[StBernard] AmeriCorps VISTA Social Media Position Available at the Community Center of St Bernard

[Westley Annis]

Help with the Gulf Oil Spill recovery effort in St Bernard Parish,
Louisiana! This parish, located adjacent to New Orleans, was at the
epicenter of devastation from Hurricane Katrina and is now being
affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. Many families have been out of work
since the fishing ground closures began on May 3. As a VISTA working
for a year with the Community Center of St Bernard, you can make a
difference by developing more effective ways to help these families
access the recovery resources that they desperately need.

ELIGIBILITY:
AmeriCorps*VISTA candidates must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or
lawful permanent resident, be team-oriented, and be willing to take
on a wide range of challenges. For the position at the Community
Center of St Bernard, you must have at least an associate’s degree
or have completed 2 years of college. You must be at least 17 years
old. There is no upper age limit, and many AmeriCorps VISTA members
bring significant work and life experiences to their assignment.
Self-initiative, flexibility and organizational skills are a must.
Also, you must be available to serve full-time for one year and are
prohibited from outside employment or attending college during your
year of service.

BENEFITS OF SERVICE:
In return for your service, AmeriCorps*VISTA has many benefits:
•	~$10,500/year living allowance.
•	~$4,725 Education Award (for college tuition or loan repayment)
or ~ $1,200 cash stipend paid at the successful completion of your
year of service.
•	Student loan deferment.
•	Health benefits, prescription drug coverage and childcare
allowance
•	The opportunity to gain high-level experience, skills and access
within the
nonprofit sector. 

VISTA ROLE:
The AmeriCorps member would become an important part of our small,
but
effective, team. In that regard, he/she would be involved in a
variety of activities to provide technical support to the Community
Center’s ongoing programs including:

1. Assess current social networking methods used by the Community
Center for effectiveness. Conduct research to determine best
practices and means for optimization in order to use these methods
more effectively both to communicate availability of services to
local residents and to maintain contact with former volunteers.
Implement findings and monitor results. Increasing awareness of
available services is particularly important as the Gulf Oil Spill
continues to impact residents of St Bernard Parish, destroying their
livelihoods and leaving them struggling to find resources and
assistance.

2. Evaluate social networking means not currently used by the
Community Center and determine whether any of them should be added to
the Community Center’s current communications methodology. If so,
work with Development Director to implement same and monitor results.


 3. Continue development of a cause-based marketing catalog created
by a former AmeriCorps VISTA. Monitor catalog and optimize offerings
as needed.

4. Research best practices for developing an online holiday
fundraising campaign. Oversee campaign during holiday season - 2010
and track all campaign metrics. Increased funding is critical if the
Community Center is to successfully meet the rising demand for
services in the wake of the Gulf Oil Spill.

5. Prepare monthly progress reports for Executive Director,
Development Director, and Mustard Seed Coordinator regarding the
project, including accomplishments, research findings,
recommendations for implementation, and results.

6. Represent the Community Center at public meetings and forums in
the greater New Orleans area.

QUALIFICATIONS:
1.	The applicant should have a passion for helping with the Gulf Oil
Spill recovery effort.
2.	The applicant should feel comfortable presenting material to a
group.
3.	The applicant should have a strong work ethic, work well with
others, and have a "whatever it takes" attitude.
4.	The applicant should have an Associate’s Degree or at least 2
years of college.

SKILLS:
•	Excellent organizational and communications skills
•	Ability to work independently
•	Strong analytical skills
•	Able to learn new materials and techniques easily
•	Familiar with at least basic social networking tools (Facebook,
MySpace, Twitter, etc)
•	Detail-oriented.
•	Experience with photography, video editing (using Adobe
Premiere), and website coding (html, php) would all be very useful,
but are not required.

To apply for this position, please email your resume and cover letter
to Dr Sharon S. Ober, office at ccstb.org by July 15, 2010. Please
include links to your own social media sites (facebook, twitter,
myspace, etc) if you have them. Interviews will be conducted during
mid July with a goal of hiring by August 1, 2010.  For more
information about the Community Center, please visit www.ccstb.org