*YWCA Secret Seconds VISTA

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Join the Montana Economic Opportunity VISTA project for a one year term!

MEO's goal is to strengthen three specific objectives within low income communities: improving access to financial literacy, developing transitional plans and/or continuity strategies to keep low income individuals in safe, affordable housing, and to improve employ-ability among under and unemployed Montanans.

YWCA Missoula is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. The YWCA opens doors to opportunity and self-suffciency for women and families facing poverty, violence and discrimination. With over 100 years of experience, the YWCA is the leading organization in Missoula for moving women and families out of crisis and empowering them to achieve lasting independence. The VISTA serving with the YWCA's Secret Seconds store will develop a vocational training program offering a combination of educational workshops, job readiness, and individualized coaching. The program aims to help participants build basic workplace skills, self esteem and confidence. 15.8% of Missoula's residents live in poverty, many of whom are underemployed without the means to acquire more meaningful occupation. In order to assist with this, YWCA Secret Seconds places participants in partner organizations around the community. However, the current program doesn't guarantee that these individuals will gain the necessary training and skills to become more employable. The goal of this VISTA project is to create a system of increasing the employment readiness of volunteers using the secret seconds store as a means of gaining a stable career path.

Member Duties : Secret Seconds VISTA will build capacity by working with Secret Seconds staff to create a vocational training program for these clients. In providing participants with the support, tools, resources and the skills needed to secure gainful employment we will be able to provide the job training needed for clients to move on to other positions and opportunities. The stable employment the participants will have access to after completing the program will move them further along their path out of poverty. The goal of the Secret Seconds VISTA is to research best practices of similar programs and create a program that can be fully maintained and run by the staff at the Secret Seconds stores. The Secret Seconds VISTA will also survey clients before they begin the program to see if they feel like their Employment Readiness increases from their experience volunteering at the Secret Seconds store.

Program Benefits : An annual living allowance of $11,136;
An education award of $5,550 upon successful completion of service; (or)
A cash award of $1500 upon successful completion of service;
Health care benefits;
Loan deferment or forbearance while enrolled as a VISTA;
Child care (if need criteria are met);
$550 Relocation funds if relocating from over 50 miles away;
Mileage reimbursement if relocating to serve; and
Professional training opportunities and citizenship development.

Listings to go live by May 11th on myamericorps.gov. If you are interested please email resume to desb@ruraldynamics.org with position in subject.

Thank You.