Background:

The South Osborne Urban Community Cooperative is a non-profit community-service cooperative that focuses on social and ecological issues surrounding food production and distribution. It is our goal that members of the community in the Lord Roberts and Riverview neighbourhoods make progressive change in how they think about their food. One of our initiatives is an Intergenerational Gardening Project, where children, adolescents, young, middle and older adults will work together in community gardens in the South Osborne Area.

This program will begin during the Spring of 2011. Working with local day cares, community clubs and seniors’ residences, participants will learn to plant, care for, harvest and preserve local and organically grown produce in two community gardens during this upcoming growing season. This job posting is for a coordinator for the intergenerational gardening project.

Coordinator Position Summary:

• Start date: March 7th, 2011.
• Terms: 10 month part-time term position.
  
  • 5 – 15 hours per week. Some weekend and evening duties, and some weeks will be busier than others. There might be opportunities for additional hours, contingent on securing more funding.
• Wage: 13-15$ / hour (commensurate with experience).

The Coordinator reports to the Intergenerational Gardening Committee. She or he will be responsible for ensuring program goals and objectives are met. Funding for the position is provided by the New Horizons for Seniors, Community Participation and Leadership Funding Grant program (Government of Canada).

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advertising and promotion of project.
• Organizing information sessions (e.g., what is this project, why become involved, how to get involved).
• Recruiting participants and volunteers (e.g., at community centres, day cares, schools, local businesses and seniors residences).
• Getting necessary permits and insurance.
• Purchasing/coordinating the assembly of materials (greenhouses, rain barrels, compost, signs, films, books).
• Coordinating the building of raised beds and preparing the gardens for planting.
• Coordinating gardening times.
• Caring for the gardens.
• Organizing events (films screenings, market, community feast and educational workshops such as ‘using a greenhouse,’ ‘soil preparation,’ ‘canning,’ ‘seed saving,’ etc).
• Funding applications and other community-food themed project management.
   

Skills Required:

• Committed to environmental sustainability.
• Work with children/seniors.
• Great communication skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Great organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Project management skills.

Assets/Skills:

• Gardening experience.
• Community Programming experience.
• Lives in /has knowledge of the South Osborne Area.
   

Application Process:

Please submit your resume and a cover letter no later than January 28th, 2011 to:

Evan Bowness
South Osborne Urban Community Cooperative
urban.community.cooperative@gmail.com
(electronic submissions only, please)

Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

Only candidates selected for an interview will be invited to interview. Invitations will be sent out by the second week of February. Please no phone inquiries. Interviews to take place Tuesday, February 15th in the evening.