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Community Engagement Specialist

New York, United States (Hybrid)

Community Engagement Specialist

21 Hours ago • All levels

About the job

Summary_{By Outscal}

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that is fighting for change that lasts, right here in the U.S. and across the globe. We bring sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. The organization is approximately 75 years old and has worked in over 100 countries around the world since its founding.

In the United States, we come alongside local churches, community organizations and hundreds of individual volunteers to support newly arriving refugee and other immigrant families. Today, we are proud to partner with over 6,000 local churches, and 95,000 volunteers globally to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

The Community Engagement Specialist supports World Relief Western NY’s (WRWNY) efforts of building a welcoming church and community engagement structure that positively impacts program participants, volunteers, the church, and the community. This is accomplished through recruiting volunteers and interns, building relationships with community partners, and managing World Relief’s Gift in Kind (GIK) program. This position will intentionally work towards developing relationships with key community members and mobilizing the community to provide for and serve refugees and immigrants in vulnerable circumstances. On average, 75% of this role will focus on community outreach and 25% will focus on GIK.

Role & Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Create, update, and disseminate promotional and educational materials specifically aimed at relationship building; ensure materials are translated and accessible for various populations
Plan, attend, and/or exhibit at relevant immigrant and community focused events to promote and explain the services of World Relief Western NY and to recruit new volunteers and interns
Organize virtual and/or in-person meetings with relevant church and community parties to educate the community and increase awareness of all World Relief services and opportunities
Ensure a strong, dynamic, and diverse volunteer and intern base enabling the office to effectively support service delivery and community outreach objectives
Work with Church and Community Engagement (CCE) Manager and other program managers to build sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships for World Relief Western NY with immigrant service providers, community-based organizations, and related organizations and faith communities
Be a connector of relationships and information, informing other World Relief staff of relevant organizations and services in the community that will benefit clients and grow partnerships
Coordinate, train, and coach volunteer ambassadors of WRWNY to represent World Relief at external events
Plan, attend, and/or host quarterly events focused specifically on recruiting new volunteers and interns
Keep up-to-date volunteer records of community partners and other relevant parties in World Relief’s Dynamics database
Participate in Western NY’s World Refugee Day Community event
Update, care for, and manage World Relief Western NY’s permanent and traveling refugee simulation, ensuring it is continually in use and active at churches, community organizations, and various events throughout Western NY
Train WRWNY staff, volunteers, and interns in how to set-up, host, and debrief the refugee simulation at events and with various stake holders
Manage WRWNY’s tabling materials, making sure staff, volunteers, and interns are equipped with the items and knowledge to table at various events
Manage Handshake, Volunteer Match, and other recruitment-based online platforms for volunteers and interns Ensure a smooth handoff of new volunteers, interns, and community partners to the appropriate members of the CCE Team and WRWNY staff
Manage World Relief’s Gift in Kind donation program, ensuring there is a constant inflow and outflow of donated items making their way to program participants
Maintain donation storage room organization, including keeping an up-to-date inventory of available items Maintain detailed records of donated items to World Relief in Dynamics
Periodically plan for volunteers to organize items in the storage units Receive and process Gift in Kind donations, including supporting donation drives from church and community partners
Manage volunteers (driving, unloading, and packing) for World Relief’s semi-monthly donation pickups from the Bishop Storehouse
Work with the CCE Manager to submit accurate numbers around GIK and community partnerships for the various grants and communication WRWNY is involved in
Update World Relief’s GIK kits for program participants based on conversations with programmatic staff as needed
Manage WRWNY’s annual Christmas gift donation event, ensuring helping without hurting principles are applied

Church and Community Engagement Team Collaboration Functions:
Assist the CCE Team with general volunteer orientations, church and community events, community engagement, trainings, and program activities
Provide monthly input into the WRWNY Newsletters
Meet 1-on-1 with GNT leaders, friendship partners, church leaders, community partners, and/or other relevant individuals regarding partnering with WRWNY
Attend departmental meetings to share input on client adjustment and integration, and to better guide volunteers in assisting to meet programmatic and missional goals.
Participate in relevant national World Relief community of practice(s) on a periodic basis
Serve as the primary point of contact for at least one local church
Develop volunteer ambassadors and/or interns related to this position
Participate in conversations regarding monetary donations with relevant constituents
Pray for World Relief, program participants, the church, and the Western NY community

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Self-motivated worker with the ability to problem solve and demonstrate initiative in outreach Excellent interpersonal, collaborative, and communication skills
Proven ability to troubleshoot unique situations, multi-task, and manage multiple deadlines with a limited degree of supervision
Detail oriented
Demonstrated ability to project manage, coordinate logistics, and delegate
Demonstrated comfort leading public presentations
Ability to build positive inter-departmental relationships
Strong leadership skills to motivate, inspire, and encourage a diverse group of people
Strong computer knowledge, including MS Office and the ability to learn new programs
Must have the ability to work under pressure with flexibility both in person and using technology
Strong written and verbal communication English
Experience working with community organizations and churches
Demonstrated ability to solve problems in an efficient, calm manner
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and sensitively with people of diverse ages and cultural and religious backgrounds
Experience working or volunteering with refugee or immigrant communities strongly preferred
Intimate knowledge of community organizations throughout Rochester, NY preferred

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours + per week):

- Medical, Dental, Vision

- Offer 16 company Paid Holidays + 4 additional Personal days per year!

- Paid Sick and Vacation Time

- Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks for qualified employees)

- FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding

- Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)

- Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident insurance policies

- Legal Shield Insurance

World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:

- Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)

- Long Term & Short-term Disability

- Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)

- Long Distance Travel Insurance

- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

World Relief - Retirement:

- 401K & Roth

- WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%

- Eligibility: Full Time (40 hours per week) is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year.

World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):

- Verizon

- Pet Insurance through Nationwide

- Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual

- Working Advantage Discount Program

- Active & Fit Gym Membership

World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations

· The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds.

· Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read application information.

· The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

· General office setting. World Relief also offers hybrid and remote schedules for limited positions.

· Great lengths of time working on computer, reading from computer screen, entering information, standing at copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in virtual meetings may be required.

· Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending.

· Physical, emotional and intellectual demands

· Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier.

· All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.

For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. World Relief strictly prohibits and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination against employees on the basis of person’s race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law, which does not conflict with the protections afforded World Relief as a faith-based employer.

In addition, physical or mental limitations will not be a factor in the application of World Relief's employment policies or employee practices, except for those situations in which occupational requirement make consideration of such factors necessary.

Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.