Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO) is a local affiliate of a national nonprofit organization that has restored and revitalized more than 100,000 homes over the past 20 years. Utilizing mostly volunteer labor, Rebuilding Together allows low-income families in communities across the country to live in warmth, safety, and dignity. Since Hurricane Katrina, RTNO has worked to help not only low-income and disabled homeowners, but also first-responders (firemen, policemen, EMTs, etc.) return to their storm-damaged homes. RTNO has completed 160 to assist low-income families return to their storm-damaged homes with over 30 projects currently in progress.
AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet our country’s critical needs in disaster relief, education, public safety, health, and the environment. AmeriCorps members serve with more than 2,000 nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based and community organizations. Since 1994, more than 400,000 men and women have provided needed assistance to millions of Americans across the nation through their AmeriCorps service.
AmeriCorps positions are available through Rebuilding Together New Orleans!
To be eligible you must:
Be 18 years old or older
Be physically able to handle heavy work
Have a high school diploma or a GED (VISTA position requires college degree)
Be an American citizen
Pass a criminal background check
Agree to fulfill a full-time commitment
Some benefits of working for AmeriCorps:
Living allowance
Skill building
Health coverage
Education award (upon successful completion of service)
Child care reimbursement (if eligible)
20 AmeriCorps State and National positions
August 2009 – July 2010
AmeriCorps Direct members will be responsible for assisting homeowners with home repair by leading volunteers as a House Captain and working within a team of AmeriCorps members and Rebuilding Together staff.
Duties will include:
Perform home repair duties (such as installation of insulation, sheetrock patching, painting, minor carpentry, cabinetry, tiling etc.) Training, when needed, will be provided by RT
Lead volunteer teams ranging from college student to retirees
Apply green rebuilding practices to home rebuilding projects
Work as a team with all staff in all aspects of project management to ensure successful rebuild events
Assist Construction Managers with project management through administrative support. Including: evaluating future projects, recording invoices, assisting in budget and workscope creation, and documenting house progression
Maintain warehouse and auxiliary buildings
Assist in obtaining and delivering supplies for various projects
Help to organize all purchased supplies for each house
Assist in deconstruction and selective salvage of historic building materials
Process re-claimed materials to be used on future Rebuilding Together projects
Work with other warehouse volunteers and AmeriCorps NCCC teams
Coordinate supply deliveries as needed
Assist in maintaining inventory of all tools and non-disposable supplies
Benefits specific to working with Rebuilding Together New Orleans:
Home repair training-learn valuable skills in construction management.
$100 living stipend to be applied to either groceries or rent
Volunteer management training and experience
New Orleans architecture and history training
First Aid certification
Green rebuilding and weatherization training
To apply, please contact:
Cambria Martinelli
cmartinelli@prcno.org
(504) 388-0132
7 AmeriCorps VISTA Positions
FALL 2009 – FALL 2010
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) is a federally financed program of the Corporation for National and Community Service that focuses on alleviating poverty throughout the United States. Itâs been around since the 1960s. VISTAs are all about building capacity and sustainability within a non-profit organization. From recruiting volunteers to working with our low-income homeowners, RTNO VISTAs create relationships and systems that will last long after their year of service ends. If you want to work in an office and gain professional skills while giving back to the community in which you live, AmeriCorps VISTA is for you.
Volunteer Program Officer
Act as primary point of contact for communications with volunteers, including dissemination of welcome materials, orientation packets, and thank you’s.
Maintain volunteer calendar and distribute to staff and potential volunteers.
Liaise with field staff to ensure smooth logistics on volunteer project dates.
Automate systems and develop reports related to volunteer assignments, placement, and tracking.
Maintain strong relationships with local tourism agencies to provide information about voluntourism.
Partner with other volunteer organizations to fill gaps in each otherâs calendars and act as referral service.
Develop communiques keep volunteers up-to-date on progress of project after their departure.
Ensure that each volunteer has a positive experience by conducting orientations, visiting job sites and resolving issues.
Work with corporate groups to facilitate team-building service activities.
Collect and collate data on incoming volunteers for distribution to donors, managers and others.
Work with Grants/Resource Development Officers to provide volunteers with other opportunities for giving and advocacy, in order to keep volunteers engaged.
Grants / Resource Development Officers (2)
Research, write, and report on grants (foundation, private, public, etc.).
Implement a national development strategy to engage major donors. (The plan is developed as a team w/Exec. Director, Asst. Director, and Grants / Resource Development Manager).
Assess the materials needs of the program and locate sources of in-kind donations.
Develop reporting mechanism for tracking monetary and in-kind contributions.
Build partnerships with other local organizations to share resources.
Execute creative revenue generating activities and events.
Develop project reports and distribute to donors, RT national and other relevant parties.
Enter pledge and payment information into database.
Follow up on donations with thank-you’s and other value-added tokens of appreciation.
PR / Information Officer
Research stories and news relevant to the recovery and distribute to staff, partners, volunteers, and donors.
Responsible for creating the annual report.
Input Salesforce data & develop the necessary reports for needed statistical information.
Collect information about program and distribute written stories for dissemination to donors, general public, and volunteers.
Develop content for rtno.org website.
Responsible for creating e-newsletter.
Upload volunteer and house photos to flickr and update marketing photos.
Design and place orders for ads in appropriate local and national media.
Draft and distribute press releases for major projects.
Gather copies of all press received and post to website and other media outlets (ie, Facebook and blog).
Generate new media outreach strategies.
Coordinate with Salvage Store director to promote store and increase business via creating ads, signs, and other media strategies.
Community Outreach Officers (3)
Liaise with community organizations.
Represent RT at neighborhood meetings and functions.
Work with community organization(s) to canvass neighborhood(s) to identify eligible homeowners.
Communicate the needs of neighborhood groups to relevant agencies and groups.
Photograph volunteer work days in the neighborhood and answer questions about RTNO and your neighborhood(s)
Mobilize volunteers from the neighborhood to assist with the projects.
Consistently update homeowner records in Salesforce
Take homeowners through rebuilding process including: intake process, collecting verification documents, photographing home, writing bios, securing funding, facilitating meetings between construction managers and homeowners, and obtaining closing papers.
Organize local meetings to inform residents about the program and how they can participate.
Communicate the needs of neighborhood groups to relevant agencies and groups.
Set up office hours in neighborhood to do client intake and interact with residents.
Periodically contribute articles to E-Newsletter
To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter to:
Jon Skvarka
jskvarka@prcno.org
(504) 636-3060
For more information about AmeriCorps, please visit:
www.americorps.gov
For more information about Rebuilding Together New Orleans, please visit:
www.rtno.org
