Job Details

Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt Payrate: $24.00/Hour Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm

Job Summary: The Community Engagement Specialist is responsible for assisting the Development Team with the implementation of existing components and the creation of new components to Mercy House's fundraising plans, community outreach, and volunteer services. This position will be based onsite at the Brundage Navigation Center in Bakersfield. Primary responsibilities for this role include providing residents with information about available services in the community, assisting residents to access services through referrals and advocacy, and organizing community building and/or other enrichment activities for residents.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Community Outreach

• Coordinate and oversee Community Outreach opportunities with Congregations, Service Groups, Corporations, and other community groups

• Represent Mercy House at Community Outreach Events

• Seek out community partners that will support Mercy House

• Meet on a regular basis with community organizations to ensure a strong relationship is maintained

• Support all fundraising events for example the Pickle Ball Tournament

• Seek out community support to be represented on our Regional Advisory Council

• Create and sustain relationships with city staff, community organizers, local business leaders, and church partners for the sake of building out a fundraising plan for Kern County

Volunteer Coordination

• Oversee recruitment, interviewing, and training of volunteers

• Oversee volunteer placement and performance

• Responsible for reporting on volunteer/donation hours to management

• Recognize volunteer achievements

• Create marketing content from volunteer groups for public relation purposes

• Ongoing creative input/development of new volunteer programs

• Oversee the coordination of holiday events and adopt a resident program and special volunteer projects

• Oversee the implementation and maintenance of volunteer platform

• Lead volunteer orientations and other recruitment events

Donation Coordination

• Obtain larger in-kind donations (e.g., maintenance work, painting, Easter baskets, adopt-a-resident gifts, etc.)

• Oversee Match in-kind donation allocation and budget

• Manage tracking and thanking donors who provide in-kind donations

• Coordinate with programs to see what the major needs are

Residential Services
Goal: Deliver effective support services to all residents

• Assist residents with establishing individual and family goals and maintain safe, stable affordable housing

• Facilitate resident's participation with credit counseling, computer training, financial literacy education and job search assistance to help them achieve greater levels of success in their lives

• Coordinate life skills workshops on topics such as job search skills, parenting skills, time and stress management, health and wellness, and interpersonal relationship and communication skills

• Coordinate job readiness workshops to support residents in job search job skills development

• Provide residents with information about available services in the community

• Assist residents to access services through referral and advocacy

• Organize community building and/or other enrichment activities for residents

• Assist residents in building support networks with other residents, family and friends

• Design and coordinate holiday and community building events

Miscellaneous

• Attend staff meetings and training workshops as needed

• Enhance job performance by applying up-to-date professional and technical knowledge gained by attending seminars and conferences and reviewing professional publications

• Perform ad hoc projects as appointed by Supervisor

Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Human Services, or related field is preferred

• Persons with less than a BA/BS degree but with at least 2 years of direct life experience working with long-term homeless, low income, and diverse populations and have a working knowledge of mental health and additional issues are welcome to apply

General

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse population; plan, organize and prioritize duties; perform crisis intervention as needed; clearly communicate information and instructions verbally and in written form; maintain a positive, professional and safe environment while on duty; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with others

• Dependability, responsibility, and the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Core Competencies:

• Adaptability: Ability to adjust to different perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, recognizing the diverse interconnectedness of individuals and communities

• Compassion: Demonstrates empathy and understanding towards others, acknowledging their interconnectedness and inherent worth

• Humility: Recognizes one's own place within the larger interconnected web of humanity, showing openness to learning from others and acknowledging the contributions of all

• Build Trust: Excels in building and maintaining trust within teams and across organizational levels, consistently demonstrating integrity and honesty in communication, actions, and decision-making

• Accountability: Takes responsibility for actions, admits mistakes, and continuously strives for self-improvement, and encourages a learning mindset within the organization

• Continuous Improvement: Commits to personal and professional development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and encourages a learning mindset within the organization

• Communication: Excels in communicating clearly and persuasively through verbal, non-verbal, and written communication, conveying complex ideas with clarity, and fostering open dialogue across all levels of the organization

• Confidence: Exhibits courage in making bold decisions, taking action in the face of uncertainty, and embracing calculated risks on behalf of constituents

• Critical Thinking: Possesses the ability to critically analyze existing policies related to homelessness and constructively advocate for changes that address systemic injustices

• Collaboration: Builds and fosters positive relationships with diverse range of stakeholders, including clients, coworkers, community organizations, and affected communities and effectively working toward the shared goal of ending homelessness

• Drive Change: Understands and embodies that every action is an opportunity to be innovative and draw ideas from others; implements valuable change to forward our mission and shares the "why's" behind changes