Ready Corps Member

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Ready Corps

AmeriCorps Member Position Description

Name and Location of Site: Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

Title: Ready Corps Member

Reports to : Joy Medrano

Term of Service: October 2016-August 2017

Anticipated Service Schedule: Each member will serve 1700 hours over the term of service, averaging 40 hours per week, which may include some evening and weekend hours

SITE DESCRIPTION: Serving Illinois since 1867, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is a nonprofit social service organization of the three Illinois synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). LSSI is the largest statewide social service provider, serving over 70,000 people across Illinois last year. The demographics of clients served by LSSI generally reflect those of Illinois’ population, with one important exception-more than 80 percent of clients report an annual household income under $15,000, compared to just 12 percent of all Illinois households. The organization provides critical programs for Illinois residents including foster care, early childhood education, mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment, affordable senior housing, residential programs for people with developmental disabilities, and programs that help formerly incarcerated individuals integrate back into society.

Position Summary

Ready Corps, an AmeriCorps program implemented by Points of Light, creates disaster resilient communities by increasing preparedness of individuals and families through volunteer engagement. Ready Corps members will serve 10-month terms beginning in October 2016. Ready Corps members will provide direct service and train volunteer leaders to recruit and educate teams of volunteers to: 1) Improve preparedness of individuals and familiesthrough local collaborative volunteer projects, service events, and trainings resulting in personal preparedness plans.

2) Expand Local Preparedness Networksand community capacity to respond to disasters by strengthening partnership networks while building a corps of trained volunteer leaders with specific focus on managing unaffiliated volunteers in emergency situations.

3) Support long-term recovery and sustainability by increasing organizational capacity to help individuals and families prepare and, in the case of disaster, more easily respond and recover from current events.

Major Responsibilities and Related Tasks

• Design and develop volunteer projects such as neighborhood canvassing to provide literature to and promote general awareness of disasters, managing donation drives to collect and distribute items for personal or family preparedness kits for vulnerable populations, and developing individualized preparedness plans with individuals, families and youth

• Organize and manage large scale Days of Service such as National Preparedness Month Neighborhood Block Parties, September 11 Day of Service, Hurricane Blow Out Days, Kit Building Party Days, and Winter Weather Parties

• Conduct and facilitate participation in trainings such as the Citizen Corps’ Community Emergency Response Team training, Points of Light’s Disaster Resistant Communities Group training, Points of Light’s Spontaneous Volunteer Management in Times of Disaster training, and Volunteer Arlington’s Volunteer Emergency Support Team training

Benefits

• Opportunity to make a difference in a community
• Living allowance of up to $12,100 over 10 month term of service, paid bi-weekly
• An AmeriCorps Education Award ($5,775) upon successful completion of service
• Corporation for Community and National Service approved Health benefits and child care assistance if qualified Opportunity to register with AmeriCorps Alums (www.americorpsalums.org)
• Three-day Ready Corps Training in Atlanta, GA, to be held at the end of October 2016
• Opportunity to participate in Points of Light virtual webinars and conference calls
• Networking opportunities with fellow corps members across the country
• Onsite training and professional development

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Ready Corps members are as diverse a group as the communities they serve.

Applicants must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident
• Have a college degree or attended some college, have a high school diploma or GED.
• Have served no more than two terms in an AmeriCorps state or national program.*
• Agree to a criminal background check
• Be able to begin service in October 2016 and be able to travel and participate in the Ready Corps Training in 2016

Previous experiences with service, training, or leadership development strengthen candidacy.

* Individuals may receive no more than the value of two full time education awards. If you have received the equivalent of more than one full time education award, you are eligible to serve and receive a prorated award.

How to Apply:

Please send Resume and Cover letter to

Joy.Medrano@LSSI.org

For more information, please contact:

Joy Medrano, Director for Volunteer Engagement and Disaster Preparedness, Joy.Medrano@LSSI.org