Parkdale Food Centre Job Board
Grocery Program Summer Assistant
Description
Position: Mino'Weesini Grocery Program Summer Assistant
Hours : 35 hours/week, including one evening/week
Wage: $21.95/hour
Contract: 8 weeks, beginning on Tuesday May 21 2024
Parkdale Food Centre is a Good Food organization located in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighbourhood. All the programming we do is guided by our strong belief that good food is a human right. Good food, good mood! We use food as a tool to connect with others, and nurturing these connections in different ways contributes positively to the overall wellness of our community. Our grocery program is an innovative model designed to provide free groceries to our Neighbours in a welcoming, inclusive space that prioritizes choice, agency and nourishment.
As the Grocery Program Summer Assistant you will support the day-to-day functions of our community grocery program. You will be responsible for a variety of tasks and projects including maintaining a warm and welcoming environment for Neighbors (anyone accessing our programs) and volunteers.
This position is front-facing work in a busy but fun environment with lots of opportunity for creative problem-solving. Supported in part by Canada Summer Jobs funding, this position if for a young person (15-30 years old) looking for an opportunity to develop their skills and challenge themselves, in a supportive environment that fosters growth and initiative. You will report to the Mino'Weesini Program Manager and will also be supported by the Youth Programs Manager, who will be a resource for training, goal-setting and weekly check-ins.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Support a welcoming and inclusive experience for all Neighbours accessing our space. This includes:
- Keeping our space beautiful and clean by:
- Assisting in setting up and closing up the grocery program: unloading deliveries of food and loading food orders in delivery vehicles; ensuring shelves are well-stocked and labeled
- Performing inventory of cleaning/office supplies, letting staff know when things need to be replenished before they run out.
- Cleaning of the premises, shelves and fridges
- Monitoring temperature of fridges and freezers
- Carrying out administrative functions necessary to support the smooth running of the grocery program by:
- Processing intake of Neighbors by collecting personal information and making sure to treat this information with respect and confidentiality.
- Responding to emails/phone calls from our email address regarding inquiries about our services.
- Shopping with Neighbors for their grocery orders
- Guiding volunteers in their tasks, filling in when needed
- Supporting youth placements working at Mino'Weesini and supporting the team in hosting youth groups visiting our space
- Engaging with Neighbours and volunteers to foster a sense of community and belonging
- Participate as part of the PFC Team by:
- Attending staff meetings and trainings
- Modeling professional behavior and positive communication with Neighbours, volunteers and staff team members
- Contributing to a culture of health, safety, kindness and compassion
- Supporting PFC events as needed
- Helping out in other departments as needed
Desired Skills:
- You are a friendly and energetic host and welcome our Neighbours with warmth and understanding
- You are a team player who actively listens and contributes to problem-solving collaboratively, and asks questions when clarification is needed
- You are physically able to work on your feet for long periods and can regularly lift and carry boxes weighing over 40lbs
- You are looking for an opportunity to grow your skills in a professional environment
- You have interest in local community resources, organizations and system navigation
- You have good relationship-building skills and strong personal boundaries in interactions with Neighbours and the community
- You are able to operate in a busy environment with multiple interruptions.
- Knowledge of French or other languages such as Arabic, Dari, Mandarin, Spanish and Ukrainian are an asset, as many of our Neighbours speak these languages
Possible Additional Opportunities (to be discussed when goal-planning during placement):
- Developing resources to be used by the community, for example, Income Tax Clinic resource sheets, Neighbourhood maps for food bank catchment areas
- Creating content for our social media or communications campaigns including videos
- Kitchen skills, assisting in the preparation of community meals occasionally, as well as serving lunches and chatting with Neighbors in a more casual setting
- Workshop facilitation with both adults part of our AIM (Advocacy in Motion) program as well as youth in schools via our Growing Futures program
- Event planning, students could take charge of planning an extra event to be held in our community spaces, or organize programming for our once a month Coffee House
- Assisting with a community mural and Volunteer Appreciation events in our courtyard space. This would include prep of the courtyard such as gardening or painting
What you will learn
- How to be a Solutionary!
- How we can move beyond food banking, away from charity in social justice
- Why language matters in the work that we do
- How to engage with Neighbours with diverse backgrounds and diverse needs
To apply please submit your resume/CV and cover letter by May 9th. Please include a paragraph in your cover letter about why this program specifically interests you, and why working with Parkdale Food Centre aligns with your values and interests!
Compensation
$21.95 - $21.95 per hour