Job Opportunities at the Perth and District Food Bank

Author: Jenn

Posted: October 3, 2011

Categories: Volunteer. Job and Writing Opportunities

Perth and District Food Bank has moved to a new location and entered into a two-year partnership with The Stop Community Food Centre. The purpose of this partnership is to transform our food bank into a Community Food Centre where we will meet a variety of food-related needs for many different types of people under one roof. The CFC will be a community meeting place where people can sit down at a shared table to have a great meal, revive the food skills that are everywhere declining and work to change the food and poverty issues that affect our community. In addition to our important on-going food bank program, this new centre will offer cooking, gardening and advocacy programs that will improve access to healthy food in a way that maintains dignity, builds community and challenges inequality.  Our Centre will re-envision how food banks and food programs operate in our community and will act as a groundbreaking model.

We are looking for four new staff to help run these programs beginning in early November to set up and deliver these programs. They must share our deep commitment to progressive community development, food security and social justice. These are contract positions of varying duration (17 months to approximately 2 years) with the possibility of renewal.

All positions require:

• Knowledge of and experience with food security issues and programs: relevant post-secondary education plus minimum 3 years relevant experience
• Demonstrated capacity to work with people experiencing marginalization and poverty
• Commitment to creating a democratic, welcoming environment that truly respects all  participants and to creating leadership opportunities for them
• Experience in program coordination: proposals, reports, program development and evaluation
• Experience managing volunteers
• Ability to work in a team
• Strong communication and computer skills
• The  roll-up-your-sleeves, pragmatic, creative, flexible approach and sense of humor particularly required by an organization in start-up mode

Community Chef (full-time)

Responsibilities

• Finish equipping and setting up the new kitchen
• Plan, prepare and serve community meals (several meals weekly for  80+ people)
• Source, order and manage the inventory of food for community meals and the other programs
• Give cooking demonstrations and other skills development workshops
• Contribute to the planning and development of cooking/nutrition activities for other community programs
• Manage kitchen upkeep to highest safety standards; oversee the maintenance of equipment and resources in the kitchen
• Manage program volunteers, co-ops, etc.

Qualifications

• Experience with kitchen management – maintaining systems and equipment
• Experience with budgeting, sourcing food, maintaining accounts in a food services setting
• Commitment to and knowledge of  local food issues and sources
• Knowledge of nutrition and demonstrated ability to make food both nutritious and delicious
• Experience with teaching or training an asset
• Food safety training
• May be required to work one day on the weekend

Food Bank Coordinator (30 hours per week)

Responsibilities

• Manage food stocks in the Food Bank and liaise with schools, farmers, gardeners, etc. who want to donate food or run food drives,
• Coordinate and supervise all Food Bank activities: greeting, interviewing, distributing and delivering food.
• Make referrals for program participants and create linkages with other social service/crisis agencies in the community.
• Develop and implement an evaluation plan for the Food Bank’s services
• Manage Food Bank volunteers
• Develop programs to animate the space by bringing in a variety of partners to offer complementary services
• Create procedures and a physical environment that promotes the dignity of food bank members

Qualifications

• Knowledge of needs and resources available locally for low income families
• Knowledge about healthy nutrition
• Knowledge of the local food system and local food issues
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations for the handling and serving of food
• Use of private vehicle required

Food Skills / Community Cooking Coordinator (full-time)

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver weekly cooking programs for low-income adults and for seniors
• Develop and deliver a 3-day/ week after-school program for elementary school-aged youth with cooking, gardening, exercise, food systems and social justice activities,
• Seek partnerships with other organizations to support programming and carry out outreach to recruit program participants and engage parents
• Coordinate transportation for participants in all the Centre’s programs
• Manage program volunteers

Qualifications

• Experience developing innovative programming for children and seniors
  • Excellent community building / community development skills
  • Superior skills  and experience with healthy cooking and nutrition, particularly local foods
  • Organic gardening knowledge and experience
  • Knowledge of local social service environment and experience with partnership development an asset

Food Skills / Community Gardening Coordinator (30 hour/week)

Responsibilities

• Work with garden advisory group to develop gardens at 190 Gore and identify and secure a suitable site for a larger production/teaching garden
• Design and deliver garden programs for both sites, including workshops, gardening club, etc.
• Design and deliver two weekly Shovel and Spoon hands-on gardening and cooking programs to         be offered  in cooperation with other agencies
• Recruit program participants and manage program volunteers
• Develop partnerships with other agencies, businesses, farmers etc. as required
• Develop and implement evaluation plans for the garden program and for Shovel and Spoon

Qualifications

• Superior knowledge of and experience with organic gardening
• Knowledge and skill in healthy cooking and nutrition, particularly local foods
• Excellent community building / community development skills
• Knowledge of local social service environment and experience with partnership development an asset
• May be required to work one day on the weekend

Please send your letter and resume by Oct 5, 2011 to:

Nancy Wildgoose, Executive Director, Perth and District Food Bank, 190 Gore Street E, Perth Ontario, K7H 1K3 or email perthfood@superaje.com. Applicants may apply for more than one position. No telephone calls or faxes please.