Program Director – Food Programs & Christmas Assistance
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Join the LUM Team as the Program Director – Food Programs & Christmas Assistance! An exciting opportunity awaits!
Are you passionate about addressing food insecurity and helping families in need during the holidays? Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) is seeking a dedicated and organized leader to serve as our next Food Programs Director. In this vital role, you will manage and grow LUM’s core food and seasonal assistance initiatives—including the Protein Food Pantry, Food Rescue program, Community Thanksgiving Celebration, and Jubilee Christmas. You’ll ensure these programs are efficient, compassionate, and impactful. If you’re driven to serve, lead volunteers, and create meaningful change through food justice and holiday support, we want to hear from you!
Why LUM?
- Impactful Mission: Contribute to empowering individuals and families in need.
- Collaborative Environment: Join a dedicated team committed to positive change.
- Leadership Role: Drive the development strategy for a renowned organization.
Ready to elevate your career while contributing to a noble cause? Join us in making a difference. Apply now and be a catalyst for change! Please share with others.
LUM seeks a Food Programs & Christmas Assistance Director to lead and grow key hunger relief and seasonal support initiatives, including the Protein Food Pantry, Food Rescue program, Community Thanksgiving Celebration, and Jubilee Christmas. This hands-on leadership role includes overseeing daily operations, coordinating logistics, managing volunteers, and building strong relationships with community partners. The director will ensure each program is efficient, dignified, and impactful—while also exploring ways to expand services, increase access to nutritious food, and provide meaningful holiday support to local families in need.
Position Summary
The Program Director, Food Programs & Christmas Assistance leads four essential LUM initiatives: the LUM Food Pantry, the LUM Food Rescue Initiative, the Community Thanksgiving Feast, and the Jubilee Christmas Program. This position ensures smooth program operations, manages volunteers, supports seasonal outreach, and upholds the LUM Mission of serving neighbors with dignity, compassion, and respect.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Manage daily operations of the LUM Food Pantry and ensure a safe, welcoming, and dignified environment. Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise volunteers; oversee inventory, ordering, and food safety compliance. Serve as liaison to the food bank and community partners; maintain accurate records and submit reports.
- Lead the LUM Food Rescue Initiative, coordinating food pickups, volunteer teams, and safe, timely distribution. Oversee the Zero-Food-Waste Program; track donations and maintain strong donor relationships.
- Plan and execute the annual Community Thanksgiving Feast, including logistics, promotion, volunteers, and reporting.
- Coordinate Jubilee Christmas, managing registration, site communication, toy distribution, volunteer support, and surplus donations.
Additional Responsibilities
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in client and volunteer databases
- Provide content and support for internal and external communications, including social media and program storytelling
- Attend biweekly staff meetings and contribute to team collaboration
- Submit timely weekly and monthly program reports across all assigned initiatives
- Assist with basic IT troubleshooting and documentation as needed
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Program Director to support and advance the LUM Mission
Key Qualifications
- Strong organizational and leadership skills
- Experience with food programs, community outreach, or seasonal assistance
- Skilled in volunteer recruitment, coordination, and communication
- Expert-level proficiency in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Spanish fluency strongly preferred
- Cultural competence and a welcoming attitude toward diverse populations
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- Experience in nonprofit program management or event coordination
- Have a strong faith dynamic as expressed by a willingness to accept and support the LUM Mission Statement.
- Commitment to hospitality, dignity, and self-determination for all people
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays during major program events
- Work occurs in an office and food distribution setting
- Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally.
- Local travel within Tippecanoe County may be required for pantry operations, food rescue, events, or training. Reasonable accommodations are available.
LUM has immediate openings for a Development Director. Please review the information below — and share with others. Applications will be reviewed as received.
- Job Title: Program Director, Food Programs & Christmas Assistance
- Job Status: Half-time, Salaried (Approximately 18.75 hours/week)
- Pay:
- Immediate Supervisor: Executive Program Director
- Terms of Employment: As specified in the LUM Personnel Policies
- Salary & Benefits: $500 per week. Benefits are as defined by current LUM pay scale (Limited benefits include paid time off & sick time)
LUM has an opening for Development Director overseeing all LUM fundraising initiatives and builds/manages relationships with LUM and financial partners. LUM is looking to significantly expand its fundraising initiative to engage a wider base of donor support and move into a major-gift-focused operation. The Development Director will focus on developing a program to enable LUM to expand its reach and impact. Duties include: creating and executing the annual development plan (with “SMART” goals – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based), developing a multi-year fundraising strategy to grow major and planned giving support, interacting with current and potential donors to encourage ongoing contributions, seeking out opportunities for financial support through sponsorships, legacy gifts, and grants.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.
Most duties take place in a shared office or food distribution setting. Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally. Travel within Tippecanoe County may be required for food pantry, food rescue, event support, or training.
Please Note
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
To perform this job successfully, the employee(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at-will relationship.
At Will Employment
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
To perform this job successfully, the employee(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at will relationship.
Non Discrimination
Lafayette Urban Ministry does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, parental status, political association or belief, or union affiliation or activity, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. LUM is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and guests.
Lafayette Urban Ministry is an equal opportunity employer. LUM will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or parental status.