About Us: Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a single mission: to provide weekend meals to food-insecure children in metro Atlanta to enhance their mental and physical health as well as their ability to learn. To accomplish this mission, BPBMA partners with local organizations to provide bags of food to local schools, which then give them to their students who may not have access to reliable sources of food over the weekend.

Our story: in 2017, a group of volunteers began gathering each week at an Atlanta synagogue to pack food for hungry children. They partnered with a local elementary school and identified 10 students dependent on the school's free breakfast and lunch program. Every Friday, the group delivered bags filled with non-perishable food to the school guidance counselor, who discreetly sent those 10 children home with enough food in their backpacks to last them through the weekend. Word spread and additional volunteers got involved. Backpack Buddies quickly expanded over the next few years, nourishing dozens more schoolchildren across Atlanta who were food-insecure on weekends. ​Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta received its 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization in 2022. It began the 2022-2023 school year feeding roughly 800 children each weekend across 27 schools. With the support of hundreds of volunteers at 33 churches, synagogues, senior centers, and other community agencies in metro Atlanta, along with the implementation of a more efficient operating model, we are now feeding more than 2,100 children each weekend across 50 schools!

Job Description

Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta is hiring a Part-Time Warehouse Assistant to help manage our busy and growing food storage and distribution center in Dunwoody, GA. Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Part-Time Warehouse Assistant is a 20-25 hour/week position responsible for supporting the facility operations while prioritizing safety, maintaining compliance, and meeting key metrics.

Desired Qualifications

• Minimum of 1-2 years in a non-profit or charitable organization, ideally in a food pantry or food storage and distribution setting
• Minimum of 1-2 years experience with warehouse operations, including inventory management and safety protocols
• Computer literacy, including Google Workspace, inventory systems, spreadsheets, and other online software
• Valid Driver's License and ability to drive cargo vehicles up to 26 ft. box trucks (no CDL required)
• Experience with and ability to operate a forklift and potentially other heavy machinery is required (certification is a definite plus)
• Availability during weekday mornings and afternoons, along with occasional weekday evenings and weekend mornings. Hours may vary; a sample schedule may look like:
  • Mon. 8:00am-2:00pm
  • Every other Tuesday 11:00am-2:00pm
  • Wed. 8:00am-2:00pm
  • Fri. 8:00am-2:00pm

Key Job Responsibilities

Food Management - Support entire loop of food inventory, including but not limited to:

• Ordering from our designated sources
• Receiving orders, including making pickups using cargo vehicles
• Organizing food in the warehouse according to guidelines and compliance standards, while keeping the facility clean and safe (this will include moving and storing pallets of food and drinks using a powered forklift and/or pallet jacks)
• Allocating food and fulfilling orders made by our Community Buddies, prioritizing oldest food first to ensure food quality and minimize waste
• Responding to inquiries from Community Buddies regarding their food orders and making adjustments or corrections as needed
• Supporting data and reporting efforts including tracking order scheduling and volume, weekly distribution counts, and monitoring of inventory levels

Maintain the cleanliness of the warehouse and assist with opening and closing procedures

Volunteer Collaboration - work with Volunteer Coordinator and volunteers to complete activities including but not limited to putting away received food, fulfilling orders for our Community Buddies, loading orders into vehicles when Community Buddies pick up orders from us, and leading bag-packing sessions.

Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to on-site and off-site event support, data entry, and communications support

Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment.
• Physical ability to lift and move heavy objects.
• Physical ability to operate a powered forklift, pallet jacks, and other tools and machinery.
• Clean and current driver’s license a must
• Detail-oriented with a focus on safety and accuracy
• Knowledge of diesel/fleet truck maintenance a plus

To Apply: Please visit the WorkForGood job posting at https://www.workforgood.org/job/622299/warehouse-assistant-part-time-/, or email your resume to info@backpackbuddiesatl.org with subject line "Warehouse Assistant Position."

Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta is an equal-opportunity employer. BPBMA prides itself in celebrating diversity and does not discriminate in any of its programs, policies, procedures, or employment practices on the basis of race, color, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability.