Shelter Kitchen Specialist

Job Title: Shelter Kitchen Specialist

Department: Social Services

Reports to: Shelter Food Program and Donations Coordinator

Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:00am- 5:30pm, Non-Exempt

Starting Pay: $20.02- $23.28/hour, DOE

Status: Full Time (40 hours/week)

Location: East Portland/Gresham

Want to Help Make a Difference? Our Just Future counters the forces that keep people and communities in poverty by building relationships and assets that create opportunity - today and for future generations.

We partnerwith people and communities impacted by poverty so they can achieve long-term housing and economic security. We invest in affordable housing and community assets that contribute to strong, inclusive neighborhoods. We advocatewith our community for policies and investments that expand housing and economic opportunity, eliminate wealth inequality and end poverty.

East Portland/East Multnomah County, Oregon is our home and the heart of our investments, advocacy and programs.

Our Just Future envisions vibrant, healthy neighborhoods where all people can share in the security, hopes and advantages of a thriving, supportive community. Our Just Future operates as a nimble, financially strong organization driven by our passion, strategic goals and guiding principles.

Diversity, inclusion and equity are fundamental values for Our Just Future, both internally and externally. OJF has an Anti-Oppression Diversity Committee, which serves as a sounding board for new internal policies and procedures to make sure that we’re taking into account diversity and inclusion. It also helps with diversity-related projects, such as coordinating staff diversity trainings and providing ongoing input into our equity work.

Our Just Future is working to end homelessness and poverty in our community because everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

What Our Just Future Can Offer You: We offer a comprehensive array of benefits in support of your physical, emotional and financial well-being. A few highlights:

• Employer paid premiums for employee health insurance.
• Generous paid time off, 13 paid holidays, a floating birthday holiday and the ability to maintain a great work/life balance.
• Employer paid premiums for short-term and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
• Flexible spending accounts for health and for dependent care.
• Professional development opportunities, including employee driven committees and monthly optional staff workshops.
• Access to wellness initiatives and resources including things such as walking groups, yoga classes at two office locations and workshops on stress management, self-care and healthy living.
• Opportunity to contribute to a 401k retirement plan with a 2% employer match after three months of employment.
• A six-week paid sabbatical after every seven years of consecutive employment with Our Just Future.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lilac Meadows Shelter Kitchen Specialist is responsible for menu/meal planning, preparing, and cooking meals for Lilac Meadows Shelter. Lilac Meadows is a low-barrier emergency shelter serving 39 families. Duties include meal planning and preparation for up to 140 residents. This position will order and distribute food and supplies, maintain and organize the contents of the refrigerators, freezers, and pantries, as well as use our shared Microsoft Outlook calendar system to coordinate meals with community food providers, plan weekly meals and create menus based on available food items. This position will also help to orient volunteers to the kitchen spaces and systems.

CRITICAL PERFORMANCE FACTORS:

Essential

• Meal Preparation and Kitchen Operations
  1. Work in a fast-paced environment to menu/meal plan, prepare, and cook dinner for shelter participants (and other meals if capacity allows).
  2. Work collaboratively as a team with positive and consistent communication to problem solve and meet the food needs of shelter participants.
  3. Adhere to high food quality and nutrition standards to ensure resident satisfaction.
  4. Create and maintain systems for labeling and storing all food donations in pantries, freezers & walk-in refrigerators per OSHA and USDA regulations.
  5. Maintain cleanliness and sanitation standards, systems and guidelines for all staff to follow in the kitchens (per USDA recommended standards). Following all opening and closing kitchen procedures daily.
  6. Communicate and cooperate with the full kitchen team, including shelter staff and volunteers, about kitchen systems, schedules, capacity and expectations.
  7. Weekly donation pickup from community foodbank, pantries, and partners via Our Just Futures’ van.
• Weekly Meal/Menu Planning
  1. Consult with shelter team to understand dietary needs and restrictions. Understand meal preference for adults and children at the shelter.
  2. Use donated pantry and walk-in items each week to avoid waste and reduce costs.
  3. Ensure all weekend dinners are planned for the shelter.

Secondary

1. Work with the Shelter Food Program and Donations Coordinator to comply with Our Just Future’s food donor reporting and requirements (temperature logs, weight logs, donation receipts, etc.)
2. Collaborate with volunteers and meal providers around the Shelter Kitchens and systems. This includes light training, delegating tasks, and assisting kitchen volunteers in preparing meals and/or cleaning pantry and kitchen areas.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must be able to perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge and abilities required.

Knowledge of:

• Nutrition, institutional/restaurant cooking/kitchen management, food allergies and special diets.
• Basic principles of confidentiality, crisis de-escalation, assertive engagement, and trauma-informed care.
• The impact of homelessness in the region and food insecurity in the lives of individuals experiencing this instability.
• Social and economic issues creating poverty, practices and techniques related to working with people with low incomes to have housing and economic security and justice.
• Anti-racism and culturally responsive service provision.

Ability to:

• Maintain a quick pace. A lot of physical movement required. Ability to frequently lift 50lbs (crates of food, serving trays, dispose of garbage/recycling).
• Motivate and direct own activities with minimal on-site supervision.
• Communicate clearly and respectfully with shelter participants, volunteers, and donors.
• Be organized and interested in collaborating to accept and track donations.
• Be culturally responsive to diverse client populations.
• Thoroughly understand all in-kind food donation procedures and disseminate that information to donors and potential donors.
• Represent Our Just Future accurately and appropriately to food donors and volunteers.
• Be friendly and welcoming to shelter residents, staff and volunteers.
• Problem solve with compassion and empathy.
• Receive constructive feedback about meals.
• Work independently and as a team member.
• Drive mid-sized van; have a valid driver’s license and car insurance.
• Use a computer, including basic email and calendaring, ideally Microsoft Outlook.
• Cook for large, multi-age groups with varied dietary needs.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Required - 1+ year experience as a line cook, prep cook or back of house employee in a restaurant or institutional kitchen environment.
• Required - experience maintaining a kitchen using USDA, OSHA, and FDA standards.
• Required experience cooking for large groups of up to 150.
• Required - valid Oregon Food Handlers Card within 30 days of hire.
• Preferred - experience working in a non-profit or food justice related position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move repetitively up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with long periods of standing. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and distance vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

PLEASE NOTE! Temporary COVID-19 provisions:

• Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Follow Multnomah County and CDC Guidance for safety and social distancing.
• Kitchen Specialists must wear gloves, hairnet, non-slip shoes, appropriate kitchen attire when preparing or serving meals, as well as when interacting with participants or shelter staff. A mask must be worn at all times while on-site or interacting with others.