Tuesday, June 12, 2012

AmeriCorps VISTA Positions in Southern Nevada

[Announcement from he-sl listserv]



Good afternoon,
Please share with others who may be interested in AmeriCorps VISTA positions.
Thank you!
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Always wonder what it might be like to live in Las Vegas, Nevada?  Known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for entertainment, shopping and fine dining.  A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 28th most populous city in the United States.     

Las Vegas is also home to a large nonprofit sector working diligently to improve high school graduation rates, end childhood hunger, save the environment and eradicate poverty. United Way of Southern Nevada is currently recruiting for 14 VISTAs and one VISTA Team Leader to serve 8/6/2012 – 8/9/2013 in the Las Vegas area.

The positions include:

United Way of Southern Nevada’s Volunteer Center, VISTA Team Leader - http://bit.ly/MdS706
By increasing the capacity of nonprofit organizations, we ensure that these key organizations are able to survive the economic downturn & continue to provide for the clients which rely upon them. AmeriCorps VISTA members will serve in capacity building assignments: building and strengthening the overall capacity of local nonprofit organizations, i.e., resource development capacity & volunteer management capacity. The VISTA Team Leader will support these efforts by providing one-on-one support to VISTA members. This support will be provided via regular site visits, team meetings, trainings and service projects for members. To be eligible to serve the VISTA Team Leader, applicant must have successfully completed at least 1 term of VISTA service.

Arthritis Foundation - http://bit.ly/LROFaj
The VISTA member will partner with Arthritis Foundation staff to develop Life Improvement exercise classes for low income individuals living in southern Nevada. The member will also research & develop grants to sustain & grow existing programs designed to decrease on the job injury. These programs for employees not only reduce on the job injuries, but keep employees at work & able to perform their job duties. Targeted employees are generally low income, 78% of which are Hispanic, earning $8-$12 an hour. The VISTA member will explore avenues to increase funding for needy families affected by Juvenile Arthritis to enable them to attend educational conferences as well as enable children affected by JA to attend medically supervised summer camps.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas – http://bit.ly/Kw9vy0
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas (BGCLV) serves an average of 1,000 kids per day, ages 5-18, and has a special focus on children and teens from challenging or disadvantaged circumstances. Members often come from low income/single parent households and face challenging obstacles to succeed. The BGCLV strives to provide positive roles models that can have a meaningful impact on these lives. Volunteers are essential to the organization, in not only becoming role models for members, but also bringing new skills & services that allow them to provide quality programs for the kids benefit and enjoyment. Volunteer involvement, whether individual or corporate, also creates strong relationships with the community that seeks to invest in the future of youth. The VISTA member will be responsible for continuing to develop the capacity of the BGCLV newly established Volunteer Management Program.

Child Focus @ St. Jude’s Ranch for Children - http://bit.ly/MnS5pg
Within the foster care community there exists a primary need to strengthen families. The Child Focus program connects separated siblings in foster care, providing opportunities for them to heal, grown and maintain their sibling bond during a very difficult chapter in their life. The experience of the individual placed at the Child Focus office would include helping families (primarily children & youth in foster care) strengthen their family bonds. Strengthening families is a key tenant in helping families to break the cycle of abuse & neglect. The VISTA member would work with staff from St. Jude's Ranch for Children's Child Focus program to balance capacity building projects in three program areas: Cyber Siblings, Mentoring and Academic Success. The VISTA member would help siblings communicate with one another without direct contact via cell phones and computers as part of the Cyber Sibling Program. In the event a brother or sister moves from their current foster home, they would be able to continue communicating via technology at their new placement.

Clark County School District - http://bit.ly/L0qKdx
The VISTA member will outreach to new & existing partners in the community to identify opportunities for youth to volunteer as well as to identify opportunities for community members to volunteer in activities which promote education and student success. The VISTA will develop key talking points & guidelines for conversations, coordinate trainings, place volunteers in school settings as well as develop & maintain a database of volunteer opportunities and completed activities. The VISTA will develop systems to ensure the sustainability of service initiatives beyond the VISTA program. In addition, the VISTA will maintain & enhance a social media campaign to bring community-wide awareness to education themed volunteer opportunities. The VISTA will develop volunteer opportunities that enable community members to become involved in school programs that promote economic development in southern Nevada.

Goodwill of Southern Nevada – http://bit.ly/LMZM8J
The VISTA opportunity at Goodwill of Southern Nevada has two primary strategic objectives. First, the VISTA member will help Goodwill develop sustainable programs for financial stability (VITA/EITC, Financial Education & Asset Development) to be integrated long-term into the organization's workforce development mission. Secondly, the VISTA member will help Goodwill secure grants to support these financial stability programs, Goodwill's VISTA member will support volunteer outreach, recruitment, training & certification as well as provide necessary oversight to ensure volunteer retention. They will also develop & implement volunteer recognition activities.

Nevada Health Centers - http://bit.ly/NtkNaq
NVHC currently has a small but effective volunteer program and are in need of a VISTA member to devote time and energy into making the program robust and sustainable. The VISTA member will be responsible for enhancing training materials, recruiting volunteers and keeping them engaged. The VISTA member will be charged with growing the volunteer program through strategic recruitment, volunteer orientation and monthly volunteer training. The VISTA member will create a team of volunteers who will reach the underserved & poverty-stricken residents of the Las Vegas community to help eliminate health disparities and poverty by referring them to affordable health services.

Nevada Partners - http://bit.ly/KMxkWN
The VISTA member will address the need for greater financial stability in Nevada. According to the Corporation for Enterprise Development, 45% of Nevada households are asset poor, or lack the ability to live at poverty level for three months in the absence of income. This presents a significant challenge for the stability of Nevada families, communities and schools. By supporting the establishment of a year round asset development center, the VISTA member will decrease poverty in Nevada by mitigating asset poverty. The VISTA member in partnership with Nevada Partners staff will build organizational capacity and support many aspects of their poverty mitigating programs. In particular, the VISTA member will play a central role in establishing long term sustainable financial stability programs & services. The member will recruit, retain & recognize volunteers for the VITA/EITC (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Earned Income Tax Credit) program as well as ensure they receive the training and certification necessary to volunteer with the program.

Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth - http://bit.ly/LN1FSH
The AmeriCorps VISTA member will work in partnership with NPHY staff to extend, expand and enhance current multi-pronged outreach & volunteer programs to ensure homeless youth get off the streets. NPHY's outreach program includes preventative outreach to youth in schools, intervention outreach to youth living on the streets, and training & outreach to community stakeholders. The VISTA will focus on further developing youth-centered outreach program thereby enabling NPHY staff & volunteers to make a real difference in the lives of more homeless youth. The VISTA will coordinate & expand the current in-school preventative & educational outreach program where NPHY volunteers staff information tables at southern Nevada high schools and provide information on Safe Place (a 24/7/365 mobile crisis intervention service assessable to any youth in crisis) and other NPHY services.

Outside Las Vegas Foundation - http://bit.ly/Lg4U42
For many years, Outside Las Vegas Foundation (OLVF) facilitated the development of open space & trails resources. OLVF is now focusing on connecting the community, with an emphasis on children & families in less advantaged communities, to these resources. As a result, OLVF is expanding into several program areas that will need a variety of capacity building & organizational assistance. The OLVF believes that building connections to southern Nevada's outdoor places contributes to strong community ties, better familial bonds, & increased economic vitality. OLVF provides new opportunities, inspirations & goals for children & families through outdoor experiences either by educational experiences including supplementing curriculum, stewardship & civic engagement events, or by focusing on health & fitness improvement. These experiences directly benefit young people by improving physical & mental health and have been shown to improve scholastic achievements. The cycle of poverty is complex & the OLVF approaches the solution through innovative community & family investment. Their programs compliment others that address housing, food, & basic needs by providing mental & emotional nurturing.

Salvation Army - http://bit.ly/MnTtIs
The VISTA member will coordinate all volunteer aspects of The Salvation Army programs & services that assist low-income & homeless people in order to alleviate poverty, obtain or increase income and achieve or retain permanent housing to lead them to lives of self-sufficiency and independence. The VISTA will revise and update current volunteer policies & procedures, serve as a liaison with departments and survey staff to assess their volunteer needs. Additionally, the member will generate appropriate volunteer projects and descriptions, provide appropriate support & training for volunteers, recruit, assign & schedule volunteers to appropriate tasks as well as monitor, support, motivate & recognize their efforts.

United Way of Southern Nevada’s Volunteer Center - http://bit.ly/MvHuG3
As part of United Way of Southern Nevada's (UWSN) national service program, the VISTA member assigned to UWSN's Volunteer Center will design & implement multi-tiered programs to engage individuals in education-themed volunteer opportunities. The VISTA member will interact with schools, businesses, & nonprofits in the development of these projects. Additionally, the VISTA member will coordinate a high-school volunteer & recognition program in partnership with Clark County School District and area high schools.

United Way of Southern Nevada, Immediate Needs - http://bit.ly/L0sK5i
The VISTA member would serve in the United Way of Southern Nevada's (UWSN) Community Development Dept. providing program management for projects classified as Immediate Needs provision. Among the projects included are Project REACH, a utility assistance program; the Emergency Food & Shelter Program (federal grant fiscally managed by UWSN) and the Immediate Needs grant program. All three of the programs are specifically aimed at assisting homeless, low and moderate income members of the community with the basic needs of food, shelter, rent & utilities through funding of partner organizations in Clark County, NV. The work of the VISTA member would directly impact the lives of southern Nevadans living at or below poverty level, as those who seek assistance with basic needs are those most affected by financial instability, including poverty. Specifically, the VISTA will develop a more effective system of reporting & monitoring grants and communicating this system to partner agencies, including providing technical assistance to Local Recipient Organizations and grantee agencies to ensure effective use of grant awards.

United Way of Southern Nevada, Earn It Keep It Save It - http://bit.ly/Lvx0IP
The VISTA member will provide support for volunteer recruitment, training, certification, retention & recognition as well as implement an outreach plan for the Earn It Keep It Save It (EKS), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs in the Las Vegas Valley. The VISTA member will develop additional asset development tools that the VITA site clients can utilize as well as provide in-kind support of marketing materials, office supplies & equipment for VITA and asset development coordination.

WestCare Nevada - http://bit.ly/Lix250
The VISTA member will identify resources and links for veterans and their families, including but not limited to behavioral health, housing, employment, transportation, and medical services. The member will work in partnership with staff to develop new initiatives for veterans & military families, identify and build new partnerships, as well as research and develop resources, write grants, etc. The VISTA will provide support to programs that educate the community on specific populations, i.e., veterans, military families, re-entry, and homeless families. The VISTA will represent WestCare at health fairs, Vet fairs and provide community presentations marketing the scope of services provided by WestCare. The VISTA will create training for new staff & volunteers working with special populations.

AmeriCorps VISTAs in Southern Nevada  will receive a modest living allowance of $1016 each month (before taxes). The Team Leader will receive a living allowance of $1216 each month (before taxes). After the successful completion of a term, VISTAs may be eligible to receive a $5,550 education award.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Regards,

Jacob

Jacob Murdock | Manager
United Way of Southern Nevada

8290 S. Arville Street
Las Vegas, NV 89139
p. 702.892.2321
f. 702.734.8505

LIVE UNITED

Join United Way’s social network at uwsn.org/connected
Find volunteer opportunities at volunteer.uwsn.org

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