| Job Title | YPP Cooks Program Animator |
| Type of Position | Part Time contract (7 months) with possibility of Permanent position 20 hours/week Wednesday 9am-5pm; Friday 9am-5pm; plus 4 floating hours |
| Salary & Benefits | $22.00/hour + annual seniority increases Benefits detailed below |
Mission
Head & Hands envisions a society where all youth are participants and are inspired by the endless possibilities available to them. Our mission is to work with youth to promote their physical and mental well being. Our approach is preventative, non-judgmental, and holistic with a fundamental commitment to providing an environment that welcomes youth without discrimination. We facilitate social change and the empowerment of youth based on their current needs within our community and society at large.
About Head & Hands & Perks of the Position
Head & Hands currently operates in a flattened hierarchy model, with Program Directors operating as the main decision-making body, with strong encouragement to consult and collaborate with all staff within programs and within the organization. In the pandemic context the Head & Hands structure has entered a review of this structure to ensure increased collaboration and shared collective labour.
As an organization that works to facilitate social change and the empowerment of diverse communities of youth, Head & Hands recognizes that experiencing marginalization and oppression often presents challenges, but also informs valuable skills and perspectives.
We strongly encourage BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), people with disabilities, women, Two-Spirit and queer people, trans people, and other candidates who experience marginalization to apply to this position and to self-identify when you apply. We are committed to creating a workplace as diverse as the communities we serve, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities.
This is a part-time contract position. Benefits include:
- 10 paid health days
- 1.5 weeks of paid vacation within the time of contract
About the YPP Cooks Program Animator position
Overview
The YPP Cooks Program is a pre-employability initiative within the Young Parents Program (YPP) which employs young parents to plan and prepare hot lunches for program participants. The Cooks Program animator coordinates and supports the parents in this program alongside the YPP Director and Early Childhood Educator.
The Program runs on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:00am-12:00pm, and two parents are employed at a time.
The emphasis of the program is on supporting pre-employability skills, such as time management and administrative tasks like timesheet keeping and menu planning. There is also a prerogative to support the cooks to prepare healthy, cost-friendly meals within the lunch budget of the program, to offer to YPP participants – parents and kids alike.
In addition to the Cooks Program, the Cooks Program Animator also runs two other food security initiatives: Community Kitchen and Food Distro. Community Kitchen, once a month, gives all registered parents a chance to learn new kitchen skills, try new things, and bring home a meal to their families. Food Distro offers parents the chance to register for a bag of groceries, procured by YPP staff.
Roles and responsibilities
Daily tasks in the Cooks program include:
- Keeping an up to date list of food allergies, intolerances, and restrictions (including parents, children, and staff)
- Creating a menu for each program day alongside the Cooks. Sourcing recipes, creating grocery lists, and procuring groceries in time for each program day.
- Supporting the Cooks to learn on the job, being available as an active listener and a compassionate job supervisor
- Keeping track of the YPP kitchen inventory.
- Maintaining an organized, clean and sanitary kitchen environment.
- Having an up to date FoodSafe training and/or professional kitchen experience is an asset in this role. Consider procuring a FoodSafe certification if you haven’t before/
- Receiving feedback from Cooks and YPP participants to incorporate into menu planning where appropriate.
In addition to morning Cooks Program, the Animator is responsible for:
- Planning and facilitating the Community Kitchen program once monthly.
- Facilitating a once monthly Food Distro grocery distribution program.
- Occasionally providing education and support to YPP participants about food security topics like grocery shopping on a budget, feeding picky eaters, and trying new foods.
As a community organization, the Animator is also expected to participate in:
- Building and maintaining relationships with Head & Hands food services program, and other community organizations like Moisson Montreal and the NDG Food Depot, as well as grocery stores and food vendors in order to access a range of free and cost-effective groceries.
- Working collaboratively with the rest of the YPP team (YPP Director and Early Childhood Educator) to support afternoon programming when needed, ie. in case of sick days or big outings.
- Working with the YPP team to assist planning and procuring food for parties, outings, fundraisers.
Requirements & Assets
Requirements:
- Bilingual French & English
- Driver’s license
- A commitment to harm reduction and anti-oppression
- Excellent time management skills, personal organization, and attention to detail
- Experience and competency grocery shopping, budgeting, meal planning, and cooking for groups, especially prioritizing affordability, accommodation to dietary restrictions, supporting culturally-appropriate food
- Passion about/experience working in food security
- Experience working with youth
- Great facilitation skills
- Active listening skills
- Ability to work autonomously
- Experience working in a collaborative team setting
Assets:
- Experience and interest in working with babies and children
- Has a vehicle/access to a vehicle
- Experience working in non-profit sector, community organizations, and/or in a collective structures
- Connections to or background with NDG and is communities
- Special knowledge of or experience with the following areas: gardening, meal prepping, grocery shopping on a budget, family-friendly meals, picky eaters, nutrition
- Comfort/fluency in Spanish
Application Process
Please apply by submitting your CV and cover letter to Cat, the Interim Director of the Young Parents Program at ypp_pjp@headandhands.ca, and including “Attn: YPP Cooks Program Animator” in the subject line. Applications can also be submitted by fax at 514-481-2336, or in person at 3465 Benny ave. Guidelines for preparing your CV and cover letter are available on our website, no incomplete applications will be accepted.
Applications are due at 5pm on Friday November 10, 2023. All candidates will be sent a confirmation that their application was received, but only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted further. We are aiming to hold interviews for this position during the week of November 20 with an ideal start date of November 29.