Part-Time GROW Community Organizer

Overview

Organizational Background

VOCAL-NY is building a movement of low-income people dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and homelessness. We fight for systemic change rooted in justice, compassion, and love. We approach this work with a firm belief in reducing harm and ending stigma, and the knowledge that the issues impacting our communities are driven by institutional oppression, not personal failings. Our campaigns have saved or improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers across the state.

We accomplish our goals through community organizing, leadership development, advocacy, direct services and direct action. You can learn more about our work through our website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Position Description

GrassRoots Organizing Wins (GROW) is a part-time organizing canvas dedicated to building the membership and power of VOCAL-NY through regular outreach, new member recruitment, and through mobilizing members and leaders to meetings, protests and other events. GROW Organizers are a vital part of VOCAL-NY’s organizing infrastructure and will add capacity to campaigns across the organization. Examples of active campaigns include: defunding the NYPD, expanding access to overdose prevention services, and winning affordable housing for the homeless.

Job Responsibilities:

Other duties may be assigned. On an ongoing basis regular duties include the following:

• Base Building Outreach: Conduct daily community outreach among people directly impacted by homelessness, drug use, mass incarceration, and HIV/AIDS.
• Phone Banking: Conduct mass phone calls to new contacts made during outreach, and to existing members and leaders to mobilize them to action.
• Data-entry: Manage data input from base building and phone banking by using VOCAL-NY’s custom CRM database.
• Support Other VOCAL Campaigns: The position will be expected to periodically provide support for any and all community organizing and campaign work within VOCAL-NY. We have a highly collaborative office environment where staff members provide support for each other’s campaigns as needed.
• Grassroots fundraising: Conduct occasional fundraising via “phone banking” to existing donors, and/or through street outreach.

Requirements / Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have strong communication and leadership skills, and be eager to be in the community talking to new people every day. Candidates must be organized and believe in and support VOCAL-NY’s community organizing model. Candidates must also demonstrate a deep commitment to social justice and be committed to building the power of low-income people living with HIV, drug users, the formerly incarcerated and the homeless.

• Canvassing or community outreach experience strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in common business software, primarily excel.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Good sense of direction and situational awareness
• Willingness to work outside year round and engage in street outreach.
• A strong commitment to teamwork and to working with and promoting the leadership of people directly affected by the issues we work on.
• Strong sense of empathy, patience, and compassion for those affected by the issues we fight against.
• Spanish language proficiency is desirable but not required.
• Understanding of and passion for VOCAL-NY’s mission.
• The position will report to the GROW Director and GROW Field Captain and will work collaboratively with other members of the community organizing staff.

Compensation:

This job is part-time and begins at $20 hourly, for up to approximately 30 hours per week, with potential for upward mobility within the organization

 

VOCAL-NY offers a generous benefits package with an unlimited monthly Metro Card for travel, monthly cell phone reimbursement, and wellness and vacation time. Part-time employees who have worked at VOCAL-NY for at least 3 months and who work at least 20 hours per week are also eligible for 100% employer-covered health, vision, and dental insurance.

 

VOCAL-NY is an equal opportunity employer. People who currently or have a history of using drugs, women, people of color, people who are LGBTQ and people living with HIV/AIDS are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit our website at www.vocal-ny.org