Food Security, Food Programs

Position: Food Security Coordinator
Organization: North York Women's Shelter
Location: North York, Toronto, Ontario

About North York Women's Shelter:

The North York Women's Shelter ("NYWS") actively supports the rights of women, trans, and non-binary individuals and their children as they build lives free from violence by providing safe shelter, advocacy, and a range of trauma-informed programs and services including 24-hour crisis support.

Our vision is to create a community characterized by gender equality where women, trans and non-binary individuals and their children feel empowered and safe.

About the role:

The Food Security Coordinator is responsible for providing meal preparation and food-related programming for residents while maintaining a safe, healthy, and welcoming kitchen environment. The role is also responsible for administrative tasks required to keep the kitchen running smoothly such as purchasing, tracking inventory, and budgeting to support the smooth day-to-day operations of the kitchen.

What you will be doing:

Meal Preparation & Supply Coordination
• Prepare daily nutritionally sound and culturally/dietary sensitive meal options for residents.
• Coordinate the purchase of food and supplies in line with budget with consideration given to seasonality, availability, residents’ needs and preferences.
• Maintain, order, stock and maintain inventory of food, supplies and/or kitchen utensils in consultation with Programs and Services Manager or designate.
• Understand the dietary needs and cultural, religious, or other considerations to help align meal preparation with residents' needs.
• Prepare weekly menus in consultation with residents and post in communal areas.
• Utilize the food waste tracking tool to ensure proper sue of resources.
• Ensure stock of nutritious snacks for school and after school programming.
• Manage vendor relationships effectively, ensuring timely communication and efficiency.
• Support residents with kitchen access and scheduling as needed.
• Coordinate with Second Harvest and other food banks delivery for delivery of food donations.

Food Education and Programming
• Facilitate workshops, knowledge exchange and deliver food programming in a way that is participant-driven and provides education and skills related to nutrition, food security, and food justice.
• Foster Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by considering diverse cultures, physical abilities, neurodiversity, and lived experiences of residents and their children in the design and delivery of food education and programming.
• Engage residents and their families one-on-one in identifying and supporting nutritional needs.
• Gather feedback on food programming and service from residents during resident meetings and make improvements to programming and service based on feedback.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with external community agencies and groups related to food security and food justice.
• Collaborate with residents prior to their departure to develop a food security plan based on their food preferences, dietary requirements, and other considerations.

Health & Safety Responsibilities
• Use discretion and take necessary precautions to maintain safety of staff and residents with respect to kitchen and kitchen related matters e.g., closing kitchen doors, putting away sharp objects, not leaving hot objects unattended, etc.
• Uphold health and safety standards as well as food handling and hygiene guidelines in all aspects of kitchen operations.
• Clean kitchen, pantry and storage areas including appliances and shelves according to health and safety standards.
• Adhere to health and safety requirements e.g., First Aid CPR certification, maintain up to date food handler certification, and be knowledgeable of Canadian Dietary Guidelines and Canada Food Guide, and participate in updated training as required.

General and Related Responsibilities
• Uphold confidentiality of all clients and residents in accordance with organizational policies.
• Maintain current knowledge of food security, food justice, and trauma-informed practice and seek out knowledge and resources to inform continuous improvement of food education and programming as well as meal preparation.
• Attend and participate in additional team building, training, in-services, and community outreach projects as required.
• Oversee all kitchen volunteers and/or student placements.
• Other duties as assigned.

How you'll succeed:

• Alignment with NYWS mission, vision, and values - deliver high-quality, inclusive and empowering service across all interactions while upholding out commitment to trauma-informed practice.
• Relationship Building - foster positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders including colleagues, residents, donors, and others.

Who you are:

• You have completed post-secondary education in a related field such as Culinary Arts, Food Security and/or Food Justice.
• You have a valid Safe Food Handling Certificate.
• You have a minimum of 3 years of experience working with diverse communities in food programming catering and/or communal setting.
• You have a deep understanding of the ways in which food security threatens the safety and security of women and children.
• You have comprehensive knowledge of health and safety protocols and procedures for a kitchen environment.
• You have excellent customer service skills.
• You are able to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• You are enthusiastic, have strong work ethic, and passion for food service and programming and have general knowledge of community resources.
• You are able to work from an intersectional feminist, anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens, leveraging a trauma-informed approach.
• You have a high degree of confidentiality and discretion.
• You have a satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC).
• You are excited to work in a collaborative and pet-friendly environment.
• You are able to use Microsoft Office tools such as Outlook, Word, and Excel.

How to apply:

Does this sound like the right opportunity for you? If so, please submit your application by Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 5PM.

Please kindly note, applications will only be accepted through the BambooHR application system https://nyws.bamboohr.com/careers/42.

Please indicate you saw this posting at FoodWork.ca.

While we appreciate all applications we receive, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Please do not call the Shelter.