Family Drop-In

The Downtown East Side Neighbourhood House is looking for volunteers to help with our Family Drop-In program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-7pm. This is an unpaid position. 
 
The Family Drop-in program creates a welcoming, safe, and fun environment for local families with young kids to come spend time after school. As part of the program, families enjoy snacks and a nutritious dinner and engage in arts and crafts and workshops facilitated by partner organizations. The children participating in the Family Drop-In program range in age from roughly 10 months to 12 years.

VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES:
Volunteers for the Family Drop-In program are responsible for assisting with program set up and take down, which includes setting up and cleaning up tables and chairs and the day’s activities. Volunteers also help with food preparation and dishes and are encouraged to engage with the families and kids. 

ELIGIBILITY:
Please note that this position requires a minimum 3-month commitment from volunteers and that those interested in the position must undergo a criminal record check review for the role, as well as a 30min phone interview/screening call. 

REQUIREMENTS:
- understanding and support of the DTES Neighbourhood House's mission and philosophies
- ability to work respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences
- openness to learning from and honouring community members
- ability to work with a team and help each other
- review volunteer training materials before starting first shift
- ability & willingness to be in the kitchen cooking and cleaning for the majority of the shift (with breaks)

ASSETS:
- ability to speak multiple languages
- lived/living experience, work and/or volunteer experience in the DTES
- experience with cooking and/or cleaning is great but not really required as long as you're willing to learn!
- childcare experience is an asset
- good sense of humour is always an asset :)

APPLYING:
We require a minimum commitment of 3 months for this volunteer role. Our application, screening and onboarding process includes:
1. Email volunteer@dtesnhouse.ca letting us know which position you are applying for and give a short introduction.
2. Applicants will be sent volunteer forms to fill out & instructions to submit a criminal record check
3. Once we have received your completed forms, we will schedule a 30min phone interview/screening call, which we require for all potential family programs volunteers. This call also includes a very condensed volunteer orientation.
4. After the phone call if both parties agree to move forward with the volunteer placement, we will ask the volunteer to review some Kitchen Safety Training Materials and 6 pages of our Volunteer Handbook.

ABOUT THE DTESNH: 
Our mission is to provide opportunities for residents to meaningfully engage with and contribute to their community in an equitable atmosphere of sharing and learning. The secular, grassroots Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House (DTES NH) embraces people of all ancestries, genders, ages and descriptions; annually welcoming almost 9,000 DTES residents in a community where 70% of our neighbours have low‐incomes, 700 are homeless and 5,000 are under-housed.  

Those who built the DTES NH put the Right to Food at the heart of our work, as nutritional vulnerability was a theme familiar to all. Our goal around the Right to Food is to reform the nutritional impact, quality, abundance and delivery of food in the DTES in consultation with residents, community food providers, non‐food community organizations, healthcare professionals, policy makers, growers/suppliers, food/beverage industry professionals and researchers. Learn more about our organization & programs at dtesnhouse.ca The DTES NH acknowledges and honours the fact that our community lies within the Unceded Territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.