Food Activism Worker

A job posting of interest to TCGN members:

FoodShare Job posting: October 1, 2009

Application deadline: October 15, 2009 ( Please apply directly to the FoodShare contact info as shown, not through TCGN)

Food Activism Worker

FoodShare Toronto is a non-profit community organization whose vision is Good Healthy Food for All. We believe that food is vital to the health of individuals and communities, and that access to good, healthy food is a basic human right. We take a multifaceted, innovative, and long-term approach to hunger and food issues. We are Canada’s largest food security organization and we work on food issues "from field to table" – meaning that we focus on the entire system that puts food on our tables: from the growing, processing and distribution of food to its purchasing, cooking and consumption.

FoodShare is offering an exciting opportunity to community members who are dedicated to food-related activism and are interested in working with us to improve and expand our programs. This position will involve doing some outreach in your own community, helping us design and deliver community training workshops, and also helping us research broader questions like: What brings people to food activism? What makes people motivated to work on projects like community gardens, food markets and community kitchens, even when the work can be challenging? What are the factors that make some food activism projects more successful than others?

Who You Will Be Working With

To make sure this project is successful, you will work closely with a supportive team that includes other community members and a project coordinator.

Your Job Description

• Working 1 day a week for six months to assist with research; support the design of training workshops; and help promote, organize and facilitate events.

• Participate as part of a research team that is studying community involvement in food-related activism. Take part in team planning meetings and related activities.
• Do outreach in your community to encourage residents who have struggles with food access to participate in training workshops and advocacy work. This outreach may be done in your building, at social service agencies, community organizations, etc. and may involve occasional door-knocking.
• Identify potential leaders and, through workshops, assist in developing the leadership skills of grassroots members.
• Help design and deliver educational forums to educate your community about food security in Toronto.
• Work with other community leaders to identify the individuals, agencies, commissions and other official bodies responsible for food security and policy in Toronto. Work with the project team to create educational materials that highlight who is responsible and how people can advocate effectively for changes in food access. Together with members of your community and project partners, develop a Food Security Advocacy Agenda.
• Develop and implement small-scale campaign strategies with other community leaders.

Why This Work Is Important

Your work with us on this project will help to maintain and expand our work to improve food security in Toronto. Our goal is to increase access to quality, affordable and culturally-appropriate food for all low-income families, while also helping to shift the food system in a way that makes it more ecologically and economically sustainable.

Your work on this project will help:

Build the leadership skills of your fellow-residents so that people around you who are affected by inadequate food access are able to organize for themselves and voice their needs effectively. Increase your community’s ability to act as watchdogs at the government level where food policy is created.

Skills and Traits That Would Make Us a Good Fit

• You have a strong interest in and commitment to community organizing, movement building and social, economic and racial justice. You share our commitment to the idea of building community power and promoting grassroots decision-making.
• You have some level of familiarity with at least one of the following—community gardens, community kitchens, or Good Food Markets.
• You are able to work independently, yet take direction, according to the goals of the project team.
• When you find it difficult to work with someone, are faced with a task that you find challenging, or are frustrated by your progress, you maintain a positive attitude and ask for help in a constructive way.
• You are willing to take the lead on organizing and facilitating a meeting. When working with groups made up of diverse people, you are patient and you find creative ways to have everyone involved in roles that they are comfortable with.
• In writing and speaking, you communicate effectively, sharing information in a user-friendly way.
• You have basic computer skills for word processing, emailing, internet searching and managing data.
• Personal experience receiving public assistance is considered an asset.
• Your schedule is flexible, allowing you to work some weekend and evening hours.

Salary and Benefits

• This is a 6-month part-time position starting November 1, 2009. You will be working one day a week at the FoodShare office, and occasionally in your own community.
• Compensation is based at $15/hour and includes lunch provided at the workplace.
• Our office is located in the West End of Toronto, within walking distance of Dufferin subway station. The office is wheelchair and scooter-accessible and you will be reimbursed for transportation on the TTC.

How To Apply

Please apply by doing ONE of the following:

• Send us a one-page essay on why you would like to organize for food security,

OR

• Leave us a 1-minute voicemail talking about why you would like to organize for food security,

OR

• Send us a resume that responds to the needs of this position, as described in this listing

By post or by e-mail to:

Sarosh Anwar / Ravenna Barker

FoodShare Toronto

90 Croatia Street

Toronto, ON M6H 1K9

Sarosh Anwar: sarosh@foodshare.net

Ravenna Barker: ravenna@foodshare.net

If emailing, make sure to put “Food Activism Worker “ in the subject line.

By phone: (416)363-6441 ext. 225

The deadline for submission is October 15th.

FoodShare welcomes applications from persons of all cultural and racial backgrounds and is an equal opportunity employer.

We would like to thank all applicants however we will only be contacting those candidates selected for an interview.

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Content last modified on October 02, 2009, at 10:56 AM EST