Cooking with Care Volunteer

Are you someone who loves to cook, can think on your feet, and wants to make a positive impact in your community? Sheltered by Grace is looking for a dedicated Food Rescue & Kitchen Mentor to join our team on weekday mornings.

This hands-on role is vital to helping us make the most of food donations from Aldi and OzHarvest. You’ll assist with sorting and preparing donated food, lead basic meal and ingredient prep with our clients, and play a key part in reducing food waste while promoting nutrition and skill-building.

Key Duties:

• Receive and sort incoming food donations each morning
• Identify perishable items and prioritise them for preparation, freezing or cooking
• Guide and support clients and students in preparing, bagging, and storing food
• Plan or suggest simple meals based on available ingredients
• Use excess produce for baking or meal components (e.g. banana bread, fruit pies, veggie soups)
• Maintain a clean and safe kitchen space
• Dispose of spoiled items and minimise food waste
• Provide informal mentoring around kitchen skills, food safety and healthy habits

Skills and Experience Needed: • Confidence and experience in a kitchen setting (home or professional) • Organised, with the ability to take initiative and prioritise tasks • Friendly and patient communicator, comfortable working with people from diverse and vulnerable backgrounds • Interest in teaching and empowering others with basic kitchen skills • Food safety knowledge is preferred but not essential (training available) • A flexible, can-do attitude and a willingness to be part of a supportive team

Organisational Background: Sheltered by Grace is a not-for-profit organisation based in Logan, Queensland. We provide crisis accommodation and holistic support to people experiencing homelessness. Our goal is to restore dignity, offer stability, and create pathways forward. Food plays a central role in our model—offering not just nourishment, but opportunities for learning, community, and care.

Benefits of Volunteering with Us: • Be part of a welcoming and values-driven team • Help reduce food waste and feed those who need it most • Share your cooking skills in a meaningful, practical way • Support others to develop life skills and build confidence • Fulfil Centrelink mutual obligations for volunteers aged 55+ (15 hours/week) • Gain hands-on experience in food handling, community work, and mentoring

The Impact You’ll Have: You’ll help turn donated food into nourishing meals and learning opportunities. You’ll support people doing it tough by giving them tools for self-reliance, helping them feel valued, capable, and cared for—all while keeping good food out of landfill.