Community Outreach AmeriCorps Member
Gain valuable skills while serving your community!
This position is part of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board AmeriCorps (VHCB AmeriCorps). The VHCB AmeriCorps program supports the innovative dual-goal approach to creating stable affordable housing opportunities for Vermont residents while preserving the natural and working landscape. VHCB is a national service program that places AmeriCorps members with non-profit housing or land and energy conservation organizations around the state.
NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, with offices in West Rutland and Bennington, is a one-stop-shop, providing all the answers and support a homebuyer or homeowner needs – homebuyer education, realty, lending, energy efficiency and home repair. What makes NeighborWorks of Western Vermont different is our non-profit mission: to build great communities, one dream home at a time.
This position will be instrumental in designing and implementing outreach and community engagement efforts for our service area. This position will be based in the Rutland office and will further community awareness and engagement with all of NeighborWorks services- financial capabilities, homebuyer education, realty, lending, energy efficiency, and home repair.
This position will be very involved with community revitalization efforts in Northwest Rutland in collaboration with Project VISION, involving community building, engagement, and organizing activities such as planning and implementing block parties, surveys, and facilitating neighborhood association meetings.
This position will also be charged with outreach efforts of the HEAT Squad as it expands into new territories this spring and summer.
Essential Functions:
- Serve as a Community Organizer to implement housing and homeownership-related revitalization strategies in coordination with Project VISION in Rutland City. Project VISION is an innovative community revitalization effort that has received statewide and national attention. Among other duties, this would involve working with the Community, Housing and Neighborhoods committee on community improvement projects, volunteer efforts, and direct community outreach.
- Design and implement opportunities to educate, inform, and engage with the public about NWWVT’s services
- Execute various outreach strategies and initiatives; work with community leaders, community committees, and other grassroots organizations to further the mission of the NWWVT
- Other functions based on the skillset of the member within AmeriCorps guidelines
- Overall assistance for the NWWVT team, working closely with the Housing Rehabilitation Specialist and the Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Marginal Functions:
- Attend meetings, webinars, trainings, and events that are related to and/or associated with energy efficiency and technologies and/or healthcare, may make presentations at events.
- Helping with related program paperwork, filing, data entry, data tracking, phone calls, and calculations as necessary.
- Help tell revitalization and HEAT Squad success stories by creating testimonials and white pages.
Desired Qualifications:
- Prior experience with housing and financial education is not required- training is offered
- Good people skills, outgoing, team player, self-directed, computer skills, and leadership abilities.
- Strong desire to be exposed to and willingness to help diverse populations.
- Reliable, independent transportation is an absolute must and ability to attend local and national trainings is required.
- Capable of effective oral and written communication with all members of society, and comfortable with public speaking.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, leadership skills, and personable are all a must.
- Ability to maintain focus and productivity in an “open space” environment with routine distractions.
- Equally effective working independently as well as part of a team.
- Strong computer skills. Familiar with Microsoft Office, including Word, Publisher, PowerPoint and Excel, and willingness to learn CRM Salesforce.
- Willingness to learn and attend trainings
Minimum Qualifications:
- Be US citizen (or have permanent resident status; call with questions about this);
- Be at least 18 years of age upon entering the Pre-Service Orientation (there is no upper age limit), or 17 years of age with written parental permission that has been verified by phone;
- Be a high school graduate or have a GED certificate, or be willing to work towards their GED as part of their service-year successful completion requirement. A member cannot have dropped out of high school to join AmeriCorps. If a member has a documented medical reason/professional opinion why they cannot finish high school, they might be eligible; call in this case;
- Has not been convicted of murder or sexual assault and is willing to undergo an National Service Criminal History Check
- Be committed to the VHCB AmeriCorps program, and its ethic of service and personal and professional development of its participants;
- Have the ability and enthusiasm to drive to, attend, and participate in required trainings and events, and be prepared to drive up to 2-3 hours each way.
Additional Information:
Service will be primarily performed in an office setting but will include some outdoor, public, on-site service time as well. Attendance at events in evenings and weekends may be required.
Position begins February 6, 2017 and ends August 12, 2017.
This position is Half Time: Requires 900 hours for an average of 20 hours per week from February to August. Member will receive a living allowance of $8,640 (pre-tax), and an education award of $2,888 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of service. Other benefits include health insurance, federal school loan forbearance, and various training opportunities.
To Apply:
For questions about this position or to send your resume and cover letter:
Shannon Kennelly
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
110 Marble Street
West Rutland, VT 05777
(802) 797-8606
Application deadline: February 5, 2016
Additional information on AmeriCorps is available at www.americorps.org.
The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) is sponsoring this AmeriCorps position through their AmeriCorps Program. VHCB is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Positions are open to all applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran’s status, religion or creed
