Cook (SC Kitchen)

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is! 

A shelter program that is following the ShelterCare model of providing a place to stay and staff support 24/7, along with wrap-around health care services on site to help men experiencing homelessness transition to housing and successfully stay housed. The Cook will prepare meals and snacks according to Canada’s Food Guide using donations and food inventory. This role is also responsible for assisting in maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen area.

This is a seven (7) month contract position, from approximately April 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027. This is a part-time position (18 hours per week). Schedule varies between mornings and afternoons, including some weekends and some statutory holidays. Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) required pre-employment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Food preparation for meals, snacks, bagged lunches

• Assist with receiving, sorting and distribution of food donations, including regular rotation of food inventory

• Assist with maintaining the organization and cleanliness of the kitchen area, cooler, freezer and dry storage

• Daily use of industrial kitchen equipment and industrial cleaning products

• Work alongside program participants and volunteers which may include providing direction and addressing behavioural concerns

• Work with program participant volunteers in the kitchen to support life skill building

• Build strong relationships with volunteers and program participants in a manner that aligns with our mission, vision and values to ensure respectful, supportive and effective volunteer engagement

• Support with conflict de-escalation and risk mitigation to promote safety and participants’ wellbeing

• Document incidents in the kitchen while working with program participants and volunteers

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills:

• Ability to stand for long periods of time

• Ability to repeatedly lift heavy items throughout each shift (i.e 25 lbs)

• Ability to work well independently as well as in a team environment

Education/Experience:

• Minimum Grade 12 high school, required

• Food Handlers Certification required

• Previous experience in an industrial kitchen setting is an asset

• Previous experience working with volunteers or program participants is an asset

Critical Skills:

• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected

• Emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem solving skills required

• Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members

• Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs

• Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery

• Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude

• Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental illness and other life challenges

Compensation:

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work(Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits: 

• Time off includes vacation pay and 2 personal days per year 

• Employee & Family Assistance Program 

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 3

Min: $20.08

Mid: $21.80

Max: $23.51

Working Conditions: 

• Hours of work are generally mornings, afternoons, evenings, including weekdays and weekends

• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

This role is being posted to fill a current vacancy. 

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options.  Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here:

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/cook-sc-kitchen-waterloo-on-Rdinht

By end of day March 23, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not being used in the screening of applications.