We are so so excited to announce that we have been fortunate enough to secure the necessary funding to formalize, grow, and bring sustainability to our food-based programming- United We Eat. This program has been incredibly well received by the Missoula community and refugee participants alike and we are looking forward to bringing on new member of the team to help make the magic happen! You will find the job post below- feel free to share!

UNITED WE EAT PROGRAM MANAGER 

Soft Landing Missoula (SLM) is looking for a Program Manager to oversee, develop, and manage all aspects related to SLM’s social enterprise food-based programming- United We Eat.

About Soft Landing Missoula and United We Eat:

In the fall of 2015, Soft Landing Missoula was born from a grassroots effort by Missoula community members with the goal to do more for refugees fleeing war and persecution. At the time, Montana was one of only two states in the nation that was not participating in resettlement. One short year later, and a lot of hard work by many, we saw the arrival of the first refugee family to land in Missoula in decades. SLM now functions as a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to help Missoula, Montana be a welcoming, supportive, and informed community that can assist refugees and immigrants to integrate and thrive. Working alongside many incredible partners, SLM provides ongoing support to refugees by helping them meet their physical, educational, and social needs as they settle into our community.

United We Eat is SLM’s food-based programming that has a goal of using food to provide a cultural bridge to our greater community, as well as social and economic opportunity for Missoula’s refugees and immigrants. For families forced to leave everything behind, the unique things that can be carried, the things that are kept in hearts and heads, oftentimes are recipes and traditions surrounding food. In 2017, with interest and requests from refugee families, SLM began to provide a platform for people to feel valued by sharing their food with their new community and bring a little bit of that tradition to Missoula. Evolving over the years to include assistance at Missoula’s two farmers’ markets, partnerships with restaurants for “Supper Club” dinners, organization of holiday cookie sales, and most recently, the launching a successful pilot program in the summer of 2019 that provided 150 pick-up meals a week, United We Eat has become an integral part of Soft Langing’s programming. In 2019 alone, we worked with 12 refugee and immigrant chefs to create and sell around 2,500 meals and thousands of cookies. This engaged over 600 customers and put over $20,000 directly into the hands of our chefs. 

Job Description: 

We are currently looking for an experienced, creative, and compassionate “people person” to maintain and manage our growing United We Eat program. The United We Eat Program Manager will work directly with refugee and immigrant chefs, volunteers, and other Soft Landing staff and employees to create and manage a sustainable social enterprise that provides a beautiful and valuable product for Missoulians, economic benefit for the chefs, and is financially stable for Soft Landing Missoula. They will be responsible for working within a budget, maintaining a system to track results, and participating in fundraising activities for the program. This is a very hands-on position that will be working both behind the scenes to manage the website, sales, accounting, and marketing of a “business”, as well as managing the kitchen while working directly with chefs and customers to create a quality experience for all. This is a dynamic job that will have variable daytime, evening, and possible weekend hours.

This is a full time, 35/hrs (negotiable) per week salaried position at $31,000-$35,000/yr, DOE, for someone interested in food-based social enterprise, refugee and immigrant issues, and leadership of innovative programming. 

Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision

• 4 weeks paid vacation

• 6 weeks paid parental leave

• Flexible scheduling and an awesome team of co-workers in a relaxed but hard working office

This position reports to the Executive Director of Soft Landing Missoula.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Program Management:

• Manage all aspects of SLM’s food-based programming including Supper Clubs, Farmers’ Market assistance, cookie sales, United We Eat @home, and other special events.

• Maintain clear and current records tracking budget, trends, and program results.

• Management of chefs, volunteers, and other personnel such as dishwashers, a possible VISTA, and/or intern.

• Maintain a courteous, kind, and responsive environment for all; chefs, volunteers, personnel, and customers.

• Maintain current and explore additional community partnerships for program success.

• Work with Executive Director to evaluate and implement sustainable program growth.

• Work with Executive Director and Donor Engagement and Impact Director to fundraise for the program.

Kitchen Management (currently specific to United We Eat @home):

• Complete and maintain ServSafe Certification through Missoula City/County Health Department.

• Ensure that all food and products are consistently prepared and served safely in accordance with all relevant food safety agency requirements.

• Submit and track all required paperwork with the Health Department and other applicable agencies.

• Prepare and transcribe home recipes in coordination with the chef to a product that is able to be commercially created in large quantities, utilizing available tools as needed, such as video examples, translators, and online imagery. Experienced volunteer resources also may be utilized for calculating quantity.

• Coordinate and purchase all ingredients and equipment needs, including unusual and specific needs.

• Directly assist chef and kitchen personnel (both paid and volunteer) where needed to ensure standards and efficient operations.

• Establish and keep tidy electronic records for all chef bios and recipes, including portion sizes, any ingredients with special ordering procedures, and serving directions.

• Control ingredient and packaging cost and food waste.

• Coordinate and document volunteer and other personnel hours.

• Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and in working condition through personal inspection and by following the facility’s preventative maintenance programs.

• Provide orientation of program rules, policies and procedures and supervise the training of chefs, kitchen volunteers, and employees in safe operation of all kitchen equipment and utensils.

• Train and monitor kitchen personnel in cleanliness and sanitation practices.

• Maintaining cleaning schedules for the kitchen facility including floors, mats, walls, hoods, other equipment and food storage areas according to facility and program policy.

• Check and maintain proper food holding and refrigeration temperature control points.

• Prepare required paperwork, including receipts, reports, and schedules in an organized and timely manner.

• Work with customers to resolve concerns in a timely and courteous manner.

Website and Marketing:

• Maintain the unitedweeatmt.org website (hosted through Shopify) to ensure accurate and current sales options.

• Utilize Mail Chimp to send out program emails to customers on a regular basis. 

• Manage social media surrounding United We Eat programming, including the use of volunteers and other personnel to assist in this. 

• Work with the Executive Director to create additional marketing opportunities.

Qualifications:

• Energetic, compassionate, humble and a positive sense of humor.

• Innovative and creative thinker.

• Experience and interest in working with diverse communities.

• Interest in economic opportunity for under-served populations.

• At least 2 years experience in non-profit and/or business management.

• Proficient in Google Drive, spreadsheet use, email, website management, and social media platforms.

• Passion for and significant experience in the food industry- both front and back of house.

• Ability to acquire and maintain personal certifications necessary for the job with an interest for additional personal skills development.

• Able to speak and write passionately and articulately about the mission of Soft Landing Missoula as a whole as well as the United We Eat program. 

To apply, please email a cover letter explaining your interest and a resume including 3 references to info@softlandingmissoula.org. Applications encouraged by Feb 10th, but position will be open until filled.

Join us for the first Supper Club of 2020 and enjoy a delicious Eritrean meal cooked with love at Scotty’s Table! We are so excited to feature the incredible cooking of Haben Asgedom and Merry Gebray both beloved regulars on the Soft Landing food circuit for their many amazing meals and traditional Eritrean coffee!

The Soft Landing Missoula Supper Club aims to introduce the incredible culinary talent of Missoula’s newest neighbors and international residents, whose rich and flavorful cooking traditions provide a cultural bridge and enrich our shared community.

Where: Scotty’s Table- 131 S. Higgins Ave- below the Wilma, accessed from Caras Park area.

When: Monday, January 27th.  Doors open at 5:30pm and food will be served at 6:00pm

Cost: Eat: $40/person Give: $60/person Love: $80/person**

How: Call Soft Landing Missoula at (406) 493-0504 to make a reservation M-F, 9am-4pm

Please direct any further questions to info@softlandingmissoula.org

**Payment will be collected after the meal, but when you pay you will have the option to: Eat: $40 for a delicious family style dinner, where a portion of the cost covers ingredients and staff time, and the rest goes to the guest chefs. Give: $60 gets you the same delicious dinner, but with an additional $20 donation going to benefit the guest chefs and Soft Landing Missoula. Love: $80 gives an additional $40 donation to the guest chef and Soft Landing Missoula to collectively make this an unforgettable evening! All levels are welcome and appreciated!

All the Feels…

It has been a busy time and there is just a lot to keep up with at the end of the year. Of all the things I have recently written about- this good news may be the most important.

For those of you that have been following along, you know that the administration recently signed an Executive Order stating that “States and Localities” must provide formal written consent for refugee resettlement to continue to occur.  Many of us have been working behind the scenes to ensure that resettlement continues in Missoula and we were proud to join the International Rescue Committee and many others this past Wednesday to witness statements from the hearts of individuals in support of refugees, as well as powerful words from refugees themselves. 

It was an incredibly stirring and emotional meeting with very few dry eyes. I am so happy to report that the county commissioners enthusiastically and unanimously agreed to submit the letter of consent, completing the 3 letters that were needed for resettlement to continue in Missoula! Governor Bullock and Mayor Engen submitted their letters earlier this month, with the current national total of States at 28 and Localities at 85 (this includes cities and counties).  

I really can’t convey how incredible the statements were at this meeting.  We heard from volunteers who have been working with families for 2-3 years, an employer with one refugee on staff and an employer who now counts refugees as half of his staff. We heard from other elected officials, from immigration attorneys, and the faith community. And of course, we heard the real stories of struggle, perseverance, and welcome in Missoula like none other from refugees both present and those represented with their written words. I did take a bunch of videos, including a beautiful statement from the county commissioners themselves, but alas… I can’t figure out how to get them to download into any format that I can share here or on Facebook (I can keep working on this but if anyone out there knows how to do this simple thing and wants to show me, that would be amazing! Sheesh!), but do have a couple of the statements in writing, both from SLM board members, that I would like to share with you.

Please take a moment to read this statement from Clem Work, SLM’s President Emeritus and SLM board member and faith leader Pastor Daniel Disch. This second letter is also signed by 13 other faith leaders in our community and both letters will give you an idea of what it felt like to be in that room 2 days ago.

It is hard for me to wrap up this email, because I really don’t feel like I am saying enough or the right words to convey my overwhelming awe and gratitude to Missoula’s residents and elected leaders for the welcome they give refugees.  So a huge thank you to Governor Bullock, Mayor Engen, and the Missoula County Commissioners (give all these folks a call to thank them and to let them know how important this decision was to you!) and of course and always, thank you to YOU for being the back bone to this city’s ability to welcome refugees.

In love and gratitude,

Mary Poole
ED Soft Landing Missoula

PS: Here are a few photos of folks talking.  The videos are a bit more exciting but thought you might like these anyway 😉

This statement was lovingly written by Soft Landing Missoula board member, Pastor Daniel Disch, to demonstrate wide support in the Missoula Faith Community for the continuation of refugee resettlement in Missoula, MT and additionally signed by 13 other leaders from various faith backgrounds. It is a beautiful example of an essential tie that binds us all; the tie of taking care of our fellow (wo)man. Thank you Daniel for your service and commitment to the world’s most vulnerable.

———————————————-

Dear Missoula County Commissioners,

“You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:19)

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

“Just as a mother loves and protects her only child at the risk of her own life, cultivate boundless love to offer to all living beings in the entire cosmos.” (Metta Sutta)

In the Hebrew scriptures, the instruction to care for the stranger is mentioned 36 times, more than any other commandment, underscoring the gravity of this teaching. The experience of being outsiders sensitizes the Jewish people to the plight of immigrants and refugees of all cultures. Jews are obligated to heed the outcry of the oppressed everywhere and to welcome those who flee from persecution.

The story of the Nativity of Jesus in the gospels, which we celebrate at Christmas, sees the Holy Family traveling to a town from whence their ancestors came. When they arrive, they find no place to stay; no relative, no inn will accept them. No one will welcome them as they are told there is no room. One person, a local businessman in the hospitality industry, recognizes their need and offers them shelter and safety.

Later in the story, when violence erupts, and the infant Jesus is in danger, the Holy Family goes on a long and arduous journey to another land to find a home, led there by God. In these stories, Christians see God’s presence and identification with humanity: with the plight of the displaced and vulnerable, and with the generosity of neighbors, where life is transformed in hope. Welcome is holy.

The Buddha taught that suffering exists, there is a cause of suffering and there is a way to end suffering. The Buddha also recognized that our own suffering is not separate from the suffering of others, nor is the end of our suffering possible without the end of others’ suffering. When we consider the suffering that results from loss of family, home and culture as refugees leave their homes, our hearts open and compassionate action becomes as reflexive as that of a mother caring for her only child. In other words we can’t help but extend our hearts and hands to ease suffering and offer healing.

Religious traditions and faiths around the world, including those in Montana, share love of and concern for the welfare of one’s neighbor as a central tenet. It is often when this seems the hardest – when neighbors are strangers, when relatives disagree, when changes seem threatening, when fears of shortage rise – the voice of divine hospitality calls and challenges us the most. It is our experience that citizens of the Five Valleys hold these values and practices dearly and seriously, especially in the face of need.

As faith leaders, we urge county and municipal leaders in Missoula County to continue to support the work of love and community in receiving refugees. Members and neighbors of faith communities are already giving of their time, money, and gifts to make known the dignity, integrity, and welcome that Montana has to offer. We have already done this together with our Hmong, Belarussian, and Ukrainian friends and relatives; we are doing this now with new Americans from other places, many of whom are fellow members in our own houses of worship, and our neighborhoods.

We commend to fellow residents of Missoula County hospitality for one another across political or ideological differences, respect and genuine regard, and the rich blessings of life together on the land of the Salish on which we reside.

In peace and gratitude,

Rev. Daniel Disch

Atonement Lutheran Church

Rabbi Laurie Franklin

Congregation Har Shalom

Dharmacharya Greg Grallo

Open Way Sanga

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Missoula 

Rev. Laura Folkwein

University Congregational Church

Rev. Chris Flohr

St. Paul Lutheran Church

Rev. John Daniels

First United Methodist Church

Rev. Dr. Jennifer Yocum

University Congregational Church

Rev. Gretchen Strohmaier

Holy Spirit Episcopal

Rev. Barry Padget

United Methodist Church, retired

Rev. Stacey Siebrasse

Missoula Interfaith Collaborative

Rev. Molly Sasser-Goehner

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Rev. Terri Grotzinger

Holy Spirit Episcopal Church

Rev. Dan Dixson

Partners in Home Care Hospice

Rev. John Lund

Emmaus Campus Ministry

This statement was offered as one of many in support of refugees during the County Commissioners meeting on December 18, 2019 upon consideration of sending a letter of consent for refugee resettlement to continue in Missoula. The letter was enthusiastically signed.

————————————————————-

Good morning. My name is Clem Work. I am a resident of Missoula County and I have been a board member of Soft Landing since its inception.

Helping Missoula be a welcoming home for refugees has been a 4-year project of love and compassion, and as long as families fleeing violence or persecution in their home countries continue to make Missoula home, there will be no shortage of loving care and compassionate neighborliness—because Missoula is that kind of place. 

We are gathered here today because of an unconscionable presidential order that potentially injects partisan local politics and tremendous uncertainty into the process of refugee resettlement. But we know that whatever obstacles those of us committed to resettlement face, they pale in comparison to those our new neighbors faced and eventually overcame just to get here. And we are both humbled and inspired by the dedication and perseverance of our new neighbors that they demonstrate every single day. 

• Every day, a Congolese father and husband studies in his spare time for his GED and his citizenship exams, both still a ways off. And every Sunday, he attends the church he helped found in Missoula.

• Every weekday, a Syrian mom packs her toddler and her four-year-old off to daycare, hops the bus to her job, returning in time for the kids and making dinner.

• Every day, an Eritrean girl sacks groceries and also works toward her drivers license.

• Every school day, an Iraqi boy, who is in high school, amazes his teachers with his concentration and dedication. He also has mad soccer skills.

In one sense, what they are doing every day is unremarkable—it’s what many people do. But imagine leaving everything you have, fleeing for your life, living for years in a wretched refugee camp, then trying to fashion a new life in a strange place, and what seems mundane to us is actually an act of hope—sometimes nearly superhuman hope. And the end result is strong threads in our American fabric, making us a more resilient society.

As we all know, this is nothing new in America. For centuries, immigrants have overcome cruelty, hatred and adversity to gain a foothold and to prosper, to learn, to create and to give back. We at Soft Landing and in Missoula are happy to be a part of that American project and we urge you to consent to continued refugee resettlement in Missoula County.

————————————————

Thank you always Clem for your service, your guidance, and your beautiful words 😉

The English Language Institute’s online TESOL Certificate Program offers English language teacher

training to anyone who is interested in working with and teaching non-native speakers. This includes

recent graduates, current students, those interested in teaching abroad, current teachers looking for

strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners, community members, and international participants

who meet English language proficiency requirements. The 12-week course includes 100 online

instructional hours, 20 hours of practicum (observation and instruction), mentorship by experienced

ESL/EFL teachers, and help pursuing a career in the teaching profession. This program meets industry

standards for program length and structure, administration, student services, curriculum and

instruction, and instructor qualifications as defined by the TESOL International Association. The

combination of this certificate and a bachelor’s degree will satisfy minimum qualifications to teach

English at most independent language schools worldwide. This course is flexible and works with most

full-time student and work schedules. The spring program runs from January 22 to May 6. The program

cost is $1,300; registration is through the School of Extended & Lifelong Learning. Here is the

registration link: TESOL Registration Spring 2020.

If you have any questions about specific course details, feel free to email TESOL Certificate Program

instructor Josh Rosenberger at joshua.rosenberger@mso.umt.edu.

Soft Landing Missoula is searching for an exceptional, committed, and professional individual to embark upon a journey to be paired with a refugee ready to take their next big step toward education and a fulfilling career. This will be a one-on-one mentorship to help bridge the gaps and provide a kind, motivational guide for navigating the complexities of the slow and steady (but exciting!) grind to a future full of opportunity. You will be interacting with a group of incredible partners who are currently working on creating a “road map” for refugee learners that takes into account the specialized language and life experience challenges English Language Learners may face. That said, we are looking for someone who is flexible and understanding to the newness of this volunteer position and understands the importance of this adventure. We are also looking for someone willing to form a deep relationship with their match and commit to be a guide through what can be a multiple year process with varying levels of weekly/monthly time obligations.  

Currently, we are starting with just one match to see how things go. If you are interested in working with a motivated young woman from Congo as she navigates higher education and her dream of pursuing a career in law enforcement (maybe you even have experience in law enforcement?!?), please fill out this brief form. If you are interested in any other future matches or have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to greta@softlandingmissoula.org. 

We are honored to work with the inspiring and wonderful folks with Montanans for Immigrant Justice (MIJ), and they have brought to our attention a way to support Dreamers in our community that we feel is incredibly important to share with you. Please read on for their message and how to give below. Soft Landing will be donating $100 and will give a free Soft Landing “Refugees Welcome” t-shirt to anyone who matches us or exceeds this donation level!

Dear friends,

As the US Supreme Court deliberates on the continued status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), 800,000 young people in the US who are working, going to school and raising families face an uncertain future. They arrived here as young children, with their immigrant parents, before they were of age to make their own decisions about their immigration status. They built lives, gained skills, and be became our neighbors and friends.

Advocates, like the Dreamers at United We Dream, are encouraging DACA recipients whose status expires within the year to renew as soon as possible.

To support Dreamers in this time of uncertainty and stress, MIJ is raising funds to help at least four Dreamers with the expense of their DACA renewal ($495 per application, which includes fingerprinting and background check by USCIS, using biometrics).

Our goal is to raise $2000 by December 31st.

Will you join Montanans for Immigrant Justice in solidarity with Dreamers, and contribute to our Dreamer’s DACA renewal fund?

Donate online here, through our partners at the MT Human Rights Network: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/mij
Thank you!

And thank you from SLM! Let me know if you earned your t-shirt- mary@softlandingmissoula.org

Mary