Position Description

Kerr Street Mission (KSM) is a Christian charity dedicated to helping the community of Oakville care for low-income and at-risk families and youth, by coming alongside families in distress and helping them get to a healthier, more sustainable situation and by developing youth so they don’t end up in poverty.

KSM provides a place where people can gather and find help. It brings people together to serve and be served, facilitates the communities’ response to the needs of families and individuals in distress, and creates opportunity for God’s love and compassion to be shared in practical and tangible ways.

KSM serves low income and at-risk families, at-risk youth, and local churches and other groups committed to serving the families and/or youth in need.

Our faith in Jesus Christ, and the love and compassion we have received from Him motivates us to have love and compassion for others. We believe every person is created in the image of God and is loved and valued by Him. We work with people of all faiths, without discriminating, proselytizing or condition.

Position Title: Volunteer Coordinator
Position Type: Full Time
Contract: 1 year
Rate: $26.00 - $28.00
Effective: Immediate

Position Summary:  Every week, 260 regular volunteers give KSM 385 hours, and corporate, community and seasonal groups add 8,000 to 10,000 hours a year. The Volunteer Coordinator focuses on finding the right people for KSM and is invested in their experience while volunteering with us. This role leads the recruiting, onboarding and hosting of our individual volunteers, onboards groups, and is the on-site lead on the Manager’s days off. We are looking for a warm, organized people-person who cares about every volunteer’s experience and is always looking for a better way to do things.

At the heart of the role: making every volunteer feel welcome, well trained and part of the team, so they stay and bring others with them.

Primary Areas of Responsibility:

Individual Volunteers: Recruiting, Onboarding and Hosting

• Contribute to strategic and budget planning for the volunteer department.
• Work proactively with program leads to identify ongoing and seasonal volunteer needs, and lead recruiting to meet them, in line with the volunteer goals set by the Manager.
• Ensure there is a clear role description for every volunteer position so that we attract the right applicants, and that postings are current across our various channels.
• Lead the recruiting and onboarding of new individual volunteers, including COBS volunteers, with screening (reference checks and police checks), orientation and safety, so due diligence is always followed.
• Greet new individual volunteers on site and provide initial orientation and welcome to KSM.
• Work with the Volunteer Administrator to ensure new volunteers are placed where they are needed.
• Work with the Events and Group Volunteer Engagement Coordinator to recruit event volunteers and Volunteer Ambassadors.
• Identify recruiting trends and issues, summarize observations and propose solutions (if needed) to the Manager.

Group Onboarding

• Lead the onboarding of groups according to KSM’s new group protocols.
• Share what you learn from onboarding groups with the Manager and the Events and Group Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, to help refine the protocols.
• Work with the Volunteer Administrator, passing on information that enables them to schedule meal, seasonal and Christmas Wonders groups.
• Identify group trends, summarize observations and propose solutions to the Manager.

Volunteer Experience, Training and Retention

• Make the volunteer experience a priority at every step, from first contact to long-term service.
• Lead general volunteer orientation and annual training refreshers.
• Build relationships with volunteers, notice when someone steps away for long periods of time with help from the Volunteer Administrator, and follow up personally.
• Keep volunteers informed and engaged through regular communications, such as volunteer newsletters.
• Lead the annual volunteer survey to elicit anonymous feedback, and summarize results for leadership and volunteers.
• Pass day-to-day feedback from volunteers to program leads.
• Lead day-to-day and informal volunteer recognition, so volunteers feel thanked and valued every week.
• Support the formal volunteer recognition events planned by the Events and Group Volunteer Engagement Coordinator.
• Help recruit and host volunteers for seasonal surges, including Christmas Wonders, summer programs and food drives.
• Keep volunteer rosters up to date using recurring data integrity reports. Proactively reach out to inactive volunteers or applicants.
• Identify issues or obstacles in the volunteer recruiting or onboarding process and propose solutions to the Manager, implementing change as needed.
• Review training on an annual basis and refresh as required.
• Join communities of practice around volunteering and participate in forums/training around volunteer recruitment, management and retention.
• Support implementation of large change efforts at KSM, helping to ensure that volunteers are informed and have the ability to provide feedback.

On-Site Coverage

• Act as on-site lead on the Manager’s days off, so the volunteer team has five-day coverage.
• Be the first contact for volunteers and program staff on those days, and bring bigger issues to the Manager.

Process Improvement

• Bring a process improvement mindset to the work: look for simpler, better ways to recruit, onboard, train and keep volunteers.
• Build subject-matter expertise in Better Impact, and use it consistently in daily work.
• Ensure we are using Better Impact to its full potential to optimize administration and volunteer experience.
• Share ideas and results with the Manager, and help put agreed changes in place.

Qualifications:

• A humble heart and a genuine love for people.
• 3+ years coordinating, training and keeping volunteers or a front-line team, ideally in a nonprofit or faith-based setting.
• Comfortable with volunteer management software (Better Impact an asset) and MS Office.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• A process improvement mindset; comfortable suggesting and trying new ways of working.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with a calm presence on busy days.
• Flexibility for occasional evening and weekend events.
• A certificate in volunteer management or relevant post-secondary education, First Aid or JHSC certification, and the ability to speak other languages are all assets.
• A successful vulnerable sector police background check is a requirement and a pre-requisite along with a minimum of two references. All employees must comply with the Mission, Vision and Core Values of Kerr Street Mission.

Interested candidates should submit their Resume and Cover Letter to humanresources@kerrstreet.com by November 26th, 2026. Early applications are encouraged.
*Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. We appreciate the time and effort taken to apply and thank all applicants for their interest in joining our team.

Kerr Street Mission is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. We offer an environment that will support you in reaching your potential. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Applicants need to make their needs known in their cover letter when they apply.