Big Brothers Big Sisters Community Relations AmeriCorps position - metro Portland and Southwest Washington

General Purpose: The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships. In only its sixth year of operations, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest has become the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency on the West Coast and the largest one-to-one mentoring program in Oregon, serving 2,400 children in seven counties.

Volunteer mentoring programs cannot impact children without first recruiting and engaging adult volunteers to act as mentors. Currently, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest seeks a full-time Community Relations Assistant to address volunteer recruitment needs. The Community Relations Assistant will cultivate relationships with diverse communities of faith and also focus on building specific mentoring initiatives, such as our African American Mentoring Program. This position is a one-year term of service through the AmeriCorps VISTA program and will split time between Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest Headquarters in Portland, Oregon (Multnomah County) and the Southwest Washington branch office in Vancouver, WA (Clark County).

Position: • Assist in the development and implementation of agency’s overall public relations program. • Develop and cultivate relationships with various communities of faith through presentations about both Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Amachi Mentoring Children of Prisoners program. • Actively seek out volunteer recruitment opportunities in the community and assist in expanding specific mentoring programs. • Organize monthly activities for mentor-mentee matches in the Amachi program. • Assist Development Department in collecting in-kind donations. • Assist with agency-wide special event planning and coordination. • Help to secure additional resources for the Amachi Mentoring Children of Prisoners program. • Assist with grant reports on a limited basis.

Minimum Qualifications: Strong commitment to community service, public speaking skills, professional demeanor, and strong verbal and written communication skills. Should be able to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks. Candidates should be pro-active and creative and work well independently and with a team. Proficiency with MS Word and basic MS Excel is desired, as is access to a reliable automobile. Candidates with marketing, sales, or public relations experience encouraged to apply. Please note if bi-lingual in Spanish.

Benefits: Monthly living stipend, health benefits, training, relocation allowance, and an end-of-term stipend or educational award made available through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA, please visit www.americorps.org/vista.

To apply, e-mail your resume to [email protected]. Specify in the heading that you are applying for the Community Relations Assistant- Metro Portland and SWW.