Summer Job Posting
Vegetable Gardener — Canada Summer Jobs position
Contract Position: 8 week contract at 35 hours per week – Start date as soon as possible
Rate of Pay: $17.00/hour
Deadline of Application: May 10, 2024 at 4:30pm
United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes provides financial support for agencies and programming in City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County. Through our work we address our 3 Pillars: Poverty to Possibility, All that Kids Can Be and Healthy People, Strong Communities. We also run a food security and food literacy farm in partnership with Fleming College and Crayola Canada.
The Vegetable Gardener position is funded through Canada Summer Jobs – Service Canada. The successful candidate must sign and adhere to the United Way’s confidentiality agreement and act with best practices in regard to work ethics and procedures. They must exercise standard safety practices while on site and performing duties off-site for the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes. This position pays $17.00/hour.
General Responsibilities
The Vegetable Gardener will work with staff to:
- Plant, maintain and document yields from garden plots at the United Way office.
- Support improved health outcomes and food security for local residents through work at Edwin Binney’s Community Farm & Education Centre located on the property of Crayola Canada.
- Assist with the preparation of marketing materials to promote work in the community around agricultural and community gardens.
- Perform the day-to-day tasks of maintaining a small-scale farm including planting, watering, weeding, harvesting and distributing produce.
- Assist with the cleaning and maintenance of garden tools, storage sheds, irrigation systems, etc.
- Assist with preparing produce for distribution to community food security initiatives (ie. picking and washing produce)
- Help with set-up and supervision of weekly farm stand. Handling of sales, helping customers and restocking produce.
- Assist with recording and reporting produce yields and day-to-day activities at the farm.
- Assist with the promotion of United Way CKL’s programs and partnerships related to food security, food literacy and local food. This may include YouTube content creation and brainstorming.
Please Note: Due to the nature of the work, flexibility in scheduling will be required and some weekend work may be assigned. This position is physical, with tasks associated with lifting produce and tools, and gardening/harvesting.
Qualifications
Well-developed interpersonal skills
Communication skills both verbal and written (report writing)
Hands on experience in gardening, farming, or general labour
Experience in customer service and volunteer management
Time management and strong organizational capabilities
A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle are not necessary but are considered assets to this position.
Bilingualism is considered an asset.
Core Competencies
Analytical Thinking:
Use practical knowledge and experience to solve routine problems. Asks questions to determine the sources of the problem; discusses possible solutions. Think outside the box and find efficiencies in work flow.
Communication Skills:
Communicates clearly and confidently both verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences. Demonstrates the ability to tailor information and delivery to suit the nature of the material, audience, and situation. Demonstrate skills in relationship development with people of all ages and abilities.
The candidate should be comfortable asking questions for clarification and distinctly communicating issues, ideas, needs, etc.
Leadership and Customer Service Skills:
Develops and leads educational workshops for a variety of audiences such as camps, daycares, seniors’ groups, etc. Strong focus on customer service and assisting clientele in a helpful and respectful manner. Regularly handles questions and provides friendly and courteous customer service.
Execution and Organizational Skills:
Organizes work duties and workspaces in an organized and structured manner to deliver on specific tasks and meet deadlines effectively and efficiently. Able to manage changing priorities and adjust accordingly to new and different tasks.
Teamwork Skills:
Demonstrates: an understanding of the overall work of the United Way, a positive attitude, the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
Criteria as laid out by the Canada Summer Jobs Agreement, “Participant” means an individual who:
(a) is between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the start of employment;
(b) is a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act [S.C. 2001, c. 27]*; and
(c) is legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial / territorial legislation and regulations.
*International students are not eligible. Recent immigrants are eligible if they are Canadian Citizens or permanent residents.
Reports to:
The successful candidate will report to the Farm & Project Coordinator and Co-Executive Directors.
Resumes must be received no later than 4:30pm on Friday, May 10, 2024.
Applications must be sent to:
Via email: emily@ckl.unitedway.ca
Via post: Attention: Emily Beall, Co-Executive Director. 50 Mary St. W. Lindsay, ON
Cover letter should reference “Summer Job Applicant – Vegetable Gardener”.
Emailed applications should reference “Summer Job Application” in the subject line.
We thank all candidates in advance and please note United Way will contact directly those selected for interviews.
United Way CKL is committed to accessibility and inclusion. If you require accommodation, please let us know.
Catch Us on TV!
Our documentary, The Garden, is streaming on Rogers TV throughout March. The film documents the first season of Edwin Binney’s Community Farm & Education Centre and details the planning and partnerships that have made the space so successful.
Rogers TV Schedule:
Monday April 15th: 4:00pm
Wednesday April 17th: 1:00pm
Friday April 19th: 10:00pm
Saturday April 20th: 3:00pm
Or what it online anytime here:
The Garden: Feeding The Community One Plant At A Time – Kawartha Lakes (rogerstv.com)
Hear about our work in the community, service agency grants, fundraisers, and plans for Edwin Binney’s Community Farm & Education Centre on our episode of Spotlight Kawartha on Rogers Ignite Channel 548 or Cable Cable channel 26.
We are also on Rogers TV’s Farm to Fork talking about our food security work and food literacy programming.
Tampon Tuesday for International Women’s Day
Celebrate International Women’s Day with United Way CKL and the Lindsay and District Labour Council by donating a pack of menstrual products. Drop them off to our office at 50 Mary St West in Lindsay or at any of the businesses listed above.
We are collecting hygiene products until Friday March 28th. We will then distribute the products to local organizations and networks where there is a high need for menstrual products.
1 in 4 women in Canada experience period poverty and are often choosing between purchasing food or purchasing their necessary hygiene items. In honour of Women’s Day, we hope folks will consider picking up an extra pack of product at the store and dropping off to us or the other partnering businesses.
We encourage other groups to start their own drives. If you have a large donation, please contact Emily (emily@ckl.unitedway.ca) to arrange the drop off and a photo op.
Coldest Night of the Year!
United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes is proud to be hosting the Coldest Night of the Year.
This event will take place at Fleming College Frost Campus in Lindsay, 200 Albert St. S. on February 24th. There are two walking routes available either 5km or 2km. Event check-in starts at 4pm and walking begins at 5pm. After the walks there will be hot refreshments and food available at Fleming College.
This is an event happening in communities throughout Canada to raise awareness of those experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.
You can register to walk either as an individual or as a team here: Register – Coldest Night of the Year 2024 Canada (cnoy.org) but don’t forget to raise money.
If you’d like to volunteer to help ensure the event runs smoothly register here: Volunteer – Coldest Night of the Year 2024 Canada (cnoy.org)
No matter how you decide to participate make sure you come prepared for the cold! Wear layers, bring your hats, mitts, and scarves, and a good pair of boots to boot!
We look forward to having you all join us for this wonderful event supporting a great cause!
Return of the Nexicom-United Way Funspiel!
Calling all curlers! And even those who have never curled before!
We are very happy to announce the return of the Nexicom-United Way Funspiel!
Put a team together and register through the link below or the link in our bio.
🥌 Saturday March 9th.
🥌Omemee Curling Club
🥌Two 6-end games played
🥌Lunch included
🥌Raffles, draws, and prizes.
Sign up or register your team here: lhttps://www.bit.ly/Nexicom-UWCKLFunspiel
Thanks to Lindsay Sparks & Eagles for their “Sockraiser” for Giving Tuesday.! In addition to the 144 pairs of socks collected, they also completed a food drive. Way to go Girls! Thanks to the Robin and the other leaders & helpers who initiated this venture. If you would like to conduct a “Sockraiser” please contact Dawna at SocksforCKL@outlook.com
United Way CKL and Sir Sam’s Launch a Lift Pass Fundraiser
Click here to purchase tickets
United Way City of Kawartha Lakes is raising funds by selling lift tickets to Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride (www.sirsams.ca). With your purchase, Sir Sam’s is providing us with 25% of the ticket value back to our organization. All money raised will support our local programs and services which helps people in our community to reach their full potential.
You can buy midweek tickets or weekend tickets as well as tickets for youth, adults and seniors.
You will be able to purchase the tickets online through our dedicated website (above) from November 1st, 2023 through to December 24th, 2023. To redeem your tickets, you can simply bring either a printout or the electronic receipt to the hill to exchange for your lift pass. Vouchers purchased can be used ANYTIME during the 2023/24 ski season!
Once you complete your purchase you will receive an email from Sir Sam’s with your receipt, voucher and QR code. You will be able to print this off in order to provide it as a gift for a friend, colleague or family member. Bring this voucher to the hill to exchange for your lift ticket.
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY – Addressing the Root Causes of Poverty to Lift Our Communities Up
When it comes to tackling poverty across the globe, there is still a lot of work to be done. According to statistics from the United Nations, given current trends, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030 – and only about one third of countries will meet the target to halve national poverty levels. In Canada specifically, millions of people rely on community service organizations to fill the gaps left by inadequate incomes to access food, shelter, mental health supports, and other basic needs. In the first six months of this year alone, the 211 helpline received over 43,000 housing related requests, which is a 22% increase from the previous 6-month period.
A report from the University of Toronto shows that 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 in the ten provinces lives in a household that experienced some level of food insecurity. In addition, households with children led by female lone parents are especially vulnerable to food insecurity—38% of these households were food insecure. In 2021, up to 163 million people were estimated to have been pushed into poverty worldwide after the onset of the pandemic. Although Canada was not spared, a number of federal government funding programs helped millions stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Canada experienced record declines in child poverty, which demonstrates the need for ongoing federal government funding to maintain and build on these gains in poverty reduction.
Our network is committed to working towards ensuring an equitable future for all communities across Canada. From coast to coast to coast, United Way Centraides are often the primary resource for the rising number of people falling below the poverty line in our communities. As local experts, we play many roles in community: as collaborators working alongside agency partners and community organizations, as enablers by funding programs and services, as advocates by shining light on tough social issues like poverty while pushing for sustainable solutions, and more.
To tackle poverty, United Way Halifax has helped fund housing support organizations like Welcome Housing, Public Good, and The North Grove, the latter having helped people like Sam, a single mother with two daughters who have been ‘renovicted’ three times and unhoused for quite some time. In the Prairies, United Way Saskatoon & Area are seeing success in helping people experiencing homelessness through the Journey Home program launched in partnership with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service. Across the country, United Way Centraides are continuously working to fund or partner with organizations that help reduce poverty and assist communities with basic needs.
As we observe the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we at United Way Centraide Canada recognize the importance of tackling poverty at both the community and national levels. We commend our local United Way Centraides and their network of community organizations who work together to address the root causes of poverty across Canada. And we remain committed to advocating nationally for additional income support programs and other benefits from the federal government in order to move towards an equitable future for all.
A Message from our Co-Executive Directors
As we enter the midway point of our first year as Co-Executive Directors we wanted to share some exciting things that are taking place at United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes.
This year will be the 5th season for Edwin Binney’s Community Garden, the food security and food literacy project we’ve developed in partnership with Fleming College and Crayola Canada. This dream of our former Executive Director, Penny Barton Dyke, has grown beyond what we could have ever imagined. The farm has produced over 56,000 lbs of produce in four years, all of which is donated to community agencies, food banks and food programs. If you are interested in touring the garden contact the office and we would be happy to share this important initiative with our community members.
We also have a number of events and fundraisers taking place over the next few months. We invite you to consider taking part in one or more to help us make real and impactful change in our region. All funds raised in City of Kawartha Lakes stay in City of Kawartha Lakes. All funds raised in Haliburton County stay in Haliburton County.
Adopt a Crop: This is an opportunity to sponsor one of the crops we grow at Edwin Binney’s Community Garden. By adopting a crop, you receive website, social media and special event promotion and recognition. https://ckl-unitedway.ca/adopt-a-crop/
Spruce Up Your Space Raffle/Off-Grid and Outdoors Raffle: United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes will be running a cottage reno raffle this spring. Tickets are on sale now and the draw will place June 7th. There will be one draw each for Haliburton County and City of Kawartha Lakes.
Giving is Believing Golf Tournament: The second annual Giving is Believing Golf Tournament will take place on Thursday, June 22nd at Wolf Run Golf Course in Janetville. Join us for a round of golf and a delicious meal, be a tournament sponsor or donate a golfer prize. Register here
Workplace Campaigns and Corporate Donations: Running a workplace campaign has several benefits. It is a great way to team up and make a long-lasting impact for our families, neighbours and co-workers. Workplace campaigns usually take place in the fall. Learn more here.
Leadership Gifts: Make a statement in your community. As a Leader, your support will drive social change and make a lasting impact for those most vulnerable in Haliburton County. Show your support by donating at one of three giving levels: Pathfinder – $1,200 – $1,499, Trailblazer – $1,500 – $4,999 and Changemaker – $5,000+. Contact us for more information.
The Pandemic has impacted our community in numerous ways and we have see increases in the need for mental health, food and housing supports. Our service agencies are beyond capacity and are revising how to deliver supports to meet the needs of folks locally. Non-profits are in need of your support, and we know that together we can make real and impactful change.
Thank you for supporting your United Way! Giving is Believing.
Emily and Shantal, Co-Executive Directors.