Gender Relations & Food Security Internship

Job Description:

• Liaise with a network of community organizations (including Peterborough Women's Events Committee [WEC], Peterborough Pride Committee, etc) and campus groups to take an active role in helping to organize and carry out community-wide events that address sex and gender-based oppression, homophobia and transphobia.
• Contribute to campaigns that recognize all persons' rights to live without violence and discrimination.
• Events and campaigns may include, but are not limited to: Take Back the Night, Person's Day breakfast, December 6th Vigil & International Women's Day, Trans Day of Remembrance, Peterborough Pride and others.

• Assist in the coordination of OPIRG's Free Market, Food Cupboard and Green Dishes initiatives. The Free Market is a space for the redistribution of donated clothing and household items, the Food Cupboard is an emergency food program which provides non-perishable food items for low income community members, and Green Dishes is OPIRG's community dish lending program.
• Recruit volunteers, run orientation sessions, and coordinate Free Market and Food Cupboard volunteers.
• Keep track of volunteer availability, arrange food deliveries, and work with volunteers to ensure all shifts are covered.
• Improve outreach for the Food Cupboard and Free Market.
• Prepare and maintain a database of community organizations who promote the Free Market/Food Cupboard, and advertise events and updated hours with these organizations.
• Enter the food cupboard statistics and membership information each month and represent OPIRG at Kawartha Food Share meetings.
• Help organize environmental & social justice events (do-it-yourself workshops, Year End Free Market give away, food drives, film screenings, etc).
• Work on OPIRG's environmental and poverty reduction programs and help organize special events that bring attention to economic equity and food security, as well as waste reduction & the local redistribution of basic goods.
• Oversee "Green Dishes" program by keeping track of dishes and cutlery inventory, communicating with local organizations who borrow items, and by helping to develop resources, policies and practices to improve the program.

Additional Contributions and Collaborations: Work in collaboration with OPIRG Staff, board and volunteers to:

Contribute to the overall success and collaborative nature of the organization by assisting with a variety of special events, ongoing projects, outreach, and organizational and administrative duties as required.

For qualifications, eligibility and application details, press the "read more" link below.

Qualifications:

Some university or college level education preferred.

Knowledge of, and interest in, social and environmental justice issues.

Understanding of and commitment to anti-oppression work, and consensus decision making.

Understanding of gender and trans based oppression and food security issues.

Experience coordinating projects and events.

Experience designing promotional and educational materials.

Strong written and oral communication skills are necessary.

Strong computer skills and writing experience are preferable.

An ability to communicate respectfully with a variety of people and ability to work collaboratively with staff and volunteers and to work in a co-operative workplace.

Eligibility:

This position is funded by The Youth Eco Internship Program, and the intern will be an employee of the YWCA (OPIRG Peterborough will be considered a Host organization).

It is necessary that you must meet ALL of the following Youth Eco Internship Program criteria in order to be considered for this position:

Between the ages of 15 and 30

Unemployed and out of school (at the time of application and placement)

A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person to whom refugee protection has been granted under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Legally entitled to work in Canada

Legally entitled to work in Ontario

This position is only available to persons with disabilities (disability may be self-defined, and include mental and/or physical disability). This position does, however, require the ability use computers for several hours at a time, involves some lifting, as well as mobility to move up and down stairs.

OPIRG's Employment Equity Statement:

OPIRG welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and invites aboriginal people, people of colour, women, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people, transsexuals, intersexed people, working class people, single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and people with disabilities to apply. We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they, as individuals who identify with marginalized communities, would bring to the OPIRG organization, in their cover letter.

Terms of Employment:

35 hours a week at $12 per hour for 6 months starting Aug 2nd, 2010.

Job hours to be completed in the OPIRG office and the Free Market/Food Cupboard, both located in Sadleir House (751 George St. N.), Peterborough On.

We regret that OPIRG and the Food Cupboard are not yet wheelchair accessible.

How to Apply:

Send a resume and cover letter by email to OPIRG Hiring Committee, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Application deadline: 5pm, Monday July 26th

Please, No hand delivered resumes.

About the Youth Eco Internship Program:

This position is being offered through the Youth Eco Internship Program at YWCA Canada with funding from the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. For more information please visit www.yeip.ca.