Founded in 2007, Ceres Community Project creates health for people, communities and the planet through love, healing food and empowering the next generation.

Ceres Community Project's main program, Healing Meals for Healthy Communities, provides free and low-cost nourishing organic meals, nutrition education and caring support to people facing serious illness. All of the meals are prepared by teens that learn about growing, cooking and eating healthy whole foods and the connection between diet and health, develop life and work-ready skills, and discover their power to make a difference. The Healing Meals Program improves healthy eating behaviors among clients, teens and adult volunteers and educates the whole community about the link between healthy eating and the health of both people and planet. It also strengthens the social fabric of the community, another factor that is at the root of health.

In addition to operating three program sites in Marin and Sonoma counties, Ceres has trained 12 communities nationally to replicate our model.

Ceres Community Project is proving food is medicine! Our organic meals are lovingly prepared by chefs, volunteer teens and adults and delivered to people who need nourishment the most. 
 

Position

The Associate Chef ensures the smooth running of the Ceres Teen Program and Santa Rosa kitchen operations by working as a team with the Executive Chef, Healing Meals Program Manager and culinary team.

The Associate Chef works regularly as a Lead Chef in the Ceres Santa Rosa kitchen, responsible for executing the cooking plan utilizing and managing adult and teen volunteers for food prep, cooking, packaging, bagging and keeping a well-maintained kitchen. The Associate Chef is a key member the youth development program and works to empower, mentor and teach youth.

This is a part-time position with some evenings and weekend times.  

Responsibilities

Work as a Lead Chef in the kitchen during regular cooking shifts. This may include full shifts or half shifts. The position also includes working as a second chef to lead teen mentoring. The overall responsibilities include:

• Provide consistency across all shifts in food safety and sanitation practices, and in cooking practices and food quality
• Facilitate coordination from one day to the next
• Ensure that all meals leaving the kitchen are beautiful, delicious and nutritious
• Develop relationships with teen chefs and provide appropriate support, training and acknowledgement
• Identify, develop and mentor Teen Leaders
• Mentor teens in a timely way and consistent with Ceres’ culture

Co-lead the smooth running of the Santa Rosa kitchen including being adept at and occasionally performing the following weekly or occasional tasks: 

• Inventory management, shopping lists, and food procurement
• Scheduling meals for clients in Salesforce
• Preparation of food container labels and delivery letters
• Deep cleaning and organizational tasks
• Jumping in any adult volunteer shift where we are shorthanded, including:  containers, container labeling, food prep, delivery angels, etc.

Qualifications

• A commitment to Ceres Community Project mission and operating principles
• At least 2 years of professional cooking experience, preferably in the whole foods arena
• Experience working with teens and in youth development; preference for community organizing experience, especially with teens
• Strong capacity for mentoring and teaching
• Ability to stay calm and keep your sense of humor in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite and database programs.
• Ability to work well in a team.
• Ability to communicate warmly and clearly.
• Has a good awareness of self.
• Ability and desire to be in a work environment that values working as a team, relationships and giving and receiving honest feedback.