COMMUNITY PANTRY ASSISTANT

Part-Time | Three-Month Contract with Potential for Extension

As our services continue to grow, Cambridge Food Bank is hiring a part-time Community Pantry Assistant for a three-month contract, with the potential for extension.

Regular Hours:

- Monday: 1:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
- Tuesday–Friday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The ideal candidate will also have some availability to cover mornings and/or full days when vacation coverage is required. Reliable attendance is essential for this position.

POSITION TITLE

Community Pantry Assistant

REPORTS TO

Operations Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our Community Pantry is a busy, public-facing environment where neighbours select food for themselves and their households with support from staff and volunteers.

This position requires much more than stocking shelves.

We are looking for someone who is outgoing, confident, observant and comfortable interacting with people from many different backgrounds and circumstances. You need to genuinely enjoy working with people while also being comfortable setting boundaries and responding appropriately when situations become challenging.

At times, individuals accessing our services may be upset, frustrated, experiencing a mental health crisis, under the influence of substances, or behaving in a confrontational or aggressive manner. The successful candidate must be able to remain calm and confident, use good judgment, communicate clear expectations and de-escalate situations without becoming intimidated or escalating the interaction.

You will also work closely with volunteers throughout every shift. Being approachable, personable and able to give volunteers clear direction is an important part of the job.

This is a position for someone who notices what needs to be done and does it. If a shelf is empty, you restock it. If a fridge is dirty, you clean it. If a volunteer is unsure what to do, you provide direction. If something doesn't look right, you investigate rather than walking past it.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

- Welcome and interact with neighbours in a friendly, respectful and confident manner.
- Support neighbours in selecting appropriate food for themselves and their households while maintaining dignity and choice.
- Use good judgment when determining appropriate quantities of food based on household size, available inventory and program guidelines. This requires thinking beyond simply counting packages- for example, recognizing when an item represents a single serving and considering the number of people in the household.




- Communicate program guidelines and boundaries clearly, respectfully and consistently.
- Respond calmly and appropriately to challenging, confrontational or aggressive behaviour.
- Use de-escalation skills and sound judgment to manage difficult interactions and recognize when additional staff support is required.
- Build positive relationships with volunteers and provide clear, respectful direction throughout their shifts.
- Train and support volunteers in Community Pantry tasks and procedures.
- Remain active and engaged throughout the shift, continually monitoring the pantry and identifying what needs attention.
- Stock shelves, refrigerators and freezers and rotate inventory appropriately.
- Monitor food displays throughout the day and respond to shortages or changing inventory.
- Maintain a high standard of cleanliness and organization, including shelves, refrigerators, freezers, counters and other pantry areas.
- Lift, carry and stack boxes of canned, packaged and other food products.
- Follow food safety, health and safety, and safe-lifting practices.
- Work collaboratively with other staff and volunteers in a fast-paced setting.

THE PERSON WE ARE LOOKING FOR You may be a strong fit for this position if you:
- Are naturally outgoing and comfortable starting conversations with people you don't know.
- Are warm and personable while also being confident and assertive when necessary.
- Are comfortable dealing with conflict and do not become easily intimidated by raised voices, frustration or challenging behaviour.
- Can remain calm and respectful without becoming passive when boundaries need to be enforced.
- Have strong situational awareness and can recognize when an interaction may be escalating.
- Understand the difference between being compassionate and allowing inappropriate behaviour.
- Have good practical judgment and can make reasonable decisions without needing instructions for every situation.
- Notice details and take initiative, you don't walk past an empty shelf, dirty refrigerator, spill or volunteer who needs direction.
- Can look at available food, household size and program guidelines and make sensible decisions about appropriate quantities.




- Are comfortable providing direction to volunteers while maintaining positive relationships with them.
- Can move between serving neighbours, supporting volunteers, stocking, cleaning and problem-solving as priorities change.
- Are dependable, punctual and ready to work for the entirety of every scheduled shift.
- Can perform physically demanding work throughout the shift.

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
- Experience working directly with the public in a busy environment is strongly preferred.
- Experience handling difficult, confrontational or emotionally charged interactions is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with people experiencing poverty, food insecurity, substance use, homelessness and/or mental health challenges is an asset.
- Experience working or volunteering in a community-based, social-service or non-profit environment is an asset.
- Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise judgment, take initiative and solve problems independently.
- Ability to work effectively with both staff and volunteers.
- Additional languages are an asset.

EDUCATION

One of the following

- Two years of post-secondary education in Social Services or a related field; or
- Relevant lived experience of poverty or food insecurity, combined with the ability to draw on that experience to provide compassionate, respectful and professional support to neighbours; or
- A combination of relevant education and demonstrated experience working effectively with the public and/or vulnerable populations.

WORKING CONDITIONS This is a fast-paced, physically demanding and highly public-facing position.

The role involves prolonged standing, walking, bending, lifting and frequent movement throughout the shift.

Staff regularly interact with individuals experiencing significant stress and may encounter people experiencing mental health challenges, substance use, emotional distress or behavioural escalation.

The successful candidate must be comfortable working in this environment and able to respond with confidence, compassion, appropriate boundaries and good judgment.

Job Types: Part-time, Temporary

Pay: $21.60-$24.00 per hour

Application question(s)

- We are hiring 2 people, one person will work the morning shift starting as early as 8am until 1pm on Mondays and 9am-2pm Tues-Fri. The other is an afternoon shift starting at 2pm and working until 6:45-7pm on Monday evenings and 5pm the remainder of the week. Which position is your preference?

Experience:
- Customer service: 1 year (required)

Work Location: In person

📌 Community Pantry Assistant (Cambridge)
🏢 Cambridge Self Help Food Bank
📍 Cambridge