Not Far From The Tree (NFFTT), a project of MakeWay Charitable Society, puts Toronto’s abundance of local fruit to use by picking and sharing the harvest via a ⅓ model. NFFTT has picked and shared over 275,000 pounds of fruit since 2008, and schedules over 300 fruit picks per season. Not Far From The Tree builds community, fosters environmental sustainability and enables access to an existing supply of healthy, local food.

NFFTT  is a project on MakeWay’s shared platform, which provides operational support, governance, and charitable expertise for changemakers. With the shared platform, MakeWay projects benefit from the support of a mission-aligned community, charitable expertise, and shared administrative resources including: governance, compliance, financial management, human resources, risk management and grants administration. MakeWay has full fiduciary and governance responsibility for Not Far From The Tree.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an enthusiastic individual to help coordinate  and lead fruit picks in downtown Toronto this season. You’ll be responsible for scouting fruit trees and leading physically-distanced and safe fruit picks in our operating area and sometimes outside of it. You’ll be responsible for ensuring equipment is properly stocked, liaising with fruit pickers and tree registrants, and assisting partner agencies in receiving fruit deliveries. In addition to supporting fruit picking, the Program Coordinator will work with the Program Lead to track KPI’s, support Pick Leader needs, manage incoming communication from participants and assist participants in using the portal. This position is ideal for someone who is comfortable working outside for extended periods, has experience or interest in learning new technical systems and has an interest in fruit trees.

This position is Wednesday to Friday from 12:00 pm – 7:30 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:30pm. The team works remotely and outdoors.

Fixed- Term, Seasonal – 32 hours per week, from June – October 11, 2024

Salary: $20.00/ hour

Who We’re Looking For 

You’re passionate about fruit trees, food waste reduction, and environmental issues, enjoying outdoor activities like scouting trees and picking fruit. As a people person, you excel at building relationships, forming partnerships, and working with volunteers. You’re organized, detail-oriented, and a great communicator with the ability to inspire others, take initiative, and work independently and remotely.

Key Responsibilities

• Scout multiple backyard fruit trees per week to ensure fruit is ripe for Pick Leaders to lead group picks. 
• Ensure NFFTT equipment sets (11 around the operating area) and cargo bikes are in good working order and properly stocked.
• Write the pick leader newsletter each week to ensure program changes are communicated and feedback throughout the season is received. 
• Liaise with and visit  NFFTT’s  social service partner agencies to ensure satisfaction with fruit deliveries, record any feedback and help build the relationship with agency partners. 
• Lead fruit picks throughout the week (if no Pick Leaders are available) which involves picking up a cargo bike and fruit picking equipment, biking to pick sites, safely leading volunteers through picks, and delivering fruit via cargo bike to multiple agency partners across Toronto.
• Utilize NFFTT’s online fruit picking portal to approve and schedule pick requests in a timely manner after scooting their ripeness. 
• Monitor the picks email  account regularly to actively respond to inquiries and requests regarding picks;
• Work with the Program Lead and volunteers to close down the fruit picking program in the fall, organize inventory day and collect the equipment across our catchment area.
• Contribute to the evaluation and 2024 season debrief report used to impact the following season. 
• Represent NFFTT in the community, build relationships with community stakeholders, and develop new project partnerships.
• Understand and follow all MakeWay policies, practices, and procedures.

Qualifications

• Comfortable with urban cycling, specifically using NFFTT’s cargo bikes or your own;
• You have some knowledge about fruit trees (not mandatory);
• Demonstrated ability to take on a public-facing role in the community, and professionally liaise with a variety of stakeholders and volunteers;
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs and take initiative, problem solve, manage time effectively, and exercise sound judgment;
• Exceptional interpersonal and active listening skills; comfortable engaging stakeholders through phone calls, emails, and workshops;
• Familiar with G-Suite (Google Drive, Sheets, Docs, Calendar, Gmail, etc.)

Assets

• Experience with bike maintenance;
• Experience working in a community organization, charity and/or non-profit with a proven track record of managing logistics and relationships, 
• Experience in urban ecology, fruit preserving or fruit tree care;
• Valid G Driver’s Licence;
• Fluency in or conversational understanding of a second language 
• Have participated in NFFTT fruit picking program in the past 
• Reliable access to internet on the go (a cell phone with data works great)

To be eligible, the successful applicant must:

• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment; and,
• Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

How to Apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter to pickme@notfarfromthetree.org with “Program Coordinator” in the subject line. The deadline for applications is Thursday, June 6th  and interviews will be rolling. The ideal start date is Wednesday, June 19th. 

In your cover letter, help us understand why you’re an excellent candidate by addressing the following:

1. Tell us why you think that you are our ideal candidate. 

2. What excites you about working at Not Far From The Tree, and this position in particular?

3. Make connections with your resume — how will your past experiences translate into success in this position?

4. What skills or experiences do you look forward to developing during your time at Not Far From The Tree?

Not Far From The Tree is a project of MakeWay Charitable Society. For more information, please go to makeway.org. The selected candidate will be an employee of MakeWay Charitable Society. MakeWay will provide accommodation during all steps of the selection process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. Please advise us if you need any accommodation.