Cook
Permanent, Full Time

What We Do
WIN House provides individuals and their children fleeing violence crisis response and intervention, safe temporary accommodation, and support for basic needs. Clients are offered trauma-informed, client-centered programming and support, access to resources, information, and referrals to community support. WIN House is working towards operating within a low-barrier model of care. 

What You Will Do

WIN House Emergency Shelter’s provide emergency accommodation and short-term assistance including client-centered, trauma-informed care, referrals to services and resources, security, meals, and a safe place for women and their children subject to gender based violence to stay. The Cook contributes to client care through the provision of nutritious meals, engaging as part of a multidisciplinary team to offer meaningful programming for clients, managing the shelter’s food services budget and inventory, purchasing goods, and by maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment that adheres to industry standards and regulations.

The Cook will regularly demonstrate initiative and proactively undertakes the following key responsibilities: 

Food Preparation and Service Delivery
• Preparation, cooking, and assistance serving quality, nutritious lunch, dinner, and snacks for all shelter residents
• Ensure standards of quality, innovation and presentation are met
• Interacts with clients and/or team members to determine food allergies, dietary restrictions, and/or cultural dietary requirements
• Ensures that clients have access to and receive their meals and snacks in accordance with food allergies, dietary restrictions, and/or cultural needs
• Maintains oversight of shelter residents as they prepare and serve meals to ensure all 
guidelines, standards and regulations are met
• Prepares menus, clearly labels items and instructions for food preparation when not on duty.

Client Engagement and Care
• Works collaboratively and communicates effectively with clients and team members
• Approaches interactions with others as well as duties and responsibilities from a trauma-informed, solution-focused, and person-centered perspective
• Actively engages with the Shelter Manager, team members and clients as appropriate to provide resources and to envision, develop and deliver activities and events based on client interest, needs and context
• Reports to and receives information from Shelter Manager and designees as appropriate regarding client needs, concerns, and feedback

Operations
• Assure that all food and other departmental supplies are ordered and received in a timely manner so that adequate inventory levels are maintained to support volume or anticipated volume
• Purchases goods and products directly from shops as required and delivers them to shelter; communicates with team members regarding efficient and effective use of resources
• Monitors and adheres to Shelter Food Services budgets, including the wise use of all purchased or donated resources
• Maintains documentation of food inventory and kitchen supplies
• Organizes donated shelter food stock, regularly rotating donated foods for storage to shelter pantry, and ensuring that food items in freezers and refrigerators are covered and labeled appropriately
• Ensures proper equipment operation and maintenance, reporting requirements to repair, replace, or purchase new equipment to the Facility Manager
• Provides innovative solutions for managing a small enterprise according to resources

Health and Safety 
• Adheres to public health protocols, food safety, and occupational health and safety standards
• Ensures quality and safety of food by performing standard and any additional sanitary measures including sweeping of the floors, cleaning of surfaces, as well as proper covering and storage of food items according to standards and procedures
• Maintains a clean and orderly shelter kitchen and pantry area, including regular and thorough cleaning of appliances, walls, cabinets, shelves, etc.
• Follows proper reporting procedures for accidents and incidents to ensure follow-up and prevention and report observations concerning structural and equipment wear, defects and malfunctioning to the Manager.

Who You Are

Qualifications include:
• Knowledgeable about community resources related to food and shelter
• Successful completion of a food preparation/cooking certificate 
• Current food handling certification 
• Current WHMIS Certification 
• Class 5 Driver's license
• An understanding of “health through nutrition” and cultural awareness. 
• A minimum of two years’ experience of cost control including food, supplies, and wastage to meet budget requirements
• A minimum of two years’ experience as a cook in a group facility or commercial food, healthcare setting or restaurant
• Ability to work in a fast paced and stress induced environment.

The Details
This position is available at WIN 2 with an immediate start date. It falls within the scope of the collective agreement with CUPE Local 3341. The hours of work are Monday to Friday, 8:00 am– 4:00 pm. The wage for this position is $26.94 as per the conditions outlined in the Collective Agreement.

Prerequisites
The successful candidate will be required to submit a Criminal Record Check including a vulnerable sector check, a current Child Welfare check, hold a current First Aid and WHMIS Certificate, and a recent Food Safe Handling Certificate. You must be willing to sign an Oath of Confidentiality. 

How to Apply
Please submit applications to by 16:00 on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those shortlisted will be contacted. WIN House is committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion a central part of everything we do – from how we deliver services to how we build our teams. We strive to have a workforce that is representative of those we serve, and of our communities. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants including women, disabled people, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, people from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and other equity-seeking groups.

If you require accommodation during the application process, please reach out to .

WIN House operates in several locations throughout Amiswacîwâskahikan on Treaty 6 territory, the territory and gathering place of diverse Indigenous peoples including the Papaschase, Cree, Nakota Sioux, Dene, Ojibway, and many others, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.