What's New at LifeCycles

LifeCycles is Hiring a New Executive Director!

JOB POSTING: Executive Director – LifeCycles Project Society

Posted on: Friday, February 26, 2010
Application deadline: Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
Anticipated start date: March 22, 2010

LifeCycles Project Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating awareness and initiating action around food, health and urban sustainability in the Capital Regional District. We work proactively to promote and create personal, shared and community gardens, research and educational activities and youth skills development programs.
Through partnerships we strengthen individual, community and global health. For more information, please visit www.lifecyclesproject.ca.

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS
• Applications will only be accepted via email to Katie@lifecyclesproject.ca
• Please include a cover letter and résumé, addressed to the attention of the LifeCycles Hiring Committee

RENUMERATION AND HOURS
• 15 hours a week at a rate of $25.00/hr post probation
• 3-month probation period at $23.00/hr

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Executive Director of Lifecycles Project Society is a highly motivated leader committed to both professional and personal environmental stewardship. The position requires outstanding management of staff and volunteers and an exceptional ability to communicate the vision, mission and goals of LifeCycles Project Society. The Executive Director is directly accountable to LifeCycles’ Board of Directors for overall management including program delivery, fiscal management, recruitment and leadership of a staff of up to 15 and a volunteer base of over one hundred individuals. The Executive Director will be responsible for an annual operations budget up to $300,000.00 and will report directly to the Board of Directors.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
• Provide leadership and direction to the staff and board to meet organizational goals
• Support the revamping of policy and procedures within the organization that directly support strategic organization objectives
• Prepare, execute and monitor the annual organizational budget with supervision from the Bookkeeper and Board
• Manage day-to-day operations and communications for the organization
• Lead fundraising efforts, including writing grant proposals and seeking sponsorship to support the financial targets and social enterprise endeavors developed by the organization
• Lead diverse volunteer teams from multiple sectors and backgrounds
• Build relationships and network within the community to further organizational objectives

PREFERRED BACKGROUND
• A baccalaureate degree in a related field of study and at least two years of experience related to the duties and responsibilities specified, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community
• Experience in a leadership/management role in a not-for-profit environment
• Experience managing staff, diverse volunteer populations and working with a Board of Directors
• Demonstrated capacity for problem solving, business planning and familiarity with budget development and management
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant proposal writing and/or obtaining sponsorship
• Demonstrated experience building social enterprises and implementing value-added business ventures
• Demonstrated ability to manage and report on large funding agreements with all levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal)
• Effective oral and written communication, ability to adapt writing styles for various purposes and audiences
• Excellent computing skills and familiarity with typical office software


PLEASE NOTE: A criminal record check will be required as the successful candidate will interact with marginalized and at-risk public populations in this position. - 2010-02-26

Get Involved with Urban Agriculture - Jan 27 Steering Committee for Urban Agriculture at LifeCycles

Lifecycles Project and Sprout are teaming up to form a Steering Committee for Urban Agriculture in Victoria! Our goals are to build the capacity of Victorians to grow their own food, and to build more gardens (community, private, institutional) in the Victoria area. To cultivate this, Lifecycles has launched an urban agriculture hotline, workshop series, and is developing resources (like UA fact sheets and a comprehensive toolkit for growing in Victoria), and Sprout has created a website hub for promoting urban agriculture events and connecting groups and people working towards food sovereignty in Victoria. By collaborating and bringing together folks with diverse interests and skills (or those interested in learning more and developing these skills), we can really create change in our community.
We'd like to invite you and your friends to a visioning event to form this Committee!

Come to the Lifecycles office, upstairs at 625 Hillside Ave. on:
Wednesday, January 27th from 5-7pm

It's going to be a potluck, so if you've got something to share, please bring it along but don't worry if you don't have time/energy to do so.

Our intentions for the event:
1. to hang out and eat together...
2. and discuss a vision and initiate an action plan for urban agriculture in Victoria...
3. and match up your interests and skills with current urban agriculture opportunities and our emerging vision...
4. through forming an Urban Agriculture Steering Committee

For more information email us at:
uahub@lifecyclesproject.ca - 2010-01-20

Canning and Preserving Workshop with Rebecca Jehn

Sunday, March 21, 2:00-3:30 pm
At the Greater Victoria Public Library

Yes we can! This workshop, presented by the Central library in collaboration with LifeCycles, introduces you to the world of preserving local fruits and vegetables by freezing, drying, canning and storing. It includes detailed instructions, tips, and recipes for many local fruits and vegetables.

Rebecca Jehn is an organic farmer who has been growing and preserving fruit and vegetables for over 30 years, having first been introduced to preserving by her grandmother.

To learn more and to register, check out www.gvpl.ca - 2010-01-20

Winter Food Security Workshop: February 6th, 2010: Pruning Fruit Tree's

Upcoming
Winter Food Security Workshop
Brought to you by the Blanshard Community Centre, made
possible through funding from the Vancouver Island Health
Authority and in cooperations with the LifeCycles Project Society

Saturday, February 6 – Pruning Fruit Trees

Come out and learn how to prune your fruit trees – we will work on
real examples of different trees in different states in the Blanshard
Hillside area. Come dressed for the weather and be prepared for
some walking. Pre-registration preferred but not necessary. Meet
at Wark Street Commons, corner of King and Wark, 1-4pm,
Free
For more info email foodsecurity@blanshardcc.com or call
250-388-7696
In cooperation with - 2010-01-20

Launch of 'Give a Gift, Grow a Community' at City Hall

LifeCycles in the news: Mayor Fortin and Councilors Phillippe Lucas and Sonya Chandler joined staff and volunteers of LifeCycles to launch the holiday membership campaign and to check-out our unique new mobile Greenhouse at City Hall on Wednesday, November 18, 2009.

LifeCycles would like you to do something a little bit different this year and buy a LifeCycles membership for yourself, a family member, a fellow gardener or a colleague this Holiday Season, and you will not only be supporting action to improve local food security, urban agriculture and youth empowerment but you will be joining a community of dedicated people already improving the life of all Greater Victoria residents.

For more details about LifeCycles and how to become a member, please see our website http://lifecyclesproject.ca and go to the ‘get involved’ page and say gift membership in the ‘how did you hear about us ‘ section.

Or to make a donation click on the link on the homepage of go to http://lifecyclesproject.ca/support.php., which will link to CanadaHelps.org via our website or call the office at (250) 383-5800. - 2009-11-25

FarmFolk/CityFolk Honours Sustainable Farmers

Vancouver-based FarmFolk/CityFolk wanted to share this video homage to 27 sustainable farmers and urban growers in BC. Check it out!

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The Fruit Tree Project Contact us at fruittree@lifecyclesproject.ca to have your trees picked this season. Click here to find out more about LifeCycles Fruit Tree Project. Fruit Tree Project is looking for Partners.

Sharing Backyards Just Launched! Our Sharing Backyards program is designed to link people that have space to grow food but don't have the time our inclination to do so with people who are interested in growing food but do not have access to space to do so. Our new online system makes linking potential gardeners easier than ever.

Good Food Directory The Good Food Directory is your source to local and organically grown foods. The directory includes everything from fresh produce to delicous sweets and candy. Please note that the directory is still in development phases. Feedback is greatly appreciated.