Sumac Volunteer Manager (Full-time, Permanent) *New Position

Toronto, Ontario, Canada .
full-time . April 14, 2025

Description

Sumac Volunteer Manager (Full-time, Permanent) *New Position

Location: Our office is located in Toronto, Ontario.

Reports to: Sumac Community Food Center Director

Hiring Range: $65,000-75,000 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 the heart of Community Food Centre Canada’s work is the belief that food is a basic right. We bring people together around good food so communities can thrive. With more than 400 partners across the country, we build inclusive, culturally responsive Community Food Centres, share knowledge, create health-focused programs, and advocate for equitable policy change.

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 Anti-Oppression.

This year, Community Food Centres Canada is proud to introduce Sumac Community Food Centre (CFC) – a vibrant, welcoming space in Toronto’s 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 food-focused 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.

Sumac CFC will join a network of 15 Community Food Centres across Canada, with two additional CFC’s launching in Fall 2025. A Community Food Centre (CFC) is more than just a place to eat – it’s a hub where people connect, learn, and advocate for change. It’s a space that values community and uses food to build it. At Sumac CFC, we aim to remove barriers to accessing resources and support, while empowering individuals to thrive in a space that fosters community, dignity, equity, and inclusion.

Our approach centres CFCC’s 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, it’s a source of joy and wellbeing, and it brings us together.

As a member of the Sumac CFC team, you’ll play a key role in launching this exciting new Centre, whether that’s 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 in-person 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 Centre’s 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 pre-employment and/or professional development
Build opportunities for volunteers to gain new skills as well as utilize and enhance pre-existing 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 anti-racist/anti-oppression 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, Relationship-focused 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 capacity-building, pre-employment 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 community-based 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 anti-oppressive 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 anti-racism and anti-oppression 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 as-needed 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 post-secondary degree is an asset (volunteer management, pre-employment counselling, social service worker)

Successful candidate will be required to complete a Vulnerable Sector Check.

You don’t 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 long-term 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:

To apply, please scroll up and click Apply Now. Please attach your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please share what you think makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Only those applicants being considered will be contacted. If you require any accommodations or technical support, please email work@cfccanada.ca (please do not email your application to this email). Thank you for your interest in CFCC.

Compensation

$65,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Know someone who would be a perfect fit? Let them know!