job posting

JOB POSTING
COOK /FOOD SERVICES COORDINATOR
MOUNT PLEASANT NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE
ASSOCIATION OF NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSES OF GREATER VANCOUVER
Posted: December 6, 2007
Closes: December 20, 2007

Duties:
Reporting to the executive director, the food services coordinator / cook duties include:
• Planning and preparing menus, ordering and purchasing ingredients, and costing items
to appropriate programs and services.
• Developing MPNH’s catering services and liaising with catering customers.
• Assisting in developing MPNH’s food security programs by partnering with others in the
community to develop nutritionally sound food programs while following City, Provincial,
and federal regulations and guidelines.
• Recruiting, training and overseeing volunteers and part-time staff.
• Providing hands-on cooking and food preparation activities.
• Maintaining a kitchen environment that supports healthy food habits and safe food
handling while maintaining program integrity and customer satisfaction.
Qualifications:
• A Certificate in Culinary Arts (or completion of an equivalent 1 year program at a
recognized post secondary institution)
• Food Handler’s Level 2 (Advanced) Certificate
• WCB Level 1 (or higher) First-Aid Certificate
• Two years experience in food production, catering, or field related food service, and
experience with oversight of a variety of food and nutrition programs and services.
• Demonstrated success in supervising staff and volunteers.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to maintain good working
relationships while working under pressure.
• A working knowledge of computer applications for information gathering and
dissemination, and organizing of information and records.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with staff, volunteers, community members, and
community organizations in a multicultural setting.
• Knowledge of Mount Pleasant area and East Vancouver an asset.
• A clear Criminal Record check.
• A valid Class 5 driver’s license is required and a valid Class 4 is desirable.
• Ability to work flexible hours (including some evenings and occasional weekends).
Terms: 30 hrs per week starting early January. Salary: $16.68 (Band 6 of ANH’s salary grid)

Please send resumes and cover letters to Jocelyne Hamel, Executive Director:
jhamel@mpnh.org or fax to: 604-879-4136. No phone calls please.
MPNH is a non-profit, community based organization located in East Vancouver.

For more information on MPNH please visit www.anhgv.org.

needs assessment

hot off the presses!
check out www.ffcf.bc.ca/TLCC for full details on our recently completed Needs Assessment.
thanks & kudos to Jeff Nield for a great job.

October 15th Update

Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network

Purpose:

To enhance the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage neighborhoods by supporting and coordinating local food security initiatives and improving access to community health, social services and community-based programs.

October 15^th Update:

• Needs Assessment in progress

  • Identify assets within community

  • From this – gaps can be identified & will give direction to programming

  • To be completed end of October

  • Are you involved with or know of any community food initiatives within the Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage area? Let us know – tlccfoodsecurity(at)gmail.com

• Organic growing initiatives:

• Charles' Dickens school gardens

  • 2 gardens onsite – a children's garden & a native garden

  • Need support from within the school to help with the sustainability of the gardens, as the school is K – 3, they are finding it needs to be resurrected every three years.

• VCAN

  • Possible partnership for community garden

  • Possible location – Copley @ Vanness (1 block west of Nanaimo @ 23^rd)

  • http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=49.253801,-123.056488&spn=0.013445,0.040169&z=15&om=1&msid=108311271336797701509.00043c8ad3fde406fe0b1

• Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House

  • garden beds need help – location & materials (built with treated wood)

  • EYA has some ideas

• EYA

  • possible partnership for workshops

  • ideas for CCNH garden beds

Food Sharing Initiatives

• Community Kitchen

  • Take a Break program

  • Civic labour dispute now resolved – will connect with Trout Lake Community Centre

  • Received donation of kitchen supplies for Community Kitchen

Knowledge Sharing

• Workshops

  • community input via community consultation (November?)

  • EYA possible partnership

  • Community Kitchen possible partnership

Partnership building

• Renfrew/Collingwood Food Security Institute

• VCAN

  • Possible partnership with Community Garden

• EYA

  • Possible partnership

    • Workshops

    • CCNH garden boxes

• Oxfam World Food Day

  • Attend October 16^th event @ SFU

• Vancouver Food Policy Council

  • In touch with Council members

  • Updates passed onto Council

• VCH School Nutrition

  • Will be meeting with Melanie Kurrein, RD

• Your Local Farmers Market Society

  • Interested in participating with the Network

  • Community table @ Trout Lake market in Spring – outreach

• Emergency Food Security @ VGH

  • Paula, Helen & Kristina attended

• Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House

  • Article in fall newspaper

  • Will contribute to next newspaper (~January)

  • Donna Chang, ED attending Network meetings

• Trout Lake Community Centre

  • Strike is over!

• Charles Dickens School

  • Possible partnership for School Garden project

• MOBY

  • Try connecting again

Posted by Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network at 4:52 PM 0 comments

Friday, October 5, 2007

Improving Food Security in Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage

Everyone enjoys a good hearty and nutritious meal when they are hungry. We all take comfort in our favourite foods, and many times the kitchen is the busiest spot in the house where families come together. But unfortunately for too many low-income families in Vancouver, being able to afford healthy food choices on a daily basis is often beyond reach.

The “Take a Break” program has been serving food bank participants at Trout Lake Community Centre for over 8 years. After they have shopped at the food bank, participants are invited to “Take-a-Break”, have a healthy snack and learn more about how to cook on a budget using food items commonly distributed at food bank depots. Health professionals are on hand to demonstrate healthy low-cost food preparation and recipes, answer health and nutrition related questions, and can also help food bank participants to access community kitchens, dental programs, neighbourhood houses, ESL services, mental health, addictions services, and other community resources.

Take-a-Break is a great place to socialize, have a snack, and learn more about healthy cooking ideas – but there is so much more we can do together to address hunger in our community! With funding support from the Community Food Action Initiative, a new Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network is being developed and we are looking for interested residents and/or community agencies who would like to support or get involved.

The Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network (TLCC FSN) is a new project, which brings together local residents and service providers to create action around food security needs in the northeast Vancouver area. Our goal is to increase community awareness of food security and available resources by coordinating educational workshops on food security issues (i.e. cooking on a limited budget, creative lunchbox ideas, etc). We are also working on developing a local community kitchen where residents will be invited to learn more about low cost healthy meals, take part in cooking together, and share community meals.

Steps towards the creation of a sustainable food system may also include food growing initiatives such as developing a community garden, food sharing projects, etc. This new food security initiative is modelled after the highly successful “Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute” which operates out of Collingwood Neighbourhood House. We very much appreciate their support as we develop a similar community based initiative in Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage!

The TLCC FSN is a partnership project supported by Trout Lake Community Centre, Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House, Evergreen Community Health Centre, the Take a Break Program, Vancouver Community Agriculture Program, Vancouver Community Kitchens Project, and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.

If you would like more info on the Trout Lake/Cedar Cottage Food Security Network or are interested in participating contact us - tlccfoodsecurity(at)gmail.com