Guelph health, Guelph food, Guelph jobs

Position: Horticultural Therapy Assistant
Organization: Hope House Guelph
Projects: Well-Being Garden & North Field Food Farm
Location: Guelph, Ontario

Job Description

The Therapeutic Horticulture program at Hope House Guelph is designed to promote holistic health and wellness by harnessing the proven benefits of engaging with plants and nature. Through mindful, creative, and community-centered plant-based activities, participants build horticultural skills while fostering emotional wellbeing, self-discovery, and social connection.

The Horticultural Therapy Assistant plays a key support role in maintaining the Well-Being Garden and delivering therapeutic horticulture workshops at the North Field Food Farm. This role also assists in field production within our market garden and acts as a bridge between the gardening program and Hope House’s food and nutrition programs, including the Senior’s Community Food Markets.

Working alongside the Horticultural Therapist, Food Programs Manager, and Field Worker, the successful candidate will help foster an inclusive, engaging environment that empowers participants from diverse backgrounds—including newcomers, individuals with disabilities, seniors and those experiencing poverty or marginalization.

Duties and Responsibilities

Therapeutic Horticulture & Garden Maintenance

• Support delivery of therapeutic horticulture workshops for diverse participant groups
• Maintain the Well-Being Garden through planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and other seasonal tasks
• Encourage and guide volunteers and community members through daily garden activities
• Provide a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for healing, skill-building, and community connection

Market Garden & Farm Support

• Assist Field Worker with market garden field production, including planting, harvesting, and garden maintenance
• Support crop care, propagation, and turf management in all weather conditions

Nutrition & Food Program Integration

• Develop, implement and evaluate group sessions/workshops for community members including food skill classes
• Help recruit and galvanize community members to participate in programming
• Order ingredients for the nutritional education and skill development activities when appropriate
• Ensure that nutrition programming is consistent with diversity and inclusion practices that encourage participation from all community members
• Partner with other individuals & organizations to ensure that coordination happens effectively and efficiently
• Promote food literacy through recipes, tips, workshops, and social media content

Qualifications & Skills

Required:

• Experience in gardening or farming
• Passion for community engagement and social justice
• Physical stamina to perform outdoor manual labour in various weather conditions
• Cooking skills and nutritional knowledge
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with marginalized populations including the ability to diffuse difficult situations
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work alone and or with others as necessary.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Able to multitask.
• Working knowledge of how to administer surveys
• Ability to work with a framework of confidentiality
• Provision of a vulnerable sector police check.
• Hold a valid G Driver’s License along with reliable transportation to and from work sites

Preferred:

• Education in social work, psychology, recreational therapy, horticulture, environmental science, or related fields
• Experience facilitating group workshops or community-based programs
• Understanding of the food system and issues related to food insecurity

Direct Reports

• Some volunteer and student supervision

Health and Safety

• Maintain or obtain Standard First Aid, CPR, Naloxone and Safe Food Handling Certifications
• Ensure that the health and safety guidelines are adhered to by yourself, community members and volunteers
• Observe all Occupational Health and Safety legislation in the workplace and notifies any concerns to your manager

Other Duties

• Maintain expenditures in accordance with the approved budget
• Provides key statistics to Food Programs Manager and Horticultural Therapist to support preparation of Board reports
• Attends staff meetings, trainings and functions as appropriate
• Role model professional behaviour and positive community with participants, volunteers and partners
• Other duties as assigned

Working Conditions

• The ideal start date is Monday, May 26, 2025
• This is a full-time position based on 30 hours per week
• This year round contract position works primarily at the North Field Food Farm located at 5484 Hwy 6, Guelph from April to November. The remainder of the year they work primarily at Hope House Guelph and multiple social housing buildings in Guelph.
• The work schedule is Monday to Friday with hours scheduled between 8:30 am to 7:30 pm, occasional Saturdays during the growing season
• Compensation is $22 per hour

• Employer paid health and dental benefits plan
• Three week vacation
• RRSP Matching Program up to 5% of pay

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Hope House is an equal opportunities employer, committed to employment equity. We value diversity and invite all qualified candidates to apply. We welcome team members with the knowledge and skills to productively work with diverse communities. Hope House values lived experience alongside educational and workplace experience. Feel free to highlight your lived experience in your application, as you feel comfortable, as it will help us consider your application in a holistic way.

About Hope House

Hope House serves vulnerable people in Guelph. All our programs and services are delivered in support of our vision and mission while living out our values of dignity, belonging, and empowerment. Our goal is to foster a greater level of independence by delivering front-line services and support that allow our community members to maintain their dignity and choice. This is accomplished through a diverse range of programs and services including a choice-based Food and Clothing Market, Healthy Living programming, the Guelph Community Backpack Project, a daily Café, Affordable Gift Market, and other programs supporting all Guelph residents (including children) living in poverty.

Next Steps

Please email your cover letter and resume to Pam Harrison at garden@hopehouseguelph.ca with the subject Line to state: Application for Horticultural Therapy Assistant.

Please include in your cover letter the answer to the question, “Why do you believe you are a good fit for this role?”

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

Applications will be reviewed starting May 9, 2025, with the goal of filling the position by May 26, 2025.