Kitchen Helper - Jobs and employment opportunities in Canada - jobs-ca.com

Kitchen Helper

Hope Mission — Food Services

Job Title:  Kitchen Helper

Department:  Food Services

Reports To:  Senior Coordinator, Supervisor, and Facilities Director

Employment Type:  Full-Time Temporary

Work Schedule:  Various days and shifts

Location:  Various Hope Mission locations

About Hope Mission

Hope Mission is a Christian non-profit social care agency that has been serving vulnerable people in Alberta since 1929. We are one of Alberta’s largest social service agencies and currently operate emergency shelters, addiction recovery programs, youth programs, community outreach services, housing programs, and health programs (delivered through our HopeHealth division) across Edmonton, Red Deer, Wetaskiwin, and beyond. Our work is grounded in our Christian faith and our commitment to walking alongside individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Staff are expected to uphold Hope Mission’s mission and values and to approach their work with professionalism and genuine heart for service.

Position Summary

The Kitchen Helper supports the safe, efficient, and compassionate operation of Hope Mission’s high-volume kitchen, which prepares approximately 3,600 meals each day for service at Hope Mission sites and distribution to partner or satellite locations. The position participates in the full food-service cycle — from receiving and storage through preparation, service support, sanitation, and next-day readiness — while helping ensure that every meal is handled with care, dignity, and good stewardship.

Key Responsibilities

Meal Preparation & Distribution Support

Wash, peel, chop, portion, assemble, package, and label food; assist cooks and leads in meeting recipes, production targets, allergen controls, and food-safety requirements.

Prepare coffee and beverages; maintain beverage stations and equipment.

Count, organize, pack, stage, and load meals and supplies; verify quantities and special items for on-site service and deliveries, and adapt to menu, donation, delivery, and emergency changes to meet service times.

Receiving, Inventory & Storage

Receive food, beverages, supplies, and donations; verify quantities and condition, reporting discrepancies.

Sort, date, label, rotate (first-in, first-out), and promptly store products in dry, chilled, and frozen areas; track inventory and identify shortages, overstock, damage, contamination, and expiry.

Pull and stage ingredients, supplies, and equipment per menus, production sheets, delivery requirements, and direction; keep receiving and storage areas clean, secure, orderly, and accessible.

Sanitation, Dishwashing & Waste

Wash, rinse, sanitize, air-dry, and put away dishes, trays, utensils, pots, pans, containers, and tools; safely operate sanitation equipment and report faults.

Clean and sanitize work surfaces, sinks, carts, shelving, floors, walls, coolers, storage areas, and equipment on schedule and throughout shifts to prevent cross-contamination.

Safely remove garbage, recycling, compost, grease, and other waste; replace liners and maintain disposal areas.

Closing, Records & Handover

Properly cover, label, and store leftovers; return supplies and tools, restock stations, and stage food, containers, utensils, coffee supplies, and equipment for the next shift.

Complete cleaning, temperature, inventory, waste, and production records; communicate unfinished work, shortages, safety concerns, equipment issues, and delivery changes during handover.

Safety, Teamwork & Service

Follow food-safety, occupational health and safety, WHMIS, infection-prevention, safe-lifting, and Hope Mission procedures; wear required PPE and maintain proper personal hygiene and food-handling practices.

Treat staff, volunteers, participants, donors, drivers, and partners respectfully; attend training, meetings, safety discussions, and improvement activities.

Perform other related duties as assigned to support the kitchen and Hope Mission’s ministry.

Qualifications

Skills & Competencies

Ability to follow recipes, production targets, allergen controls, and food-safety procedures.

Ability to safely use kitchen and sanitation equipment and follow safe-lifting and WHMIS procedures.

Ability to complete accurate food, inventory, temperature, waste, and production records.

Ability to work cooperatively, communicate clearly during shift handovers, and adapt to changing priorities.

Physical Requirements

Regular standing and walking for extended periods, with frequent bending, reaching, pushing, pulling, and repetitive hand movements.

Able to safely lift and carry up to 23 kg (50 lb), with assistance or mechanical aids when required.

Regular work near heat, steam, water, sharp utensils, cleaning chemicals, moving carts, and commercial kitchen equipment.

Frequent entry into coolers and freezers, with exposure to changing temperatures, noise, food odours, and wet or slippery surfaces.

May require early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and schedule flexibility based on meal production and operational needs.

Personal Qualities

Commitment to Hope Mission’s mission and values, including compassion, respect, integrity, and excellence.

Dependable, proactive, safety-conscious, respectful, and able to work efficiently as part of a team.

Culturally aware and able to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Strong sense of accountability and stewardship of organizational resources.

Other Requirements

As a Christian organization, Hope Mission requires employees to sign the Hope Mission Statement of Faith.

Must be legally entitled to work in Canada on a full-time basis.

Able to provide a Criminal Record Check with a Vulnerable Sector Search.

A letter of reference from a ministry or church is an asset.

Adherence to Hope Mission’s policies and procedures.

How to Apply
Please mention you saw this posting on WorkInNonProfits.ca. How to Apply Applicants are invited to submit a resume and cover letter outlining their qualifications and why they would like to work for a Christian organization. Please include the contact information for at least two professional references. Applications should be submitted to [anti-spam measure - please enable javascript to view]. We thank all applicants for their interest; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.