Cooking Matters seeks volunteer nutrition facilitators to facilitate nutrition lessons and activities for cooking and nutrition classes in low-income communities.
About Cooking Matters
Cooking Matters offers cooking and nutrition classes focused on maximizing food resources to community members in low-income areas. We provide hands-on education, combining cooking, nutrition, menu planning, budgeting, kitchen safety, and sanitation.
Each Cooking Matters class is led by a team of three trained volunteers – a Cooking Facilitator, a Nutrition Facilitator and a Class Assistant – who work alongside a staff coordinator to facilitate fun, lively, and informative classes for participants. Volunteers work with the participants on educational activities and preparing a shared meal. Classes are held at community organizations, public and transitional housing sites, schools, and other service-providing agencies throughout Seattle and King County.
Nutrition Facilitator Role
As an instructor, you must have a strong background in nutrition, food science, dietetics or a related field. Important things to discuss include the MyPlate model as a tool for healthy eating, planning balanced meals, benefits of fruits and vegetables, food budgeting, label reading, whole grains and fiber, and physical activity. Classes are interactive and nutrition facilitators often act as facilitators for the activities to teach and reinforce the lessons for each week. Nutrition facilitators also serve as positive role models by emphasizing the benefits of nutritious eating and motivating participants to improve their eating habits.
Time Commitment
Classes meet once a week for six weeks, running for two hours, with volunteers are asked to join 30 minutes before and after to help set up and clean up. All together for one course series, you will commit about 19 hours of volunteer time, in addition to any lesson planning and prep. We’re looking for volunteers who are interested and able to commit to actively volunteering in classes for one year.
Training
Once you attend the Solid Ground New Volunteer Orientation and complete the volunteer application process, please attend our Cooking Matters New Volunteer Training, where you will learn more about Cooking Matters and volunteer expectations, including getting your Food Handler’s Permit. Next you will be asked to observe a class already in session. After the orientation and observation, you will be able to sign up for any open volunteer class positions.
Qualifications
- Interest/background in nutrition
- Ability to work with staff, volunteers and participants with a variety of racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, lifestyles and sexual orientations
- Ability to be nonjudgmental, positive, respectful, creative, consistent, and flexible
- Willingness to work both as part of a team and independently
- Some teaching experience preferred, and bilingual abilities (especially Spanish) is a huge plus!
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color), and people with the lived experience of food insecurity are strongly encouraged to apply.
(This opportunity qualifies as an RSVP activity.)
Solid Ground believes poverty is solvable. Volunteers play a critical role in helping us meet basic needs, nurture success, and spread change – so everyone in our community can achieve their full potential.
