Dietary Aide/Cook

Looking for a career with purpose—not just a paycheck?

Join Grant Gardens and help support the health, safety, and well-being of adolescents through reliable, high-quality food service.

At Grant Gardens Residential Treatment Center, every role contributes to the environment our residents experience each day. From preparing meals to maintaining a clean and safe kitchen, our Dietary Services team plays an important part in helping our program operate successfully. This position is a weekend/Part-Time position.

Overview

Serve More Than a Meal.

At Grant Gardens, we believe Healing Starts with People—and that includes the people behind the scenes who make sure our residents are cared for, supported, and provided with safe and nutritious meals every day.

The Dietary Aide supports the preparation, cooking, portioning, service, delivery, and cleanup of meals, snacks, and beverages for residents and staff.

This position works closely with the Dietary Supervisor and other members of the Grant Gardens team to maintain a safe, organized, sanitary, and efficient food-service environment.

Dietary Aides may assist with food preparation and cooking, serving-line setup, meal distribution, dishwashing, cleaning, receiving and storing supplies, inventory, and required kitchen documentation based on operational needs.

The goal is simple: provide safe, dependable food service that supports the care our residents receive every day.

What You'll Do

• Prepare, cook, portion, assemble, and serve meals, snacks, and beverages according to approved menus, recipes, and portion guidelines.
• Set up hot and cold food areas, beverage stations, trays, carts, and meal-service equipment.
• Follow established dietary instructions, including food allergies, texture modifications, substitutions, and resident-specific dietary needs.
• Deliver meals, snacks, beverages, and supplies to assigned areas as directed.
• Collect trays, dishes, utensils, and service items following meals.
• Maintain kitchen, serving, storage, dining, and dishwashing areas in a clean and sanitary condition.
• Follow safe food-handling, infection-prevention, sanitation, and cross-contamination procedures.
• Monitor and document required food, refrigerator, and freezer temperatures.
• Receive and properly store food and supply deliveries.
• Assist with inventory, stock rotation, labeling, dating, and organization of food and supplies.
• Follow proper procedures for the safe storage of food, chemicals, equipment, sharps, and other restricted kitchen items.
• Complete required food-service documentation, cleaning logs, temperature logs, and other assigned records.
• Communicate food shortages, equipment concerns, dietary questions, or meal-service issues to the appropriate supervisor.
• Interact with residents in a calm, respectful, professional, and developmentally appropriate manner.
• Maintain resident confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Follow facility security, safety, incident-reporting, and mandated-reporting requirements.
• Participate in required orientation, food-safety, infection-prevention, emergency-preparedness, and other mandatory training.
• Support dietary and facility operations as needs change throughout the day.

More Than a Traditional Food Service Role

Grant Gardens is a residential treatment environment serving adolescents ages 13–17.

That means our Dietary Aides do more than work in a kitchen.

You will be part of a larger team supporting a safe and therapeutic environment. Employees must be able to maintain professional boundaries, follow security procedures, protect confidential information, and communicate concerns appropriately when working around residents.

We are looking for employees who understand that consistency, teamwork, cleanliness, safety, and professionalism matter just as much as preparing a good meal.

What We're Looking For

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Previous food-service, institutional kitchen, healthcare, behavioral health, school food service, restaurant, or similar experience preferred.
• Previous professional food-service experience preferred for employees regularly assigned primary cooking responsibilities.
• Basic knowledge of food preparation, cooking, sanitation, portion control, and safe food-handling practices.
• Ability to follow menus, recipes, dietary restrictions, written instructions, and established procedures.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Dependability, punctuality, professionalism, and willingness to assist with changing operational needs.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Ability to safely use kitchen equipment, utensils, cleaning chemicals, carts, dishwashing equipment, and food-storage systems.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and perform the physical functions normally associated with food-service work.

Certifications & Training

• Must obtain and maintain any food-handler certification or training required by applicable law or Grant Gardens policy.
• ServSafe or comparable food-safety certification preferred.
• Must complete and maintain required background clearances, health screenings, mandated-reporter education, and facility-required safety training.
• CPR, First Aid, AED, TCI, or other facility-required training must be completed when applicable to the position.

Physical Requirements

This is an active food-service position.

Employees should be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods.
• Bend, reach, carry, push, pull, and perform repetitive food-service tasks.
• Lift and/or move approximately 40 pounds.
• Work around hot and cold temperatures, steam, food odors, wet floors, cleaning chemicals, sharp utensils, and normal commercial-kitchen equipment.
• Safely perform food preparation, serving, cleaning, and warewashing activities.

Why Join Grant Gardens?

At Grant Gardens, every department contributes to our mission.

You may not be providing clinical treatment, but the work you do directly affects the environment in which our residents live, learn, and heal.

A clean kitchen matters.

A safe meal matters.

Remembering a resident's dietary restriction matters.

Having meals prepared correctly and on time matters.

And having dependable employees who take pride in doing those things well makes a difference every day.

If you enjoy food service, value teamwork, take pride in maintaining a clean and organized environment, and want to work somewhere where your role has a bigger purpose, we'd love to meet you.

Pay: From $16.00 per hour

Expected hours: 16.0 – 30.0 per week

Work Location: In person

Salary : $16