The overarching goal of the AmeriCorps Member's work at Twin Pines Housing Trust will be to improve the lives and living conditions of those who live in Twin Pines Housing Trust rental properties. Other responsibilities will surface from time to time, but the principal focus will be the residents, and the principal aim of all programs, activities and initiatives will be to increase the opportunity for quality of life in each of these communities.
Resident Committees: The AmeriCorps Member job will be the nurturing of the Resident Committees. Right now Twin Pines does not have resident committees in its buildings, but plans are in the works to have committees and to have them meet quarterly and the very least. Possibly this system will be set up by the end of July, but it is very important that they continue, as they are the missing link in the chain of success we are trying to build. The owners (Twin Pines) the property managers (TPHT, NCMC, Mosely and Associates) and residents will all be included in these meetings, and the goal is that each has authentic, creative voice in the direction of the properties. TPHT staff sees this not just as an opportunity for increased multilateral communication but as an opportunity for leadership development in all sectors.
Resident Relations: The AmeriCorps Member job will be the initiation and implementation of effective resident programming. In addition to institutionalizing Resident Committees, there are many other activities that can happen to increase quality of life and improve opportunities for residents. This means the development or incorporation of programs that are helpful, finding locations in which to hold them, developing resident spirit in their support and realization. This last effort points to the third focus of the AmeriCorps member’s work, which is
Volunteer Mobilization: It is anticipated that the AmeriCorps member at Twin Pines will not only bring in volunteers from a variety of sources to work on the properties as needed, but will also develop volunteer corps from within the facilities owned and/or operated by Twin Pines. This will require finding out what the property needs are and matching those needs with the energies of the residents. Ideally, by the end of the year we would have external and internal volunteers working together on a variety of projects.
Youth Programming: To the extent that the residents identify youth programming as one of their needs, the AmeriCorps volunteer will see what can be done, and work toward “doing it “. TPHT and Dream have already begun to develop a relationship through AmeriCorps member initiatives, and it is hoped that that and other such relationships with relevant non-profits (Boys and Girls Clubs, etc) can continue to develop and mature, resulting in services to resident populations.
Environmental Education & Stewardship: These will be addressed by the AmeriCorps member in the now-established area of energy conservation (CFL light bulb promotion and distribution) and hopefully in the area of recycling, which Twin Pines is currently exploring. A pilot recycling program is under development at one of our facilities and hopefully this will be expanded by the efforts of next year’s AmeriCorps member.
Database Improvement and Expansion: The AmeriCorps member will be responsible for updating Twin Pines database on the properties managed by Twin Pines and assisting in the update and management of databases used by other arms of Twin Pines business, specifically Supportive Housing database entry, resident survey updates and entry, etc. The creation and distribution of flyers, ads for housing sales, psa’s where needed, newsletter contributions and distributions will all be part of the AmeriCorps member portfolio.
Member Development: In addition to participating in Member Development opportunities provided by AmeriCorps, Twin Pines will provide opportunities for the member assigned to them. This may include attendance at housing conferences, workshops related to particularly assignments, or one on one learning opportunities with individuals whose expertise is relevant to a current assignment.
Start/End Dates: September 24, 2007 – August 22, 2008
Benefits: $6,790 Stipend for full-time position, $2,362 education award at end of term, health insurance, childcare if state eligible, and numerous and diverse training opportunities.
The Vermont Community Stewardship Program is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
