Intake, Reception, and Referral Volunteers needed at Catholic Charities of the East Bay's HQ

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Every year, Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB) moves thousands of youth, individuals, and families from Crisis to Stability to Prosperity through 3 primary program areas: "Fostering Self-Sufficiency" provides services designed to strengthen families and increase income to livable wages; "Welcoming the Stranger" offers legal immigration, refugee relocation, and refugee employment services; "Healing Trauma" delivers immediate and sustained support to victims of crime, especially those impacted by community, domestic, and family violence, as well as mental health treatment to students and adolescents experiencing multiple, ongoing incidences of trauma.

The Intake, Reception, and Referral Volunteer is crucial to the success of CCEB. This volunteer will serve as a first point-of-contact for members of our community who call into or walk into CCEB’s Oakland, Richmond, or Concord offices. They will make appointments for community members with CCEB’s staff and volunteers, provide community members with information about the services offered at CCEB, and refer community members to other agencies in the area that could benefit them. As such, the Intake, Reception, and Referral Volunteer must be patient, polite, and helpful above all else. Bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteers are preferred for this volunteer role. This is an ideal volunteer opportunity for retired office professionals wanting to give back, students who want work experience at a busy social service agency, and anyone wanting to help people in crisis in our community.

CCEB is willing to work with students and schools to provide class credits for this volunteer opportunity wherever possible.

• Welcome all visitors to CCEB as a first point-of-contact
• Assist the Administrative Coordinator with answering all phone calls, sometimes placing clients on hold to deal with multiple clients at once
• Collect basic, essential information from clients to determine which services are needed/requested by them in-person or over the phone
• Refer clients to CCEB’s programs and services or refer clients to relevant external resources, and occasionally assess crisis situations where appropriate
• Advise clients of program eligibility and income verification procedures
• Maintain a positive image of CCEB and be helpful to the general public, including clients, donors, potential donors, volunteers, parishioners, and Board members
• Work closely with interdepartmental staff to assist with short-term and long-term follow up phone calls for Housing Assistance and other programs
• Assist with special projects as assigned, such as the Referral Directory

• Must complete a Live Scan background check (to be paid for by CCEB)
• Must complete a brief online training in recognizing, reporting, and preventing abuse called Shield the Vulnerable
• Must be available to volunteer at least 3 hours per week (between Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00pm) for at least 3 months
• Possesses excellent interpersonal and communications skills
• Experience with social services is preferred - but not mandatory
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteers are preferred - but not mandatory
• Fluency in any foreign language also preferred - but not mandatory