Founding Volunteer Members Wanted: Help Launch Our Community Kitchen

Lifestyle Markets Australia Inc is a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation bringing communities together through multicultural markets, festivals, and events across Victoria. Every dollar raised supports Kinds of Happiness (KOH), a charity dedicated to empowering disadvantaged youth in regional and rural Australia through mentoring, farming programs, and skills development.

Purpose

The Community Kitchen Committee is a brand-new initiative being built from the ground up by passionate volunteers who want to create something special for the community. As a Founding Volunteer, you will help shape the vision, build the team, and bring the initiative to life, working alongside a warm and collaborative group with a genuine desire to contribute. Specific roles will evolve as the committee takes shape, with both virtual and in-person involvement depending on your availability and interests.

Who We Are Looking For

We welcome people from all backgrounds. What matters most is a positive, collaborative mindset and a genuine desire to contribute.

• Community Connectors — people who love bringing others together and building relationships across our diverse volunteer community
• Food & Kitchen Enthusiasts — anyone with a passion for food, hospitality, or kitchen operations; professional experience is welcome but not required
• Planners & Organisers — volunteers who enjoy structure, logistics, and turning ideas into practical, workable plans
• Hands-On Helpers — people happy to pitch in, whether that is setting up, sourcing supplies, or supporting on market days
• Willing Contributors — anyone ready to bring time, ideas, and energy to a project still finding its shape, where enthusiasm matters more than experience

What You Will Be Doing

• Take part in committee meetings and planning sessions to help shape the vision, structure, and operating model of the Community Kitchen
• Contribute ideas on logistics, layout, equipment, food safety, and sustainable practices
• Support planning and coordination tasks such as scheduling, budgeting input, sourcing supplies or partnerships, and volunteer rostering
• Help develop the processes and procedures the kitchen will use once operational, including food handling, hygiene, and community access
• Liaise and collaborate with other committee members, LMA and KOH representatives, and external stakeholders such as suppliers and community partners
• Help promote the initiative within the community to attract participants, volunteers, and support
• Provide hands-on support during set-up and, depending on the role split, ongoing kitchen operations
• Where relevant to your background, contribute specialist input in areas such as legal and governance, investment and financial planning, accounting, or counselling and psychosocial support
• Represent the values of LMA and KOH — inclusivity, respect, growth, community, and sustainability — in all committee activities

Skills & Experience

No single volunteer needs every skill below; we are hoping to bring together a group with a mix of the following:

• A community-focused, collaborative mindset and a willingness to contribute time and effort to an early-stage project
• Strong communication skills and comfort working as part of a team
• Good planning and organisational ability
• Reliability and a positive, can-do attitude
• Experience in food service, hospitality, or community kitchen settings, including as a qualified chef
• Knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards
• Legal or governance experience, particularly relevant to not-for-profits or community organisations
• Investment, financial planning, or accounting experience, including qualified or practising accountants
• Counselling, psychology, or other mental health and psychosocial support experience
• Experience in committee work, governance, or not-for-profit and volunteer environments
• Experience developing a project or program from concept through to operation
• Budgeting, fundraising, or partnership and sponsorship experience
• Experience working with or supporting young people or disadvantaged communities

What You Will Gain

• The opportunity to help shape a brand-new initiative from the ground up and see your ideas put into practice
• Flexible involvement that fits around your availability, with a mix of virtual and in-person options
• The chance to build new skills in areas such as governance, planning, hospitality, or community engagement, or to put existing professional skills to meaningful use
• A welcoming, inclusive, and diverse volunteer community
• Meaningful work that directly supports youth in regional Australia through Kinds of Happiness
• Recognition as a Founding Volunteer of the Community Kitchen Committee, and a reference for your contribution on request

How to Apply

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. Click Apply below to submit your application.