Community Food Systems Planner

KKV was founded by community leaders in 1972 in response to a lack of health services for Kalihi's low income, largely-immigrant Asian and Pacific Islander residents. KKV's mission is to "work toward healing, reconciliation and the alleviation of suffering in Kalihi Valley through strong relationships that honor culture and foster health and harmony."

Understanding health as wellbeing in the broadest sense, KKV pioneers holistic approaches to addressing the needs and aspirations of its culturally-rich community. KKV's 200+ staff care for more than 15,000 Kalihi residents a year in over 20 different languages and dialects from nine locations.

In 2014, Kokua Kalihi Valley began a process to develop a new framework of health that accommodates the full spectrum of strengths, challenges, desires, and needs of the community. Through careful and continual listening and engagement, a more universal view of health and wellness is emerging centered around what matters to indigenous and island people. This view, named Pilinahā, looks at four vital connections that people seek in their lives:
To your best self, to others, to place, and to past and future.

KKV is recognized nationally as a leader in Social Determinants Of Health (SDOH) programming with a 50 year history of implementing innovative programs, and annually hosts hundreds of visitors and students interested in studying KKV's community-and culturally-based approach.

In 2022, KKV won first place in the Innovations Showcase Competition put on by the Social Determinants of Health Academy. We were recognized for our Hui Hoaka Covid response program. Framed by indigenous Hawaiian values, the program has coordinated staff and volunteers from across KKV and the community to provide a broad array of support for patients and their family members.

The program has been highly successful because of its effort to provide deep listening and culturally safe communication; to provide access to resources such as food, supplies, lāāulapaāu, and economic support; and to collect stories and data that will aid KKV in improving care integration and establishing best practices for SDOH services.

One Full Time Position

The Roots Program, Community Food Systems Planner, aims to support and strengthen the Kalihi Food System and Kalihi Valley residents by planning, facilitating, and organizing community gatherings and events with various stakeholders and community members; increasing access points to local, healthy and culturally relevant foods; and increasing community food system education and resource sharing internally and externally.

This position will strengthen community resource mapping and policy education through working with KKV, Kalihi community members, and various stakeholders.

Special consideration given to multicultural/multilingual candidates and those with a connection to the ahupuaʊ of Kalihi.

Special consideration given to candidates with Seal of Biliteracy.

Salary commensurate with relevant experience.

• Skill/Knowledge -
  • Ability to work with multicultural staff and community,required.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills,required.
• Strong interpersonal skills with abilitytofacilitategroup discussions,required.
• Familiarity with community-based research protocols, including survey design and implementation,required.
• Effective problem solving and analytical decision-making skills,required.
• Leadership and management skills,required.
• Ability to create and design educational tools for community,required.
• Ability to update andmaintainwebsite,required.
• Knowledge of local food system and food system policy,required.
• Organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy,required.
• Strong interpersonal skills with abilitytofacilitategroup discussions,required.
• Bilingual/ bicultural skills, preferred.
• Knowledge of Kalihi Valley community and cultures, preferred.
• Ability to conceptualize and synthesizemultiplesources of information into coherent narratives, preferred.
• Education/Training:
  • High School diploma or GED equivalent,required.
• Education/Training:
  • Bachelor's degree in Social Sciencesor related field,required.
• Education/…