Food Service Worker - Full Time

Job Title: Food Service Worker

Reports To: Senior Director of Nutrition Programs

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, Full-Time

Department: Nutrition

Grade: S1

Location: Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center

Who We Are

Established in 1970, Serving Seniors helps San Diego County’s low-income seniors overcome poverty through whole-person, wraparound support including meals, housing, health and social services, and enrichment activities. We work at numerous sites across the county and in the homes of hundreds of homebound seniors. Our flagship Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center in downtown San Diego is unlike any other senior center in the nation. Bringing together a range of supportive services under one roof, the Senior Wellness Center operates 365 days a year and offers two floors of integrated care, including health and social services, housing navigation, enrichment activities, lifelong learning, a Cyber Café and linkage to over 25 onsite direct service partners, including a senior dental center. Last fiscal year, we provided over 1.1 million meals and coordinated services to over 10,700 older adults. 

Our Mission: Helping seniors in poverty live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Our Vision: All seniors, regardless of income, are able to thrive, engage in their communities, lead purposeful lives, and have a place they call home.

Our Core Values:

Advocacy - Acknowledging and supporting the needs of older adults at the individual, community, and policy-level.

Person-Centered - Seeing the whole person, providing coordinated support, and treating all with dignity and respect.

Integrity – Representing the values of honesty, trust, and transparency within our community.

Compassion & Empathy – Approaching our work with a heartfelt desire to better understand and serve.

Impact – Measuring and evaluating programs to ensure that for every dollar invested, there is a positive impact in the lives of those we serve.

Inclusive – Promoting an environment that nurtures differences and allows individuals to be their entire, authentic selves.

Top Workplace Award Recipient

Serving Seniors has received the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Top Workplaces Award nine out of the ten years the awards program has taken place, and most recently for five years in a row from 2019-2024.

Job Purpose

Under supervision, performs a variety of kitchen and food preparation duties in support of the Congregate and Home Delivered meal programs offered through Serving Seniors. Coordinates kitchen activities at the Congregate Dining Site, including heating/re-heating, preparing, serving fresh and pre-packaged meals; ensures a clean and sanitary work area and complies with food preparation standards.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare meals for on-site dining or meal delivery program
• Prepare both fresh and frozen meals, defrost pre-packaged meals, cook/heat entrees and assemble meals
• Assist with packing and loading meals for transport
• Assist in serving meals to on-site participants
• Coordinate efforts of kitchen volunteers
• Provide guidance and instruction on meal preparation procedures and standards.
• Maintain food service areas, facilities, and equipment in a clean and sanitary condition
• Wash and properly store dishes, equipment, and utensils
• Maintain documents and records pertaining to food preparation standards, kitchen procedures, and the Nutrition Program
• Inspect weekly/bi-weekly food and supply deliveries and food/non-food inventory and storage for quality, quantity, and accuracy
• Ensure that all food and supplies are properly stored
• Participate in nutrition education activities/meetings in support of the Nutrition Program
• Other related duties as required

Education and Experience

• High School diploma or equivalent preferred
• Previous experience working in a kitchen preferred
• Previous experience working with older adults preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Superior customer service skills, including the identification of customer needs and follow up to ensure those needs have been met
• Ability to develop professional, cooperative working relationships with participants, participants' family, other employees and volunteers
• Ability to motivate and lead teams
• Ability to exercise independent judgment
• Knowledge of applicable laws and regulations as they relate to food service

Working Conditions

• Onsite position
• Position is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 30 pounds.
• Requires specific vision abilities to include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Why our current employees enjoy working for us:

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package. Serving Seniors pays 100% of employees medical & dental coverage. (For employees who qualify for benefits)
• We offer paid holidays and paid time off to all employees
• We offer a floating holiday to all employees
• We offer up to a 3% match on 403(b) retirement plans, to all employees
• We’ve been voted a best place to work for over five years in San Diego
• We are a stable company with over 50 years of experience
• We have served thousands of older adults throughout San Diego County making a positive impact and providing a higher quality of life to these individuals

Pay: $18 per hr

This employer is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and E-Verify employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.