Are you a passionate advocate for social justice and food security? Do you value the power of good food and community? Do you believe that collectively, we can create social justice and build an empowered community? If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

What We Do

Since 1973, The Alex has been a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing integrated primary health care, community support services, and housing-focused programs to individuals and families who experience barriers to accessing traditional health, housing, and social service systems. Services are grounded in principles of health equity, low-barrier access, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, harm reduction, and person-centered care.

The AlexCommunity Food Centre (CFC) is a welcoming place for people to come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food for all. The CFC provides people with access to high-quality food in a dignified setting through healthy meals, an affordable produce market, and integrated and responsive programming.

The Alex is looking for a talented Community Meals Coordinatorto join our team and provide leadership to our food access programming. Using a community development approach and the highest standards of food handling and kitchen safety, the Community Meals Coordinator provides leadership to volunteers and peers to deliver high volume meal service. They are passionate about good food and strive to create healthy, culturally appropriate meals. They understand the power of food and its positive impacts; from supporting the health and social well-being of our community members, to building social ties to supporting local farmers.

The ideal candidate is passionate about the power of good food, knowledgeable about the local food system, large volume meal service, circular economy practices, as well as skilled in facilitating learning opportunities for diverse community members. They provide collaborative leadership to volunteers and peers and work closely with staff to integrate community meal programing into food access, food skills, and community engagement programs. They believe that those who experience food insecurity are experts in their own lives and that, together, we can strengthen local food systems, improve health, and build an empowered community.

This is a permanent, full-time position.

What You Will Do

Community Meals

• Provide leadership to Community Meal program; work collaboratively with staff to integrate seasonal, locally grown ingredients and ethno-cultural flavours into the CFC’s food stream, in accordance to the CFC’s Good Food Rules and Principles.
• Promote food literacy by collaborating with key staff to identify and implement menus that reinforce the goals of the Fresh and Fare Community Market, food and garden skills programs, circular economy practices and land-based learning.
• Supervise a large and divers team of volunteers to effectively complete duties required to deliver a high-volume food meal service.
• Provide training, instruction and ongoing support to volunteers from a diverse range of lived experience, skills, learning needs, communication styles, languages and capacities.
• Set and oversee a high standard of health and safety in the kitchen space and dining hall; train new staff and volunteers on safe food handling and kitchen safety protocols. Ensure compliance with provincial regulations.
• Collaborate with the Community Market Coordinator and other key staff to source, order, and manage inventory of food for Community Meals, food skills programs and basic kitchen supplies.
• Support other program areas as needed (food, skills and knowledge swap, engagement and education).
• Occasionally facilitate food skills classes and food demonstrations.
• Oversee maintenance of equipment and resources in the kitchen and dining hall.
• Liaise with other users of our kitchen space to ensure standards and best practices are shared.

General

• Support team functions and responsibilities including engaging community members during drop-in programs, assisting other staff with their programs as needed, and responding to critical incidents.
• Network with other agencies and individuals to offer programs and services in conjunction with other CFC programs.
• Participate in broader activities at the CFC: planning, evaluation, fundraising and public relations, communications, special events and team activities.

Evaluation

• Develop and implement opportunities for input and feedback on community meals.
• Track program statistics in appropriate databases.
• Support Annual Program Survey and other evaluation processes as required.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What You Bring

• Diploma in a related field of study (culinary, nutrition, social work).
• Three years of experience with large-scale food preparation and kitchen management.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and prepare healthy, delicious meals for 150-250 people
• Experience with budgeting, sourcing food, and working with suppliers.
• Experience working with marginalized people and people of diverse cultures and abilities in a community-based setting.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with volunteers.
• Food Safe Certificate is required.
• Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, and a clean 3-year driver’s abstract are required.
• Must be at least 21 years of age and have a minimum of three (3) years of driving experience to drive an Alex fleet vehicle.
• Standard First Aid – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
• Satisfactory vulnerable sector police clearance and child welfare intervention check are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is an asset.

Work Environment and Hours

• The Alex Community Food Centre: 4920 17 Ave SE, Calgary, AB.
• Standard Hours are 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday; flexible hours during the weekdays, and some evenings and weekends are required.
• 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours per week)
• Community-based setting working with diverse populations experiencing food insecurity and barriers to community life.
• Requires regular physical action including frequent lifting (often up to 40-60 lbs), carrying, bending, crouching, and long periods of standing, kneeling and walking. This role also involves highly repetitive tasks such as cutting, chopping, and stirring.
• Occasional driving as part of work duties is required.

What We Offer

Some of the great benefits The Alex has to offer include:

• 3-weeks’ vacation
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Health / Wellness Spending Accounts
• RRSP, Student Loan Repayment Program, and/or Mortgage Accelerator Payment Program (up to 5% match)
• Personal Days
• Floating Holiday
• Sick/Wellness Days
• Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
• Professional Development

Driving on Behalf of The Alex

This position requires the use of a personal vehicle for work-related purposes and driving an Alex fleet vehicle. Successful candidates must show proof of a class 5 driver's license, a personal vehicle, and a clean 3-year drivers abstract. Incumbents must consent to the possibility of an annual driver's abstract review to meet our insurance provider’s requirements. To drive an Alex fleet vehicle, incumbents must be at least 21 years of age and have a minimum of three (3) years of driving experience. Mileage will be reimbursed in alignment with the CRA guidelines.

How To Apply

If you are as passionate as we are about making a difference in people’s lives, please visit our career centre: Jobs at The Alex | The Alex.

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We will make every effort to accommodate candidate’s schedules and needs in all parts of the hiring process.

The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.

In accordance with our strategic priorities, we particularly encourage applications from individuals who self-identify as racialized* or Indigenous (First Nation, Metis, or Inuit).

• The term “racialized” is used here instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority, “visible minority”, “person of colour”, or “non-White”.

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website atwww.thealex.ca.

8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday