Turnip the Heat 2024

Dear Friend,

Is it hot in here or is it just us? It’s time to Turnip the Heat! Every year, in November and December, we ask our donors and supporters to Turnip the Heat and contribute to our giving campaign. Let’s close out 2024 with a spicy sizzle! Your contribution, big or small, goes directly to helping us to educate kids, families, and their communities about local food systems.

Our edible education programs provide opportunities for kids to connect to nourishing food, feel dignity, delight, and belonging in their interactions with food, and to learn to grow and cook food like their chef mentors.

We know our programs change kids’ lives for the better. Kids with access to nourishing food and food education show better overall health, confidence, social connection, and academic success. In a nutshell: your gifts help kids access vital food literacy.

There’s more! Not only will your contributions help more kids access our programs, your donations will be matched up to $5,000 by our generous donor, Virginia Angus. Plus you’ll be entered to win peppery weekly prize draws! Hot sauce! Knives! Spicy recipes! And more.

Read on for heartwarming quotes about the powerful impact of our LunchLAB and Classroom Program on local kids, educators and families. And don’t be shy to spice things up and make a zesty donation today.

“It’s a very fun thing to do, especially when you’re with someone that you enjoy cooking with or that you’ve cooked with before. I think it’s a very homey and very nice way to bond with your friends or with your peers.

My favourite part of LunchLAB is sitting with my friends or classmates and just enjoying and savouring the food and talking about our days, even though some of us are in different classes.

People should donate to Growing Chefs and the LunchLAB program so that they can cook more fantastic and flavourful meals. Cooking in LunchLAB gave me a very happy and good environment to go to. ”

 - Tia
Grade 7 Student Chef at LunchLAB

 

“LunchLAB is giving students a memory of what freshly prepared food tastes like, this is what I love about it - even if they don’t realize it right now, this will serve them throughout their whole life.”

-Deena Buckley
Principal at Norquay Elementary School

 

“Cooking and eating at LunchLAB is a special experience. There's a sense of excitement and pride as everyone comes together to prepare a nutritious meal. There's a shared sense of accomplishment and joy in the kitchen that extends to everyone involved.”

-Ebru Erdogan Varol
Parent of a LunchLAB Eater, LunchLAB Sous Chef

 

“Almost all of our students tried and loved the salad. Some don’t have access to this type of food at home so it was great to see them excited to try new veggies!"

-Teacher Participating in the Classroom Program

 
 

“Wren is unsure of most things, but she’s tried everything that the chefs have offered her. Last week, after finishing her salad, she licked her plate clean and said ‘Look! You don’t even have to wash my plate!”

-Teacher Participating in the Classroom Program

 

“The class loved making and tasting the Rainbow Stir Fry! They still talk about using a bear claw and not a duck bill to cut safely, and are so proud that they are teaching their families how to use safe knife skills at home.”

-Teacher Participating in the Classroom Program

All donations received or postmarked through December 31st, 2024 contribute to our $15,000 Turnip the Heat campaign goal (and donors will receive a 2024 charitable tax receipt).

To Donate
-Donate online through CanadaHelps
-Donations via e-transfer can be sent to accounts@growingchefs.ca.
-To donate by cheque please reach out to Afton Bell at 778-791-0789 or afton@growingchefs.ca. 

Introducing our new Interim Executive Director

Hi there! My name is Bontle Mokose, and I am thrilled to be joining the Growing Chefs team as the Interim Executive Director. It’s an honour to step into this role and continue the incredible work that Growing Chefs has been doing to connect chefs, kids, and communities, fostering systemic change toward healthy, sustainable, and just food practices.

Food has always been much more than just something to eat for me—it’s a tool to build community, teach important life skills, and inspire creativity. I grew up in South Africa, where family meals were at the centre of everything. My earliest memories are of cooking alongside my mom and grandmother, learning how to chop, stir, and—most importantly—taste-test everything from savory stews to sweet treats. These moments in the kitchen were about more than just food; they were about connection, learning, and creating something meaningful together.

Years ago, my aunty served as a director of Potatoes South Africa (PSA) , giving me a unique perspective on the journey food takes from farm to table. I have vivid memories of visiting potato farms with her, where I had the chance to learn about the entire process—from planting and harvesting to seeing how those potatoes made their way into homes and onto plates. These experiences deepened my understanding of where our food comes from and fueled my passion for supporting sustainable and ethical food systems.

Before joining Growing Chefs, I served as an executive director for a local nonprofit, where advocacy became second nature to me. I’ve developed a deep appreciation for how food can build relationships, promote healthy eating, and empower young people to make positive changes in their lives.

When I’m not working, you can usually find me exploring the outdoors, playing the piano, or trying new types of food. I love spending time with my friends and family, and I’m also an avid painter, which helps me stay grounded and creative.

I’m excited to bring my experience, passion, and energy to Growing Chefs, and I look forward to working with our incredible team and community to inspire the next generation of food lovers and leaders!

We're looking for a Treasurer!

Volunteer Opportunity: Treasurer

Growing Chefs is looking for a Treasurer interested in joining our Board of Directors! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and youth and their food? Make local, healthy food accessible? Connect communities through food? If yes, then this might be the opportunity for you! 

Compensation: Unpaid Volunteer position 

Contract Type: Volunteer, min 5-15 hours per month, term length: two years, up to three terms

Position Openings: We are currently looking for a Treasurer to join our Board of Directors

Anticipated Start Date: As soon as possible

Position Summary: 

Joining a board is a rewarding and challenging way to contribute to your community. Board members make lasting friendships, build professional relationships, and put their skills to good use. The Growing Chefs Board plays a crucial role in the strategic direction of the charity while ensuring that our mission is upheld and that we are accountable to the communities we serve. Members of the board have the legal duties of care, loyalty, and diligence; this means that Directors must exercise their fiduciary responsibilities in the best interests of the Society. 

Responsibilities

● Supports the work of Growing Chefs

● Leads the finance committee

● Ensures current and acceptable financial practices are in place in the organization

● Works with the Executive Director to develop and monitor an annual operating budget

● Gives bi-monthly reports to the Board on the financial state of the organization

● Supervises annual financial statements and presents them to the annual general meeting

● Recommends audit when required and works with auditor as needed

● Supervises submission of charitable return and ensures other regulatory compliance is met

● Acts as a signing officer of the Board

Skills

  • Current knowledge of accounting practices for registered charities

  • Accounting designation

  • Planning ability

  • Strong communicator

  • Knowledge of board governance

  • Ability to analyze risks and recommend appropriate financial actions to the Board

  • Connected in community

Monthly Responsibilities: 

➢ Attend bi-monthly board meetings 

➢ Prepare for bi-monthly board meetings by reading relevant reports and reviewing the previous board meeting minutes

➢ Support Board/Co-Executive Directors/organizational activities

➢ Participate in committee work as needed

➢ Attend to e-communications between meetings, as required

Annual Responsibilities: 

➢ Hire (as needed, support, and review Growing Chefs Executive Director’s performance. 

➢ Participate actively in fundraising and make an annual donation to the charity (no minimum amount is mandated but Growing Chefs is proud to have a 100% giving Board of Directors). 

➢ Ensure sound fiscal management. 

➢ Participate in strategic planning and annual board work plans. 

➢ Regular attendance and participation at meetings and other events 

➢ Support the work of the Growing Chefs Society with your knowledge and skills in key areas, such as education, the food and restaurant industry, finance, legal, marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, policy development, management, human resources and advocacy. 

➢ Review and adopt monthly financial reports and annual financial statements. ➢ Attend the Annual General Meeting. 

Qualifications & Skills: 

Don’t meet every single qualification and skill? 

Studies have shown that equity-seeking groups are less likely to apply for roles unless they meet every single qualification in the posting. If you don't check every box and feel well suited to be on the board we strongly encourage you to apply. 

Lived experience, knowledge of, and interest in topics related to healthy, just, sustainable food systems including but not limited to: 

● growing food 

● youth food literacy and education 

● the restaurant industry and culinary arts 

● food sovereignty 

● decolonization 

● local food systems 

We are always looking to increase our engagement with, awareness of, and advocacy regarding food as it intersects with racialization, class, gender, ability, and other social structures and identities.

In addition, we are seeking individuals who possess: 

● Self-reflexivity, compassion, authenticity, and openness to change. 

● Experience working or volunteering in the non-profit sector. 

● Passionate vision for a world with healthy, just, sustainable food systems. 

● Willingness to learn about and work within anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks. 

Role Requirements: 

● 18+ 

Commitment to Equity: 

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems. 

We encourage applications from individuals from all communities including, but not limited to, those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a Person of Colour, queer, neuro-divergent, differently abled, and anyone with lived experience of poverty or food insecurity. 

We recognize that there exist significant barriers to participating in unpaid board work. If you would like to apply to the board but are concerned about barriers you may face, please reach out to governance@growingchefs.ca to discuss how we might support your participation. 

To Apply: 

Please send a statement of interest to governance@growingchefs.ca

Deadline: Open 

Process for Appointment: Incoming board members are elected by the Society membersannually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Join our Board of Directors!

Volunteer Opportunity: Directors at Large 

Growing Chefs is looking for people interested in joining our Board of Directors! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and youth and their food? Make local, healthy food accessible? Connect communities through food? If yes, then this might be the opportunity for you! 

Compensation: Unpaid Volunteer position 

Contract Type: Volunteer, min 6-8 hours per month (varies by position), term length: two years, up to three terms

Position Openings: We are currently looking for Directors at Large to join our Board of Directors

Anticipated Start Date: As soon as possible

Position Summary: 

Joining a board is a rewarding and challenging way to contribute to your community. Board members make lasting friendships, build professional relationships, and put their skills to good use. The Growing Chefs Board plays a crucial role in the strategic direction of the charity while ensuring that our mission is upheld and that we are accountable to the communities we serve. Members of the board have the legal duties of care, loyalty, and diligence; this means that Directors must exercise their fiduciary responsibilities in the best interests of the Society. 

Monthly Responsibilities: 

➢ Attend bi-monthly board meetings 

➢ Prepare for bi-monthly board meetings by reading relevant reports and reviewing the previous board meeting minutes

➢ Support Board/Co-Executive Directors/organizational activities

➢ Participate in committee work as needed

➢ Attend to e-communications between meetings, as required

Annual Responsibilities: 

➢ Hire (as needed, support, and review Growing Chefs Executive Director’s performance. 

➢ Participate actively in fundraising and make an annual donation to the charity (no minimum amount is mandated but Growing Chefs is proud to have a 100% giving Board of Directors). 

➢ Ensure sound fiscal management. 

➢ Participate in strategic planning and annual board work plans. 

➢ Regular attendance and participation at meetings and other events 

➢ Support the work of the Growing Chefs Society with your knowledge and skills in key areas, such as education, the food and restaurant industry, finance, legal, marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, policy development, management, human resources and advocacy. 

➢ Review and adopt monthly financial reports and annual financial statements. ➢ Attend the Annual General Meeting. 

Qualifications & Skills: 

Don’t meet every single qualification and skill? 

Studies have shown that equity-seeking groups are less likely to apply for roles unless they meet every single qualification in the posting. If you don't check every box and feel well suited to be on the board we strongly encourage you to apply. 

Lived experience, knowledge of, and interest in topics related to healthy, just, sustainable food systems including but not limited to: 

● growing food 

● youth food literacy and education 

● the restaurant industry and culinary arts 

● food sovereignty 

● decolonization 

● local food systems 

We are always looking to increase our engagement with, awareness of, and advocacy regarding food as it intersects with racialization, class, gender, ability, and other social structures and identities.


In addition, we are seeking individuals who possess:

● Self-reflexivity, compassion, authenticity, and openness to change. 

● Experience working or volunteering in the non-profit sector. 

● Passionate vision for a world with healthy, just, sustainable food systems. 

● Willingness to learn about and work within anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks. 

Role Requirements: 

● 18+ 

Commitment to Equity: 

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems. 

We encourage applications from individuals from all communities including, but not limited to, those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a Person of Colour, queer, neuro-divergent, differently abled, and anyone with lived experience of poverty or food insecurity. 

We recognize that there exist significant barriers to participating in unpaid board work. If you would like to apply to the board but are concerned about barriers you may face, please reach out to governance@growingchefs.ca to discuss how we might support your participation. 

To Apply: 

Please send a statement of interest to governance@growingchefs.ca

Deadline: Open 

Process for Appointment: Incoming board members are elected by the Society membersannually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM)


,

Chef-in-Residence

,

Growing Chefs is hiring! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and their food? Make local, sustainable food accessible? Engage communities through food? If yes, then this might be the place for you! 

LunchLAB is a program that is changing the narrative about lunch by empowering students to learn, cook, serve, and share food with their peers and school community. We use edible education to transform school food into meals that kids and youth want to eat – delicious, nourishing, and culturally-relevant food that brings students together to experience dignity and delight in their interaction with food. 

We’re looking for someone who loves to collaborate, has experience putting out large volumes of food, enjoys working with kids, is creative and imaginative in the kitchen, and has a passion for nourishing food and supporting food literacy.

Position: Chef-in-Residence

Salary: $53,690 Annually (based on 35 hours/week), 1 year contract with the possibility of extension. 

Benefits: Health and dental plan (after 3 months employed); three weeks paid vacation + paid one-week summer shutdown per year + paid two-week winter shutdown per year; 12 paid personal wellness days per year (aka sick days); annual professional development funding; paid volunteer days.

Location: Four to five days a week (9am-3pm) onsite in Vancouver schools (exact location TBD). Up to one day of computer admin weekly remote/in-office.

Anticipated Start Date: September 2024 

Position Summary: 

Your role will be mentor, educator, and chef. Each week, you’ll work with youth to teach them new skills, helping them understand the art and science of cooking and nutrition as well as the joy and celebration of connection to nourishing food.

Through day-to-day kitchen operations, meal planning, ordering, preparation, and service, the Chef-in-Residence, together with our Chef Educators, deliver engaging, non-stigmatizing, nourishing, and culturally-relevant meals that kids want to eat while providing embedded food literacy education and mentorship.

Chef-in-Residence positions are responsible for the day-to-day kitchen operations including meal planning, preparation, and service at their assigned LunchLAB location(s). 

Responsibilities include:

Supports the Programs and Engagement Director to train chef teams. 

  • Fosters positive work environment for staff and volunteers

  • Leads culinary and kitchen operations aspects of training process

  • Identifies knowledge and skills gaps on chef teams and develops training accordingly

Meal Prep and Service

  • Manages meal service for designated number of students at assigned LunchLAB school

  • Develops engaging, nourishing, and culturally-relevant menus for students

  • Collaborates to build supplier and vendor relationships that align with LunchLAB and Growing Chefs mission and policies

  • Manages supplier and vendor deliveries

  • Collaborates with admin team to manage budgets, feedback, processes and systems

  • Collaborates with Chef Educator and admin teams to develop and implement weekly food literacy skills curriculum into meal prep for student chefs

Manage School Kitchen

  • Collaborate to oversee chef team function and flow as it relates to kitchen operations

  • Designs and oversees program and procedure manuals and documents kitchen procedures

  • Supervises day-to-day maintenance and general upkeep of equipment and kitchenwares

  • Responsible for the safety and security of all those who participate in our programs (children, families, volunteers, staff) through policy implementation

  • Accountable for food procurement and meal service that meets program needs and aligns with Growing Chefs mission and policies

  • Ensures day-to-day operations have proper food storage and transport that follows FoodSafe procedures

Kitchen Leadership

  • Develops and manages a positive work environment for staff, volunteers, and student chefs

  • Ensures work environment, partnerships, ordering, and meals are mission and values aligned 

  • Collaborates to lead and mentor student chefs in the kitchen

  • Collaborates to manage usage of school garden produce (if applicable), and supplier orders and deliveries 

  • Leads stewardship of relationships with teachers, students, volunteers, and general school community

  • Collaborates with senior coordinator and school administration/teachers to structure service days in accordance with staggered lunches, shared kitchen space, and involvement of student chef/clean teams

Delivery of Growing Chefs Programs 

  • Leads delivery of high quality programming in schools and in the community

  • Collaborates to deliver Community Eats SOYL summer program 

  • Recommends improvements to efficiencies, impacts, complexities, and identified gaps in the program delivery model to executive team

  • Develops, improves, and leads delivery of edible education lesson plans and learning activities for GC programs

  • Leads program delivery alignment with GC mission, values, and policies

  • Supports Program Coordinator to oversee volunteer activities of the ground

  • Leads and oversees establishment of a positive and engaging program environment for all those participating

Promotion of Growing Chefs

  • Promotes program in culinary community and builds network of chef recruits

  • Assists with fundraising events and opportunities

Qualifications & Skills:

  • Extensive experience in kitchen management with strong supervision and leadership skills. 

  • Passionate about food justice, local food and supporting a strong, local food system.

  • Comprehensive knowledge of culinary techniques in food production for large-volume kitchen operations. 

  • Experience setting up and running your own kitchen. 

  • Able to create diverse, culturally-relevant and nourishing kid-friendly menus. 

  • Would be comfortable working outside of a traditional kitchen setting and willing to improvise and adapt when presented with challenges. 

  • You succeed in a mentoring role and love helping kids learn alongside you.

  • High level of organization. This is a new program, with the opportunity to transform school food in Vancouver and beyond. You like to keep records and communicate frequently. 

  • Comfortable and willing to perform ongoing administrative tasks.

Job Requirements:. 

  • Minimum 3 years experience in a restaurant or catering kitchen or equivalent experience preparing and serving 100+ meals. 

  • Must be available and able to work on-site at Vancouver schools

  • Must be legally authorised to work in Canada

  • Must be able to lift and move up to 30 pounds

  • FoodSafe Level 2 Certification (GC able to support acquiring)

  • The successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check for working with children. Growing Chefs will cover the cost to obtain this check.

Asset but not required:

  • Valid BC drivers licence

  • Chef Red Seal certification

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems.

Growing Chefs is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to racialization, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental access needs, or financial ability. 

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and the completed questionnaire through the link below. Applications will be reviewed upon reception.

Next Steps:

You will receive confirmation via email that we have received your application. 

Candidates selected to move on to the interview phase will be contacted to set up a date for an interview no later than two weeks after the selected application was received, ongoing until the position is filled. The first interviews will begin in early August.

In recognition of the labour that goes into preparing for an interview, applicants selected for an interview will receive a $25 honorarium for their time. 

Final candidates will be asked to provide up-to-date references who will be consulted.

School's Out! Hello, Summer! What's Growing On? Summer 2024

It’s summer Farmers’ Market season!

In this newsletter, we’re sharing an overview of the action in our school kitchens and classrooms this year and including a tasty recipe to dress up your local seasonal harvest.

A big thank you to our volunteers, educators, caregivers, donors, and community partners for supporting Growing Chefs during the 2023/2024 school year. Your impacts have been profound on local kids, communities, and the Growing Chefs team. We could not do it with you!

School’s out for summer but we’re still bringing edible education to Vancouver youth with SOYL, Fresh Roots' summer youth program, and preparing for the upcoming school year so we can continue to serve nourishing food and edible education to B.C. kids and communities.

We hope you have a rad(ish) summer!

– Amanda & Jaydeen, Growing Chefs’ Co-Executive Directors

Student Chefs eating together at John Norquay Elementary School.

It’s easy to forget about school in the summertime, but here at Growing Chefs we’re hard at work preparing for next school year.

Donate today to ensure that our edible education programs continue to provide kids with opportunities to connect to nourishing food.

Creative Impact Spotlight: Barb’s Birthday Workout FUNraisers

What do birthdays, workouts, and Growing Chefs have in common? This year, our superstar volunteer, Barb Mackenzie, combined her passion for all three at her annual birthday workout with proceeds going toward our Adopt-A-Classroom program.

Read all about it on the Growing Chefs’ blog or check out the video:

2023/2024 School Year Review

The 2023/2024 school year marked big growth for Growing Chefs. We launched LunchLAB at John Norquay Elementary and we refreshed our Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program, making it even more accessible for students, volunteers, and educators!

Check out some of the highlights from our school kitchens and classrooms:

LunchLAB 2023/2024 School Year Review.

Classroom Gardening & Cooking Program 2023/2024 School Year Review.

In the News

School Food Programs in Canada: 15 Promising Cases

The University of Saskatchewan and the Coalition for Healthy School Food developed a report detailing Canadian school food programs that meet the diverse needs of communities. Check out page 15, where LunchLAB is featured as a model program.

Student Chefs serving their peers at LunchLAB Norquay.

Notable Visitors

The Government of Canada recently announced its National Food Policy and we celebrated this news in typical Growing Chefs style—by sharing a meal!

Our LunchLAB team welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, MP Terry Breech, MP Harjit Sajjan, School Board Trustee Victoria Jung, MP Parm Bains, and MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, to join in on the final LunchLAB service of the 2023-2024 school year at Lord Roberts Elementary.

Summer Recipe: Tangy Honey Vinaigrette

A highlight for kids from our Classroom Program is Lesson 2, where the students help us whip up a plate of fresh vegetables and our famous Tangy Honey Vinaigrette! The students learn how to use descriptive words to express their food preferences—they were big fans of the dressing, raving about its sweet and umami taste!

Tangy Honey Vinaigrette from the Growing Chefs Classroom Program.

We’re Hiring!

Student Chefs from LunchLAB Norquay holding sweet peppers.

Are you or do you know someone who loves to collaborate, has a passion for nourishing food and supporting food literacy? Do you enjoy connecting with people and are task driven?

Apply today to become our next Engagement Coordinator!

Chef Collaboration

Seared scallop dish from Hawksworth Restaurant.

Join Hawksworth Restaurant on Sunday, July 14th, for an exquisite dining experience as they welcome renowned Canadian chef, Jonathan Gushue, for an exclusive collaboration dinner. This exceptional event will showcase the culinary mastery of chefs David Hawksworth, Jonathan Gushue, Sylvain Assie, and Marissa Gonzalez.

A percentage of the evening's proceeds will be donated to Growing Chefs.

Thank you for supporting Growing Chefs this school year! We look forward to connecting in the fall, until then, we hope you enjoy the sunshine and delicious summer harvest.

We're Hiring an Engagement Coordinator!

Growing Chefs is hiring! 

Do you want to support thriving and just food practices? Contribute to a team that is building connections between kids and their food, and making nourishing and culturally-relevant food accessible? Engage communities through food? If yes, then this might be the place for you! 

In our work, we aim to innovate and transform edible education and school food to reflect the power of food as a connector that impacts the experience of overall well being, mental health, academic performance, leadership development, youth advocacy, and experience of social and cultural belonging for kids and youth in our communities. 

We’re looking for someone to join our Communications & Engagement team. Someone who loves to collaborate, has a passion for nourishing food and supporting food literacy, genuinely enjoys connecting with people, and is fundamentally task driven.

Student Chefs from LunchLAB Norquay.

Title: Engagement Coordinator.

Contract Type: Full-time permanent, 32 hours/week.

Salary: $42,731 Annually (based on 32 hours/week).

Benefits: Health and dental plan (after 3 months employed); three weeks paid vacation (prorated to a 32 hour work week) + paid one-week summer shutdown per year + paid two-week winter shutdown per year; 12 paid personal wellness days per year (aka sick days); annual professional development funding; paid volunteer days.

Reports to: Growing Chefs Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement.

Location: Lower Mainland; hybrid work environment with dog-friendly office but freedom to also work from home (a minimum of one day per week must be in office). The office location is the SpencerCreo Centre at 610 Main St, Vancouver. Will require regular travel to various locations throughout the Metro Vancouver region.

Anticipated Start Date: August, 2024.

Position Summary:

  • Work closely with and provide administrative support to the Co-Executive Director, Communications & Engagement

  • Contribute to a vibrant team within a collaborative, care-based, person-centred organization

  • Help actively drive a strategic plan centred around food justice

  • Process online and offline donations, including cheque processing, bank deposits, downloading gifts from online fundraising websites (eg. Benevity, CanadaHelps, Charitable Impact), and providing tax receipts

  • Input contact and donation information and all event and stewardship activities into Salesforce, the Growing Chefs CRM, including recording each gift and updating donor records and database as necessary

  • Run regular Salesforce reports to monitor and analyze all fundraising activities, pull donor lists, and update and monitor donor pipeline

  • Support submission of annual grant applications and reports and writing of impact reports

  • Work with staff team and board/committee members to ensure exceptional stewardship of all stakeholders, including sending acknowledgment and thank you letters, scheduling thank you calls and donor visits

  • Provide administrative and logistical support for Growing Chefs campaigns, and fundraising and volunteer events

  • Coordinate and implement aspects of donor and volunteer mailing campaigns

  • Support writing and design of marketing and promotional materials, social media posts/campaigns, e-newsletters, event invitations, and blog posts

  • Conduct donor and granting opportunities research

  • Assist with maintenance of overall office appearance

  • Perform other duties as required

Qualifications & Skills:

  • Highly organized with the ability to prioritize and work on multiple tasks at a time 

  • Strong attention to detail

  • Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with:

    • G-Suite (Google Drive, Sheets, Docs, Calendar, Gmail, etc.)

    • Website building platforms (we use Squarespace)

    • Email marketing tools and applications (we use Mailchimp)

    • Internal communication tools (we use Slack)

    • Graphic design tools (we use Canva)

    • Time and task management tools (we use Asana) 

  • Strong interpersonal and relationship skills, a collaborative working style

  • Compelling writer and verbal communicator

  • Confidence in communicating on the phone and in person

  • Demonstrated ability to work in a team as well as work independently

  • The ability to research, gather, analyze, and report on information and data

Additional skills an asset but not required:

  • Experience working with SalesForce or other CRM database

  • Experience planning and delivering events

  • Experience working in an administrative position

  • Experience working within a fundraising environment

  • Experience working in the nonprofit and/or philanthropy sector

Job Requirements:

  • Availability for occasional weekends and evening events

  • Must be legally authorized to work in Canada

  • Must have valid B.C. drivers licence

  • Lifting and moving up to 30 pounds

  • The successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check for working with children. Growing Chefs will cover the cost to obtain this check.

Prioritizing Indigenous Applicants: 

As we continue to grow our team to reflect the kids and youth in the school communities we serve, we are looking to prioritize applications from people who identify as Indigenous. We encourage you to self-identify in your application. 

Growing Chefs operates on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with healthy, just, sustainable food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems.

Growing Chefs is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to racialization, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental access needs, or financial ability.

To Apply:

Please apply via the button link below. Review of applications and interviews will begin on a rolling basis July 15th, 2024. 

  1. Tell us about your connection to local food systems and food justice.

  2. What was the most recent event you attended and enjoyed. What made it great? How would you plan it to be better?

  3. What draws you to Growing Chefs? 

Next Steps:

Candidates selected to move on to the interview phase will be contacted to set up a date for an interview no later than July 31st.

In recognition of the labour that goes into preparing for an interview, applicants selected for an interview will receive a $25 honorarium for their time.

Raising funds for chefs is icing on the cake!

What do birthdays, workouts, and Growing Chefs have in common? This year, our superstar volunteer, Barb Mackenzie, combined her passion for all three at her annual birthday workout. We’ve asked Barb to tell us all about it!

Barb stretches at her Annual Birthday Workout & Fundraiser.

How did you become involved with the Growing Chefs community?
I think I must have been doing a Google search to see about cool, inspiring programs in the community, by the community and came across Growing Chefs. I was so surprised and happy to learn it was a local program, teaching kids such great skills and knowledge. I thought the classroom program was absolutely amazing and wanted to learn how I could get involved.

Tell us more about your birthday workouts?
In lieu of birthday gifts I wanted to spread the love to the community and thought, what better way than to collect monetary donations and work with Growing Chefs to bring this program into a local Elementary School. So once a year, family and friends will get together to sweat it out! I host a different workout annually, and it's a great way for all of us to make time to come together, try something new, get out of our comfort zones and have fun together.

What inspires you to give back to your community?
It's something that just feels great, and fills my soul. Friends and family also love having the opportunity to get involved, and are always down to support as long as there's somebody coordinating the effort, lol. And now having three kids, I love getting them involved, and teaching them about thinking of others before themselves. 

Do you have any advice for people that want to host a unique event or fundraiser?
Find something you love doing, or something you've always wanted to try and rally all your friends and family. Reach out to the place you want to do something with, and they'll coordinate the details with you. The "fun" part is picking a date and time that works for most schedules, but if you have enough lead time, I find most people can make it happen. Humans love a reason to come together, and what better way then something fun, out of our comfort zone, community building and something we get to do together. 

Creative Community Impact Stories feature members of our community that are raising funds and awareness for Growing Chefs by doing what they love. If you have an idea for a fundraiser or a friend-raiser, reach out, we would love to hear from you. 

Contact:
Afton Bell
afton@growingchefs.ca

Magik Moments Await at our Trivia Party!

Our annual appreciation party for volunteers, donors and members of our Champion Radish club is coming up on June 12th. We're giving thanks to all the folks that support Growing Chefs by contributing the time, expertise, and funds that make our work possible.

Here’s what we have planned for this year’s party:

Elevate Your Selfie:
Magik Moments will be at the event! Bring your smile (and your silly) and capture the fun!

Trivia:
The quiz-tacular party begins at 4:30pm and we'll be hosting two rounds of family-friendly food trivia at 5:00pm and 5:45pm!

Food & Drinks:

We’ll be snacking on:
Aiyaohno Cafe: vegan gyoza and edamame hummus with crudité.
Salmon n' Bannock & Earnest Ice Cream: Signature Bannock served with Jam and a scoop of Earnest Ice Cream. 
We hope you will leave our party having tasted some fantastic flavours. Our offerings will be appetizer-size portions, please make plans for dinner after the event.

We’ll be sipping up:
Phillips Soda Works, Sheringham Gin, Lumette!, wine, beer and more! 

Prizes:
Trivia and Door prizes generously donated by Bruno Feldeisen, Earnest Ice Cream, East Van Jam, HerbaLand Naturals, House of Knives, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Sea Cider, Tacofino, and West Coast Seeds.  

Details:
Date: Wednesday, June 12th
Time: 4:30-6:30pm
Location: Gladstone Secondary School  - Cafeteria

Registration:
If you are a donor, volunteer, or enthusiastic supporter of Growing Chefs, this event is for you. We ask that all attendees are registered for the event. Please reach out to afton@growingchefs.ca to receive a registration link. Kids are welcome to attend!

Special Thanks to our Event & Prize Sponsors

Become Growing Chefs' next Chef-in-Residence today!

Growing Chefs is hiring! 

Do you want to support sustainable and just food practices? Build connections between kids and their food? Make local, sustainable food accessible? Engage communities through food?
If yes, then this might be the place for you! 

LunchLAB is an innovative school meal program where students are empowered through food literacy education and the mentorship of Chefs-in-Residence to cook, serve, and share nourishing and culturally-relevant lunches two to three times weekly for up to 200 of their peers.

In our work, we aim to innovate and transform edible education and school food to reflect the power of food as a connector that impacts the experience of overall well being, mental health, academic performance, leadership development, youth advocacy, and experience of social and cultural belonging for kids and youth in our communities. 

We’re looking for someone who loves to collaborate, has experience putting out large volumes of food, enjoys working with kids, is creative and imaginative in the kitchen, and has a passion for nourishing food and supporting food literacy. 

LunchLAB Chef-In-Residence Tahani preparing food student chefs at Lord Roberts Elementary School.

Salary: $40,768 Annually (based on 28 hours/week).

Benefits: Health and dental plan (after 3 months employed); three weeks paid vacation (prorated to a 28 hour work week) + paid one-week summer shutdown per year + paid two-week winter shutdown per year; 12 paid personal wellness days per year (aka sick days); annual professional development funding; paid volunteer days.

Location: Four days a week onsite in Vancouver LunchLAB schools (exact location TBD) 

Anticipated Start Date: Immediately, May 2024 (flexible for the next superstar LunchLAB chef)

Position Summary: 

Your role will be mentor, educator, and chef. Each week, you’ll work with kids to teach them new skills, helping them understand the art and science of cooking and nutrition as well as the joy and celebration of connection to nourishing food.  

Through day-to-day kitchen operations, meal planning, ordering, preparation, and service, the Chef-in-Residence, together with our Chef Educators, deliver engaging, non-stigmatizing, nourishing, and culturally-relevant meals that kids want to eat while providing embedded food literacy education and mentorship.  

Chef-in-Residence positions are responsible for the day-to-day kitchen operations including meal planning, preparation, and service at their assigned LunchLAB location(s). 

Responsibilities include:

Supports the co-executive directors to train chef teams.

  • Fosters positive work environment for staff and volunteers

  • Leads culinary and kitchen operations aspects of training process

  • Identifies knowledge and skills gaps on chef teams and develops training accordingly

Meal Prep and Service

  • Manages meal service for designated number of students at assigned LunchLAB school

  • Develops engaging, nourishing, and culturally-relevant menus for students

  • Collaborates to build supplier and vendor relationships that align with LunchLAB and Growing Chefs mission and policies

  • Manages supplier and vendor deliveries

  • Collaborates with admin team to manage budgets, feedback, processes, and systems

  • Collaborates with Chef Educator and admin teams to develop and implement weekly food literacy skills curriculum into meal prep for student chefs

Manage School Kitchen

  • Collaborate to oversee chef team’s function and flow as it relates to kitchen operations

  • Designs and oversees program and procedure manuals and documents kitchen procedures

  • Supervises day-to-day maintenance and general upkeep of equipment and kitchenwares

  • Responsible for the safety and security of all those who participate in our programs (children, families, volunteers, staff) through policy implementation

  • Accountable for food procurement and meal service that meets program needs and aligns with Growing Chefs mission and policies

  • Ensures day-to-day operations have proper food storage and transport that follows FoodSafe procedures

Kitchen Leadership

  • Develops and manages a positive work environment for staff, volunteers, and student chefs

  • Collaborates to lead and mentor student chefs in the kitchen

  • Collaborates to manage usage of school garden produce (if applicable), and supplier orders and deliveries

  • Leads stewardship of relationships with teachers, students, volunteers, and general school community

  • Collaborates with senior coordinator and school administration/teachers to structure service days in accordance with staggered lunches, shared kitchen space, and involvement of student chef/clean teams

Delivery of Growing Chefs Programs

  • Leads delivery of high quality programming in schools and in the community

  • Collaborates to deliver SOYL summer program

  • Collaborates to deliver Growing Chefs’ Classroom Program

  • Recommends improvements to efficiencies, impacts, complexities, and identified gaps in the program delivery model to executive team

  • Develops, improves, and leads delivery of edible education lesson plans and learning activities for GC programs

  • Leads program delivery alignment with GC mission, values, and policies

  • Supports Program Coordinator to oversee volunteer activities on the ground

  • Leads and oversees establishment of a positive and engaging program environment for all those participating

Promotion of Growing Chefs

  • Promotes program in culinary community and builds network of chef recruits

  • Assists with fundraising events and opportunities

Qualifications and Skills:

  • Extensive experience in kitchen management with strong supervision and leadership skills. 

  • Passionate about food justice, local food and supporting a strong, local food system.

  • Comprehensive knowledge of culinary techniques in food production for large-volume kitchen operations. 

  • Experience setting up and running your own kitchen. 

  • Able to create culturally-relevant and nourishing kid-friendly menus. 

  • Would be comfortable working outside of a traditional kitchen setting and willing to improvise and adapt when presented with challenges. 

  • You succeed in a mentoring role and love helping kids learn alongside you.

  • High level of organization. This is a new program, with the opportunity to transform school food in Vancouver and beyond. You like to keep records and communicate frequently. 

  • Comfortable and willing to perform ongoing administrative tasks.

Job Requirements:

  • Minimum 3 years experience in a restaurant or catering kitchen or equivalent experience preparing and serving 100+ meals. 

  • Must be available and able to work on-site at Vancouver schools

  • Must be legally authorised to work in Canada

  • Must be able to lift and move up to 30 pounds

  • FoodSafe Level 1 Certification (GC able to support acquiring)

  • The successful applicant will be required to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check for working with children. Growing Chefs will cover the cost to obtain this check.

Assets but not required:

  • Valid BC drivers licence

  • Chef Red Seal certification

Prioritizing Indigenous Applicants: 

As we continue to grow our team to reflect the kids and youth in the school communities we serve, we are looking to prioritize applications from people who identify as Indigenous. We encourage you to self-identify in your application. 

Growing Chefs operates on the on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), W̱SÁNEĆ, Lək̓ʷəŋən, and Xwsepsum (Songhees and Esquimalt) Nations. As we work towards a world with thriving and just food practices, we continue to learn and explore how to uplift Indigenous food and cultural values within our local food systems.

Growing Chefs is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to racialization, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and/or mental access needs, or financial ability.

To Apply:

Please apply via link at the bottom. Applications will be reviewed upon reception. 

Next Steps:

You will receive confirmation via email that we have received your application. 

Candidates selected to move on to the interview phase will be contacted to set up a date for an interview no later than two weeks after the selected application was received, ongoing until the position is filled. The first interviews will take place on May 7th, 2024. 

In recognition of the labour that goes into preparing for an interview, applicants selected for an interview will receive a $25 honorarium for their time. 

Final candidates will be asked to provide up-to-date references who will be consulted.