Cooking Matters Volunteer Role Descriptions

Culinary Instructor Responsibilities:

Teach low-income participants the basics of food and kitchen safety, food preparation, and making healthy choices and substitutions when cooking, according to the highlighted objectives of each lesson.

Facilitate class discussions on each cooking or food safety message, allowing participants to brainstorm how they might put new behaviors into action, discuss barriers to adopting new behaviors, and share ideas with their peers for overcoming barriers.

Choose recipes that demonstrate key nutrition, food budgeting, and food preparation lessons each week.

Assign participants kitchen tasks that allow each individual to gain hands-on practice and improve their cooking skills.

Supervise participants in the kitchen, encouraging proper technique and gently correcting as needed.

Nutrition Instructor Responsibilities:

Teach low-income participants basic healthy eating and food budgeting messages, according to the highlighted objectives of each lesson. Messages include: eating from MyPlate food groups; choosing more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; planning balanced meals; reading food labels; and making budget-friendly choices at the store.

Facilitate class discussions on each message, allowing participants to brainstorm how they might put new behaviors into action, discuss barriers to adopting new behaviors, and share ideas with their peers for overcoming barriers.

Select and implement hands-on activities that allow participants to practice key skills and feel comfortable implementing new healthy behaviors.

Classroom Manager Responsibilities:

Help unload and arrange groceries and supplies.

Set up classroom and kitchen space to get ready for participants.

Fill out paperwork including attendance sheet and volunteer hours sheet

Assist chef and nutrition educators and participants throughout class as needed with activities, visual aids, and cooking.

Document: take pictures; take down participant quotes and anecdotes; fill out weekly class reporting form and return to CookingMatters@foodshuttle.org

Help assemble take-home grocery bags for participants.

Help clean up and break down the classroom before leaving. Classroom Assistant Responsibilities:

Help unload and arrange groceries and supplies.

Set up classroom and kitchen space to get ready for participants.

Assist chef and nutrition educators and participants throughout class as needed with activities, visual aids, and cooking.

Implement IFFS garden curriculum lessons.

Help assemble take-home grocery bags for participants.

Help clean up and break down the classroom before leaving.