Summer Student - Kitchen Helper

This is an 8 week position, 35 hours a week, paying $20/hour.

Since 1975 The Mustard Seed Street Church has been essential in fighting hunger and restoring faith to our community in Greater Victoria. Our operations are nearly 100 percent community funded and include Vancouver Island's largest and most accessible Food Bank; daily meals, coffee, and snacks; Hospitality programs; and a Food Security Distribution Centre. We offer church services and community building faith-based programming, as well as pastoral care for those seeking a place to belong and grow spiritually. Through these core programs we assist over 5,000 people each month with the help of more than 50 daily volunteers and many generous financial supporters!

The Kitchen Helper will support the daily operations of The Mustard Seed’s community kitchen at the Food Security Distribution Centre (FSDC). Working under the supervision of trained kitchen staff, the student will assist in preparing nutritious meals using rescued food that is redistributed to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. This position gives youth hands-on experience in cooking, food safety, teamwork, and nonprofit food security programs while contributing to an inclusive and supportive community environment.

Meal Preparation and Cooking Support

• Assist kitchen staff in preparing meals for the Hospitality Centre lunch program and weekly community breakfasts and dinners.
  
• Help chop, portion, season, and cook ingredients while learning proper kitchen techniques and safety procedures.
• Support the preparation of meal components such as salads, sandwiches, baked goods, and snacks using rescued food.
  
• Participate in planning simple menus based on available ingredients and program needs.

Kitchen Organization and Food Storage

• Sort, label, and store rescued food according to food safety and proper storage guidelines.
  
• Help maintain clean and organized refrigerators, freezers, dry storage areas, and prep stations.
  
• Monitor inventory levels and communicate needs to the supervising cook.
  
• Assist with rotating stock to ensure food is used efficiently and waste is minimized.

Food Safety and Sanitation Practices

• Follow food safety guidelines, including proper handwashing, temperature control, and cross-contamination prevention.
  
• Help wash, sanitize, and organize dishes, utensils, equipment, and preparation surfaces.
  
• Support general kitchen cleaning by sweeping, mopping, removing waste, and reporting any safety concerns to staff.

Volunteer Support and Team Collaboration

• Work alongside volunteers, providing simple direction on basic kitchen tasks in a welcoming and encouraging manner.
  
• Collaborate with staff and volunteers to ensure efficient meal preparation, packaging, and distribution.
• Participate in team meetings and training sessions to learn more about kitchen operations, food handling, and safety.

Meal Packaging and Distribution Assistance

• Help portion hot meals, snacks, and hydration items for delivery to community meal programs.
  
• Assist with packaging meals for the Friday and Saturday community outreach programs, maintaining consistency and accuracy.
• Support the organization and loading of meal containers into transport crates for delivery.

Professional Development and Skill Building

• Learn foundational culinary skills, knife safety, food handling procedures, and kitchen organization.
  
• Gain exposure to nonprofit food security programs and understand how rescued food is transformed into nutritious meals.
  
• Participate in weekly check-ins with supervisors to review progress, ask questions, and build confidence in kitchen-related tasks.
  
• Develop transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, and problem-solving.

The Mustard Seed Street Church is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

These positions are mostly funded through the Canada Summer Jobs Program.

To be eligible, youth must:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment*; and,
• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

*International students are not eligible participants. International students include anyone who is temporarily in Canada for studies and who is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada.