To be eligible to serve as a UC Riverside College Corps Fellow, applicants must:

• Must be 17 years or older by the start of your service term

• Must be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States or AB-540 eligible Dream Act student

• Must satisfy the National Service Criminal History Check unless an AB-540 eligible Dream Act student

• Regardless of whether you are required to complete a background check, you must not have been convicted of a sex offense and/or murder

• Must hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent

• Must be an enrolled full-time undergraduate student

• Must be in good academic standing

• Must be able to commit to the program for one full academic year

Fellows are placed at food pantries, local farms, gardens, and non-profit groups that utilize the "farm to fork" strategy to combat regional food insecurity. This holistic methodology addresses all aspects of the food system from planting to consumption and serves food insecurity reduction efforts by providing healthy and nutritious food to local community members. Food Insecurity Fellows learn and spread awareness about the consequences of mass food production and food waste, and its effects on our local community and the environment. These efforts promote healthy populations amid the Inland Empire's vast food deserts, toward the goals of achieving more equitable outcomes for food insecurity and creating food-secure communities across California.

Specific service activities may vary based on service site placement:

• Local farm sites:

  Planting, harvesting, processing, and distributing produce, gaining hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture. Support daily farm tasks, including prepping garden beds, tilling soil, managing weeds, feeding chickens, etc. Engage with community members at various events throughout Riverside to provide nutrition education and healthy food resources. 

• Food banks, kitchens, pantry, and community sites:

  Receive food shipments, stock pantry shelves, and directly assist community members and students in accessing food resources. Proactively work to minimize food waste through surplus food recovery activities and educate students on waste prevention strategies. Conduct outreach to promote food programs, services, and resources, and support various events aimed at increasing food access and reducing insecurity, such as pop-up or mobile distributions. 

• Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino 
  Food bank activities include receiving and sorting food and hygiene product shipments at the main warehouse, stocking and assisting shoppers at the Fresh Start Pantry, and participating in fruit tree gleaning from community homes. Fellows should expect to learn to operate pallet jacks and other machinery and lift up to 40 lbs short distances. Fellows also support CalFresh program outreach by tabling at local K-12 school district sites and conducting pre-screening informational phone calls with interested individuals, as well as assist with the monthly Senior Mobile Pantry by packing and distributing food boxes.

• Gable Farms 
  This farm offers hands-on agricultural experience, where Fellows operate farm machinery, prepare garden beds for seed planting, and plant and harvest a variety of seasonal crops in both outdoor beds and greenhouses. Additionally, Fellows process produce for distribution, help maintain farm infrastructure, and feed farm animals. Fellows also provide peer mentorship to community volunteers and welcome school group visits, engaging students in farm activities. Fellows actively support the site's mission to provide work opportunities for adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities. Fellows will be expected to be able to work at a gradual, lightly supervised pace, while managing your time in the sun with breaks. Fellows should be able to stand, crouch, and work with their hands for extended periods of time.

• Overflow Farms 
  Fellows are involved in planting, harvesting, and distributing diverse seasonal crops. They support farm infrastructure maintenance by feeding animals, tilling soil, and more. Additionally, Fellows engage with the community during events such as "farm-to-table” harvest meals and promote nutrition education by sharing food and farm resources at various community events such as health and wellness resource fairs and farmers’ market information booths. Fellows may also research community food resources, create informational and/or promotional materials such as event flyers and program pamphlets, and conduct outreach to community nonprofit organizations to coordinate group volunteer farm visits. Fellows will be expected to be able to work at a gradual, supervised pace, while managing your time in the sun with breaks. Fellows should be able to stand, crouch, and work with their hands for extended periods of time.

• UCR Basic Needs 
  Fellows at UCR Basic Needs primarily support the R’Pantry and Basic Needs Center locations. 
  - R’Pantry: Receive shipments, stock shelves, greet and assist shoppers, and maintain general cleanliness. 
  - Center: Lead special food waste reduction, food recovery, and distribution projects through the Food Recovery Network, ScottyEats food recovery program. Conduct CalFresh program outreach through tabling and workshops to expand awareness and access. 

• UCR Dining Services 
  At UCR Dining Services, Fellows focus on promoting and implementing campus-wide food waste reduction initiatives, especially in the residential restaurants. This involves monitoring food waste using a scale and assessing the effectiveness of the food scraping system as well as collaborating with culinary staff to assess menus and conduct waste audits in kitchens. Importantly, Fellows also support the late night ScottyEats food recovery program, collecting uneaten food from dining lines after mealtimes and preparing it for redistribution to students.

• City of Riverside - Ward 2
  Fellows assigned to the City of Riverside - Ward 2 will be expected to work with city resources and existing partnerships to provide services to food insecure members of the community. This consists of alleviating food insecurity with multiple partner organizations across Riverside via distribution of meals, orchard harvesting, or hosting cooking classes for the elderly. Fellows should also expect to lead outreach events via tabling in Riverside where you will inform members of the community of city/nonprofit resources that they can access.