Cook (Full-Time)

COVENANT HOUSE CALIFORNIA

JOB DESCRIPTION: Cook

Covenant House California (CHC) is a nonprofit organization that provides sanctuary and support for youth overcoming homelessness, ages 18-24. CHC believes that no young person deserves to be homeless; that every young person in California deserves housing, food, clothing, education, and most importantly, to be loved. CHC provides a full continuum of services to meet the physical, emotional, educational, vocational, and spiritual well-being of young people.

CHC’s doors are open to youth and staff regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We believe that youth and team members deserve to be in an environment that is inclusive and affirming; where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and valued and appreciated for who they are. Maintaining a diverse community of youth and staff is key to our ability to achieve our mission most effectively. We are also committed to being a leader in advancing anti-racism, and to promoting opportunities for the free expression of the lived experiences of our youth and staff.

We are looking for people who, like us, believe that every young person deserves a place to belong. We think it takes all kinds of people to create diverse solutions to end youth homelessness and we are on a committed journey to build an inclusive and equitable work culture that brings out the best in everyone. In our Los Angeles location, which is our flagship site, we offer a full continuum of housing and support services to young people. Over the past 36 years, our services have grown and expanded, and we serve more than 900 young people every year.

As this position provides direct care to young people that are 18-24 years old, we require that applicants are at least 25 years old.

JOB GOAL: To provide nutritious and quality food for residents and staff following menus, recipes, production guidelines, and food safety practices and to maintain a positive environment of teamwork and excellent resident service.

POSITION SUMMARY: The cook prepares quality meals and menu items according to recipes, prep lists, and quality standards as directed by management; follows all food safety procedures, maintains work area, equipment, and storage areas in a clean, sanitary, and organized condition; operates kitchen equipment properly and safely; participates in sanitation and cleaning duties and completes sanitation checklists as directed; receives and stores food following proper procedure; provides excellent customer service to maintain positive relations with the client; maintains a positive and helpful attitude that contributes to the work group’s morale. This position is required to adhere to all agency Policies and Procedures and practices (time/attendance, cell phone, telecommunications, safety, remaining awake/alert, etc).

CLASSIFICATION: Full-time 40 hours per week

PAY RANGE: $25.00 / hour

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Executes the menu following recipes, prep lists, and production procedures, under the guidance of management.
• Prepares and serves nutritious, delicious, and quality food that is presented well to staff and residents.
• Prepares food using measuring tools as required by recipe or production guidelines.
• Serves food at appropriate temperatures and following portion size as determined by management.
• Serves food at appropriate temperatures, cools food appropriately, heats leftovers to appropriate temperatures, and maintains all foods at the proper temperature for safety and quality.
• Preps food one to two days in advance and assists co-workers with prep as needed.
• Covers, labels, and dates all prepped food, cooked food, items open, or foods pulled from the freezer.
• Receives food as needed, dating and rotating new deliveries as required, follows FIFO procedure for food storage and usage.
• Documents food temperatures, leftovers, and other dates required.
• Completes cleaning lists and duties as directed by management.
• Maintains equipment clean and in good working order.
• Uses knives safely.
• Completes all sanitation and food safety checklists as required. Monitors and records refrigeration temperatures twice daily.
• Washes and sanitizes work area and dishes as needed.
• Communicates food and equipment needs to management.
• Maintains a safe work environment by using equipment properly, maintaining a clean dry floor, and using “wet floor” signs as needed, and reports any potentially unsafe equipment or procedures to management.
• Uses chemicals safely and with the proper PPE as defined in SDS sheets.
• Maintains personal hygiene and professional dress standards as required by Covenant House and local health department codes, wears a name badge.
• Follows all Covenant House policies and procedures as detailed in the employee manual.
• May be assigned additional tasks as needed by Covenant House Program Manager.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

QUALIFICATIONS: Ability to read and write English, must be able to read recipes and follow written instructions; at least 1 year experience in food preparation, food safety training, or food handler’s card as required by local regulations. Pass any background checks and medical exams as required.

SKILLS: Ability to follow recipes and prepare foods from scratch. Ability to lift 40 pounds and stand for up to 4 hours at a time. Ability to respond verbally in person or over the phone to the needs of staff or residents. Physical and mental ability to carry out safety and emergency procedures. physical ability to lift, carry, and move at least 40 pounds. Physical stamina to meet the demands of a full workday. Ability to work well with others and communicate appropriately.

SUPERVISORY DUTIES: N/A

Covenant House California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.