Location: Toronto, Ontario
The North York Harvest Food Bank is one of the largest food banks in Toronto. An independent, charitable organization, it distributes 1.6 million pounds of food annually to 60 community programs between Hwy 27, Steeles Ave, Victoria Park Ave, and St. Clair Ave/Eglinton Ave. To learn more about our programs, visit http://www.northyorkharvest.com .
The Position
The Garden Coordinator will be responsible for supporting five to seven gardens in partnership with our member agencies. The work will involve planning and designing workshops in consultation with partner agencies, working closely with community members, and making connections between the gardens and the food bank programs that they support.
Reporting Relationship:
The Garden Coordinator reports to the Manager, Agency Relations.
Key Responsibilities
• Cultivate leadership and gardening skills among food bank participants
• Recruit and support volunteers across garden sites
• Deliver garden-based workshops for garden participants with focus on gardening skills, food and environmental issues
• Support existing garden infrastructure with a focus on small plot intensive cultivation techniques
• Coordinate distribution of garden materials (e.g. soil, compost, seeds, seedlings, equipment)
• Work within a budget and facilitate donations of needed materials whenever possible
• Plant seeds and seedlings
• Implement a suitable evaluation framework for these activities
• Winterize gardens at end of season
• Liaise with other stakeholders, including broader garden networks
• Conduct the above activities in a way that reinforces self-sustainability for future years
• Other duties as required
Qualifications
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Experience with farming or gardening and understanding of organic principles and practices
• Familiarity with composting techniques
• Knowledge of issues regarding hunger and poverty ideal
• Experience working in low-income, diverse communities
• Experience working with volunteers
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Must be physically fit and enjoy working outdoors
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as required
• Computer literacy in common office applications (e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Hours, compensation, and length of contract: $15/hour; hours per week and contract duration subject to funding.
Application Deadline: May 9, 2011
This position is contingent on funding through the federal government’s Canada Summer Jobs program. Applicants must be 30 years of age or under, currently attending school full-time and returning to school full-time in the fall.
North York Harvest Food Bank is committed to employment equity and encourages applicants from equity seeing groups.
Please forward cover letter and resume to jobs@northyorkharvest.com, indicating the job title in the subject line. No phone calls please.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those to be invited for an interview will be contacted.
