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Community Chef & Director of Healthy Food Access (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise · New York, NY · 3 mo ago
ManagementVolunteer

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills.

PromiseFoods is MAP's nutrition, food access, culinary education, and community wellness division. The division exists to ensure that children and families have access to nutritious food, nutrition education, healthy cooking experiences, and community-centered wellness opportunities. Through partnerships with schools, family shelters, food providers, farms, community organizations, and volunteers, PromiseFoods works to expand access to healthy foods while helping children and families build lifelong healthy habits.

Location: New York City (Hybrid/In-Person)
Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week
Type: Volunteer Leadership Role
Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

About the Role

The Community Chef & Director of Healthy Food Access serves as a founding leader within PromiseFoods, responsible for helping design, launch, and grow MAP's healthy food access, nutrition education, and community wellness initiatives. This role will help build a mission-driven movement focused on bringing nutritious foods, healthy cooking experiences, food education, and wellness opportunities to family shelters, community schools, and underserved communities. The Director will also support PromiseRooted's Kitchen Lab by helping mentors facilitate cooking experiences that connect food, wellness, learning, and community.

Responsibilities

  • Healthy Food Access Strategy
    • Help develop and lead MAP's healthy food access initiatives
    • Identify opportunities to expand access to nutritious and whole foods
    • Support food security efforts serving children and families
    • Develop community-centered wellness initiatives
    • Help establish long-term growth strategies for PromiseFoods
  • Community Nutrition Education
    • Develop nutrition education workshops and learning experiences
    • Teach healthy eating habits and food literacy concepts
    • Create family-centered nutrition resources
    • Promote practical and affordable healthy food choices
    • Support community wellness and prevention efforts
  • Culinary Education & Kitchen Lab
    • Lead cooking demonstrations and hands-on culinary experiences
    • Support PromiseRooted's Kitchen Lab programming
    • Help train mentors and volunteers supporting culinary activities
    • Develop recipes and food-learning experiences for children and families
    • Promote safe and healthy food preparation practices
  • School & Shelter Partnerships
    • Build relationships with schools, shelters, food banks, farms, and community organizations
    • Support healthy food distribution and partnership initiatives
    • Explore opportunities for food donations and food access programs
    • Strengthen community wellness networks
    • Expand access to healthy food resources
  • Program Development & Innovation
    • Design new nutrition and wellness initiatives
    • Support pilot projects and community food programs
    • Develop scalable models that improve food access
    • Explore innovative approaches to food education and community health
    • Strengthen long-term sustainability of PromiseFoods initiatives
  • Cross-Divisional Collaboration
    • Partner with PromiseLearning on nutrition education and wellness curriculum
    • Support PromiseRooted programming and family engagement activities
    • Collaborate with PromiseResearch on food insecurity and nutrition studies
    • Support PromisePublic awareness efforts related to food access and child well-being
    • Align nutrition initiatives with MAP's mission and organizational priorities
  • Leadership Responsibilities
    • Provide leadership and oversight for healthy food access, nutrition programs, and community wellness efforts
    • Oversee food security partnerships, culinary education, and community partnerships
    • Responsible for nutrition education, family wellness, and healthy eating initiatives

Qualifications

  • Professional experience in culinary arts, nutrition, food service, public health, community wellness, or related fields
  • Experience teaching cooking, nutrition, or food education programs
  • Strong relationship-building and community engagement skills
  • Passion for food equity, nutrition, and healthy communities
  • Experience working with children, families, schools, shelters, or community organizations is preferred
  • Commitment to culturally responsive and community-centered programming

Why This Role Matters

A child who is hungry struggles to learn. A family without access to healthy food faces additional barriers to stability. Nutrition affects learning, health, confidence, emotional well-being, and long-term success. The Community Chef & Director of Healthy Food Access helps Mentor A Promise build a future where healthy food, nutrition education, and community wellness are accessible to every child and family we serve. This role helps transform food into a pathway for learning, connection, health, dignity, and opportunity.

Success Measures

  • Successful launch and growth of PromiseFoods initiatives
  • Expansion of healthy food access opportunities
  • Number of nutrition and culinary programs delivered
  • Growth of school and community partnerships
  • Family and youth participation levels
  • Community wellness impact and engagement

Leadership Participation

  • Attend divisional leadership meetings
  • Conduct regular check-ins with direct reports
  • Participate in strategic planning and initiative development
  • Support cross-divisional collaboration and organizational priorities

Volunteer Expectations

  • Approximately 5–10 hours per week
  • Minimum 6-month commitment required
  • Maintain timely and professional communication
  • Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
  • Support MAP's safeguarding standards, mission, and organizational values
  • Foster an inclusive, supportive, and mission-driven culture

What You'll Gain

  • Opportunity to help launch and build a new mission-driven division
  • Experience creating community-centered nutrition and wellness initiatives
  • Collaboration with educators, community leaders, food organizations, and nonprofit professionals
  • Professional references and letters of recommendation
  • Meaningful impact supporting children and families experiencing housing instability

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