suitable for messy, outdoor, hands-on work; close-toed shoes required for safety

• Ability to learn how to operate a golf cart, ATV, and heavy machinery

MLF PURPOSE / VISION

We empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.

MLF MISSION

We provide food and clothing, cultivate community, and promote dignity to our homeless brothers and sisters in need.

GOALS

1. Transform the way people view the stereotype of those who find themselves homeless

1. Reconnect the homeless to self, family and community

1. Help the chronically homeless rediscover and utilize their God-given talents to do purposeful work

1. Connect human to human, heart to heart through the fellowship of food and hospitality

1. Inspire people into a lifestyle of abundance by giving their best first

BELIEF STATEMENTS

The vision is supported by belief statements centered on our belief that homelessness is the result of a profound, catastrophic loss of family:

1. God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life

1. By virtue of being created by God in His image, we are all called to live in community and relationship with Him through each other

1. The family is the original cell of social life

1. You shall love your neighbor as yourself

1. All members of the human family are equal in dignity

1. The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. Gen 2:15

CORE VALUES

MLF is committed to fostering a culture that prioritizes relational connection. We believe there is opportunity in every aspect of our work to be relational in a highly transactional world. In this culture, transactions are means to relational ends, not the other way around.​

​​This begins with the countercultural love poured out by Jesus Christ and grows as imperfect individuals strive to show this love to each other human-to-human, heart-to-heart.​

​​Each individual's openness to the journey of their own personal growth is essential in building our relational culture, and we believe this culture flourishes as we each continuously strive to more fully embody these four core values:

1. Faith: We define Faith as the foundational belief that our world and all our work belong to God. This allows us to engage our work with joy and lightheartedness, knowing that we are not ultimately in control.

1. Humility: We define Humility as rightly viewing oneself as a single piece of a grander story. This humility leads to a view of oneself that is neither too high nor too low.

1. Generous Spirit: We define a Generous Spirit as a readiness to give more grace, mercy, and hospitality than is necessary or expected. This posture allows us to see others for who they are, not what they do.

1. Integrity: We define Integrity as a wholehearted commitment to doing right by God, ourselves, and others. This wholeheartedness shows itself in consistently choosing honesty, responsibility and ownership in all actions and decisions.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MLF is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen based on ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in accordance with federal and state law.

Salary : $27 - $31