Food Services, Team Lead

At House of Friendship we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great doesn't it? It is!

The ShelterCare program is following the ShelterCare model of providing a place to stay and staff support 24/7, along with wrap-around health care services on site to help men experiencing homelessness transition to housing and successfully stay housed. The successful candidate will prepare meals and snacks according to Canada's Food Guide, using donations and food inventory. This role is also responsible for supporting volunteers and staff by providing on-the-job training, oversight and guidance during shifts, and engages with and supports program participant volunteers.

** This is a permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week), salaried position with paid sick time,
personal days and vacation; group health benefits and defined contribution pension plan.
Work hours will be on a rotation between days and afternoons, with 1 weekend per month.
Valid G Class driver's license and regular access to a reliable vehicle are required.
Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) is required. **

** Must be willing to work and communicate with ShelterCare participants in a non-judgmental,
trauma-informed and solution-focused manner. Participants may be experiencing homelessness, trauma, mental health concerns, physical health concerns and/or addiction symptoms in the space. **


Key Responsibilities:
- Menu and meal planning based on Canada's Food Guide
- Food preparation for meals, snacks, bagged lunches
- Assist with receiving, sorting and distribution of food donations, including regular rotation of food inventory
- Assist with maintaining the organization and cleanliness of the kitchen area, cooler, freezer and dry storage
- Daily use of industrial kitchen equipment and industrial cleaning products
- Administrative tasks to ensure smooth and efficient operation of the kitchen, such as inventory, email communications, etc.
- Provide back-up support to the Food Services Coordinator
- Train new team members
- Provide oversight, guidance and support to volunteers to ensure safety and service excellence.
- Build strong relationships with volunteers in a manner that aligns with our mission, vision and values to ensure respectful, supportive and effective volunteer engagement.
- Supervise and work with program participant volunteers in the kitchen to support life skill building.
- Provide relationship-centred coaching and training for program participant volunteers in collaboration with the Participant Experience Specialist.
- Engage program participant volunteers in meal planning and food preparation and ensure they are performing their roles as instructed.
- Work alongside program participant volunteers in sorting of food donations, organizing and maintaining the kitchen area.
- Address behavioural concerns while working alongside program participant volunteers.
- Support with conflict de-escalation and risk mitigation to promote safety and participants' wellbeing.
- In collaboration with the Participant Experience Specialist and Food Service Coordinator, document participant progress and evaluate impact of kitchen programming
- Document incidents in the kitchen while working with program participants and volunteers

Skills & Experience:
- Minimum Grade 12 high school, required
- Post-secondary education in a related culinary field preferred
- Food Handlers Certification required
- At least two years previous experience in an industrial kitchen setting, with experience in meal planning and preparation
- Previous experience working with volunteers or program participants is an asset
- Ability to stand for long periods of time
- Ability to repeatedly lift heavy items throughout each shift (25 lbs~)
- Ability to work well independently as well as in a team situation
- Ability to cook in quantity
- Creative with donated food, serving, baking, following recipes, food preparation from scratch.
- Ability to wash dishes and pots
- Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected
- Emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem solving skills required
- Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members
- Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs
- Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery
- Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude
- Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges


Compensation:
At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:
- Time off includes three (3) weeks of vacation, 3* personal days, and sick credits totaling approximately 12 days per year
- Full-time benefit plan including Extended Health Care (EHC), Dental, Group Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Account and Employee & Family Assistance Program
- We believe strongly in supporting the mental health of our team members, including providing access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program, $2,000 for counselling services and our workplace Wellness and Psychological Health and Safety programs
- We help you save for the future by providing a retirement plan that includes a matched Group Pension Plan as well as a Group RRSP and a Group Tax Free Savings Account

Rate of Pay:
At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of "grades" and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate's past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 4
Min: $22.18
Mid: $25.40
Max: $28.61

Working Conditions:
- 37.5 hours per week
- Hours of work vary, including days and afternoons, 1 weekend per month and holidays
- Some travel throughout Waterloo Region
- Working alongside both program participants and volunteers is required
- Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

We strive to remove barriers that may prevent qualified applicants from fully participating in the recruitment and selection process. Accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and other applicable legislation is available throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let's talk.