Sumac Volunteer Manager (Fulltime Permanent) *New Position
Location: Our office is located in Toronto Ontario.
Reports to: Sumac Community Food Center Director
Hiring Range: $ annually including a comprehensive benefits plan pension plan three weeks paid vacation (increasing to 4 weeks paid vacation in your second year of employment) a December break (usually a week) to recharge wellness days access to an Employee Assistance Program and professional development opportunities
Job Posting Closing Date: May 13 2025
About us:
At Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) we work on behalf of good food for all. Our collective approach at CFCC is founded on dignity and respect equity and empathy. These values are core to our mission and outlined in our Good Food Principles.
CFCC is strongly committed to equity and inclusion within its community. We especially welcome applications from members of racialized groups Indigenous peoples persons with disabilities persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities people with lived and living experience similar to the communities they serve and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. We are committed to an equitable and inclusive selection process and work environment.
We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment and welcome candidates to speak about how their experience has demonstrated a commitment to Equity Inclusion Reconciliation and AntiOppression.
This year Community Food Centres Canada is proud to introduce Sumac Community Food Centre (CFC) a vibrant welcoming space in Torontos Downtown East where people come together to grow cook share and advocate. Located at 340 Gerrard St E Sumac CFC will offer a variety of foodfocused programs to support individuals and families living on low incomes. The Centre will help improve access to nourishing culturally appropriate food build food skills and create pathways for personal and community transformation.
Our approach centres CFCCs Good Food Principles and the three pillars of the Community Food Centre model: food access food skills education and engagement. We believe food is a basic need right and a basis of good health. Our approach recognizes that food is part of our identities its offering is a way of showing care it connects us to land its a source of joy and wellbeing and it brings us together.
As a member of the Sumac CFC team youll play a key role in launching this exciting new Centre whether thats community outreach and getting the physical space ready to finalizing program plans and welcoming the first participants in late Summer 2025. Many of our programs will be offered during regular working hours 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday) but some will take place outside of these hours including early mornings evenings or occasional weekends. We are committed to staff wellbeing striving to balance program needs with personal schedules. Please note this is an inperson position.
About the position:
CFCC is seeking a Volunteer Manager who will be responsible for recruiting training mentoring and coordinating volunteers at the Community Food Centre. The Volunteer Manager supports volunteers to work towards their personal and professional goals in a meaningful and supportive setting and fostering a culture of learning leadership and growth where volunteers feel supported valued and empowered. The Volunteer Manager is also responsible for creating a positive inclusive supportive and engaging volunteer experience.
Key Responsibilities:
Recruitment
- Recruit and onboard volunteers for the Centres programs and events
- Perform volunteer intakes including skill assessments goal setting and matching volunteers to appropriate positions
- Develop and maintain clear job descriptions for volunteer positions
- Develop relationships with agencies seeking practicum placements and supervise and support practicum placement students
- Update website and social media with volunteer opportunities
- Develop and facilitate regular volunteer orientation sessions
- Create donor volunteer opportunities in collaboration with fundraisers
Administration
- Develop and implement volunteer best practices policies and procedures
- Assist program leads in creating and planning for volunteer positions
- Develop and maintain administrative systems to recruit train and track volunteer information
- Create and update volunteer schedules
- Develop and implement an evaluation plan for the volunteer program and an annual volunteer program report
- In collaboration with other team members ensure adherence to organizational values policies and processes
Volunteer Support
- Create an inclusive volunteer experience that prioritizes mutual respect collaboration and a culture of learning. Actively foster a sense of belonging and empowerment where volunteers feel recognized and appreciated for their contributions
- Implement regular volunteer training workshops for preemployment and/or professional development
- Build opportunities for volunteers to gain new skills as well as utilize and enhance preexisting skills
- Maintain regular communication with volunteers to keep them informed and engaged
- Create and send out monthly newsletters to volunteers
- Develop and run volunteer recognition activities and events
- Coach and support volunteers in their day to day work
- Support other team members in working with and supervising volunteers
Organizational Support & Collaboration
- Keep staff informed about policies procedures and responsibilities regarding the volunteer program including code of conduct
- Facilitate and/or support food programs and events as necessary
- Role model professional behavior and positive communication with participants volunteers and partners utilizing an antiracist/antioppression approach
- Participate and represent the organization at events
- Develop funding proposals and write reports to funders as required
- Create and manage volunteer appreciation events
- Align with CFCC values and contribute to the evolution of our culture and a work environment that is grounded in Equity Courage Relationshipfocused and Integrity
- Any other duties as assigned
Qualifications & Skills:
Required
- Three years work experience in community development and/or volunteer coordination
- One year of work experience in developing and facilitating capacitybuilding preemployment and/or community development programs
- Excellent project management program planning team building motivational coaching and supervisory skills
- Experience working with people from diverse cultures and abilities in a communitybased setting
- Excellent interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills
- Experience working with people living on low incomes and who are facing barriers and obstacles and discrimination
- Demonstrated a commitment to diversity equity inclusion and reconciliation and antioppressive practice through continuous development modeling inclusive behaviors and proactively managing bias
- Passionate about working in an organization that values and promotes diversity equity and inclusion and that strives to work from an antiracism and antioppression framework
- Strong organizational analytical writing and communication skills
- Comfortable with using a variety of digital tools and willingness to learn new digital tools as necessary
- Availability & willingness to work some early morning or evenings the occasional weekend on a regular or asneeded basis
Preferred
- Knowledge of and experience with food security issues and programs is an asset
- Experience facilitating food programs is an asset
- Ability to speak a second language (eg. Tamil Bengali Somali Arabic Spanish Cantonese Vietnamese Mandarin) and knowledge of the Downtown East are assets
- Relevant postsecondary degree is an asset (volunteer management preemployment counselling social service worker)
Successful candidate will be required to complete a Vulnerable Sector Check.
You dont think you meet all the criteria Still apply. Research shows that women and people from equity deserving groups often do not apply until all the boxes are ticked.
Why work for us
We offer:
Comprehensive benefits package including extended health dental life insurance short and longterm disability insurance membership in a defined benefit pension plan 15 paid vacation days in your first year (increasing to 20 paid vacation days in your second year of employment) a December break (usually a week) to recharge wellness days access to an Employee Assistance Program and professional development opportunities
a culture of mutual support where staff are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive Canada
an opportunity to be part of a movement building health belonging and social justice in marginalized neighbourhoods across Canada through the power of food
How to apply: