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Martha O'Bryan Center

AmeriCorps VISTA – Community Engagement and Recreation Specialist

Martha O'Bryan Center

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Job Summary

ABOUT THE MARTHA O’BRYAN CENTER

Martha O’Bryan Center (MOBC) is an anti-poverty non-profit organization with longstanding history and deep community roots, grounded in tradition and strengthened by innovation.  Founded in 1894 when Miss O’Bryan organized the Gleaners Society at First Presbyterian Church to support impoverished North Nashville residents, Martha O’Bryan Center has operated from the heart of Cayce Place – Nashville’s most distressed community – since 1948.  This is where we continue in service, partnering with Cayce Place families to open doors of hope and possibility, create a culture of attainment, and positively shape future generations.  Martha O’Bryan Center serves 12,000 people annually with its programs in early learning, parent empowerment, youth development, adult education, food security, crisis counseling and public charter schools East End Prep and Explore! Community School.

Mission Statement:  On a foundation of Christian faith, Martha O’Bryan Center empowers children, youth, and adults in poverty to transform their lives through work, education, employment, and fellowship.

AmeriCorps VISTA at the Martha O’Bryan Center
Since 2008, Martha O’Bryan Center has operated an AmeriCorps program, empowering members to serve alongside community residents to alleviate poverty in Nashville’s most distressed community.  When you join AmeriCorps, you use your energy, ideals, and talents to help others. Plus, you’ll earn money for education, learn to be a leader, and gain real job skills.  AmeriCorps is a national volunteer program that supports hundreds of service members across the country every year, providing a living allowance and other benefits while you give back to the community.  Martha O’Bryan Center’s AmeriCorps VISTA team will help build the organizational capacity of the Martha O’Bryan Center to develop sustainable solutions to poverty in East Nashville.

Job Responsibilities

Department: Clinical and Community Services

Reports to: Sr. Director of Clinical and Community Services

Location: The Martha O’Bryan Center

Position Summary

MDHA is currently scaling the Cayce Place community from 900 public housing units to 2,700 mixed-income units (1,100 low-income, 400 workforce, and 1,200 full-market). Our goal during this transformation is to help create a truly integrated mixed-income neighborhood where families of all backgrounds care for one another. This VISTA will play a key role in helping to build bridges between community members from diverse backgrounds through (1) developing processes by which MOBC can serve as the central meeting space for community residents (clubs, affinity groups, etc.); (2) piloting recreational programming in partnership with the MOBC Chaplain; and (3) working with the community awareness VISTA to analyze needs assessment results pursuant to recreation/engagement and making full use of the MOBC campus. These initiatives will complement the brick and mortar development undertaken by MDHA and contribute to increased community cohesion.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

  • College degree, or currently enrolled in a degree program
  • Leadership and community engagement experience

The above qualifications express the minimum standards of education and/or experience for this position. Other combinations of education and experience, if evaluated as equivalent, may be taken into consideration.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

  • Passion for working with people and developing meaningful relationships with team members and program participants.
  • Strong leadership skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills; excellent teamwork skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Maintains credibility through sincerity, honesty, and discretion.
  • Strong organizational skills.
  • Strong time management skills; uses time effectively; consistently meets deadlines.
  • Maintains a high level of confidentiality regarding sensitive information.
  • Documents regularly, thoroughly, accurately, and completely.
  • High level of detail, accuracy, and attention to writing and communication.
  • Exercises good and consistently fair judgment, courtesy, and tact in dealing with the staff and public in giving and obtaining information.
  • Collaborates with team members in the recruitment of program participants.
  • Ability to communicate well with team members in the processes of grant writing and fundraising.
  • Passion for non-profit management and social service and community organization.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

  • Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

REASONONING ABILITY:

  • Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

  • Computer literate including familiarity with word processing, spreadsheet, database, and desk top publishing software, clerical skills, and written and oral communications skills.
  • Proactive, independent problem-solving skills as it relates to the function, maintenance and use of computers and computer programs.
  • Ability to set healthy social-emotional boundaries with supervisors, colleagues and clients.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

  • Combination of office work with emphasis on research, data analysis, and programming strategy with community engagement and leadership of recreational programming.
  • Some activities may require being on feet for 3-4 hours at a time.
  • Working with a diverse group of program participants, including high energy youth.

Additional Information

Benefits

Program Benefits 
For full-time members, a living allowance of $13,312 for 52 weeks, and education award of $6,095 upon successful completion of service.  Health insurance, cell phone reimbursement, and a Staff Assistance Program are also available to members, in addition to program training, professional development and recreational opportunities alongside a diverse and exceptional staff across the programs and schools at the Martha O’Bryan Center.

How to Apply

Apply online at http://www.marthaobryan.org/careers.

Details

  • Date Posted: May 18, 2020
  • Type: VISTA / AmeriCorps
  • Job Function: Programs and Service Delivery
  • Service Area: Social / Human Services