Evergreen

Garden Market Holiday Helper: Shop Support (Application)

Join the Evergreen Garden Market team this season as a Holiday Helper!   
Lend your support this season with activities like helping visitors select their perfect tree, restocking merchandise, stickering, greeting customers, wayfinding, and more. 

The Garden Market is Evergreen’s mission-driven retail garden centre and general store that equips people to live more sustainably while raising funds to support community programming at Evergreen.  Holiday Helpers will have fun, learn about the retail space, and help to create a magical and welcoming environment for visitors this season.    

🌟 Tasks & Responsibilities – Holiday Helper:   

• Providing friendly customer service and wayfinding 
• Helping visitors select their perfect tree and guiding them through the process of purchasing them 
• Animating the store’s holiday activations     
• Receiving, labelling, and merchandising retail goods    
• Restocking store shelves    
• Acting as an ambassador to Evergreen and the Garden Market      

✋ What you bring:   

• You are 16 years or older. 
• You have a friendly disposition and enjoy providing excellent customer service.   
• You are comfortable working indoors/outdoors in all weather conditions, reaching, crouching, and lifting at least 25lbs. 
• We want to flag that this role may include some physical work. 
• You are also comfortable standing for the majority of your shift.   
• You are reliable, enthusiastic, and keen to help.  
• You’re a team player who can work independently.     

⏰ When: We will be hosting an in-person volunteer orientation on Thursday November 12th from 5:30pm-6:30pm where volunteers will learn more about Evergreen, the Garden Market, Holiday Helper role, and expectations.  

Shifts will launch on November 14th and will continue until December 20th.  Shift times will be scheduled from:  

• Weekdays (Monday-Friday) from 11am-2pm  
• Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) from 10am-1pm or 1pm-4pm 

Tree delivery shifts are available in separate Better Impact activity titled "Garden Market Holiday Helper: Tree Delivery Shifts (Nov 11 & 18)!". Return to the "Opportunities" tab to find it!  

📍Where & Getting Here:  
Holiday Helpers will volunteer at the Evergreen Garden Market at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave).    

We encourage volunteers to choose sustainable transportation! Evergreen runs a free shuttle bus from Broadview subway station. Volunteers can also take the TTC 28 Bayview South bus from Davisville Station which regularly stops at Evergreen Brick Works.  Volunteers can also cycle or walk to the Brick Works through the surrounding ravine trails. If driving, parking is available on a limited basis and is free for volunteers during volunteer shifts. Click here for more information on how to get here.     

Please plan your route accordingly and try to arrive on time as staff will be reviewing key health and safety protocols (e.g. proper lifting) at the start of shifts.    

Parking  

Parking is free for Evergreen volunteers while they are volunteering! To get free parking please email volunteer@evergreen.ca with the following information, ideally 24 hours before the day before the orientation:  

• Your Name  
• License plate number  
• Make, model and colour of your vehicle  
• Province of registration  

Once you are onboarded, you can share your vehicle parking details to an EGM staff member (Tyler or Michelle). If you miss the 24hr deadline, please register your vehicle with the security guards in the Young Centre the day of.  

PLEASE NOTE: Parking is very limited on weekends. Parking is available to everyone on a first come, first served basis. Registering your vehicle does not guarantee parking especially on weekends.   

 
⭐ Commitment: Ideally 4-6 shifts across the season (November – December 2026).   

🌲 How we'll support you:  Volunteers will be asked to participate in an in-person orientation on Thursday November 12th from 5:30pm-6:30pm. This orientation is mandatory for new volunteers to this role. If you are a returning Holiday Helper volunteer at the EGM, you are not required to attend unless you would like a refresher! 

Additional instructions will be given at the beginning of each shift. Evergreen Garden Market Staff will also be available to support volunteers throughout their shifts. 

🔎Good to know:    

• This role takes place in indoor and outdoor spaces. Please be flexible!  
• Volunteers are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather (bring layers especially for the winter cold!). Sap may get on clothing when handling trees so please wear clothes you don't mind getting a bit of sap on!  
• This is a flexible, and public-facing role, comfort interacting with the public is necessary.    

🤝 Perks & What You Gain: Connect with fellow garden enthusiasts, develop your customer service skills and gain experience in a retail environment. As always, volunteers who contribute 20+ hours in a season will also receive T-shirts (pending inventory), a 15% discount on Evergreen Garden Market purchases, and access to the Toronto Attractions Council Reciprocal Program. Please remember to log your hours!      

💚 How to sign up?  If this sounds like a great fit for you, click the “+Sign up” button below to apply. We will follow up with applicants closer to the orientation date with more information.  

❄️ New Evergreen volunteer? Click the “+Fill in an application” button at the top of the page to complete your volunteer profile. Make sure to briefly share your interest in being a Holiday Helper and click the “+Sign Up” button at the end of the Holiday Helper posting.  

Questions? Please reach out to Volunteer Engagement at volunteer@evergreen.ca.