Community Connections Specialist
Durham, NC
US Programs – Behavioral Health & Wellness /
Regular, Full-time /
On-site
Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?
If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.
At this pivotal moment in time, we are rapidly expanding and growing our team to meet the increasing needs of our world. We are looking for people who want to use their gifts and talents to make a real and tangible difference in our world and the lives of the suffering.
If you’re looking for a purpose-driven career in which you can grow your talents, while also standing up for the rights of the vulnerable, we want you to join us today.
ORGANIZATION SUMMARY
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for 80 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to build a world where families thrive and communities flourish.
Today, organizational programming focuses on humanitarian and disaster response, community strengthening and resilience, and refugee & immigrant services and advocacy.
This position is reliant upon funding and may be subject to modification or termination based on resource availability.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Community Connections Specialist facilitates the building of community and holistic integration of refugees and other eligible immigrants in the Triangle area. This is a 40 hour/week, in person role that is funded through the North Carolina State Refugee Office.
ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Organize and execute community gatherings, in collaboration with Resettlement program staff, that reduce isolation and build community connections for eligible newcomers.
- Organize field trips to introduce newcomers to local history, culture and recreation.
- Create partnerships with community institutions to increase access to and participation in community spaces and community life.
- Facilitate participation of community experts in WRD group programming in order to help newcomers build confidence in accessing community resources and gain skills to care for their families' health and wellbeing.
- Collaborate with WRD’s Community Engagement team to integrate community volunteers/partners in gatherings, events and classes.
- Create and distribute community newsletter to share upcoming activities and opportunities with newcomer communities.
- In collaboration with Resettlement leadership team, coordinate the logistics of World Relief’s Community Advisory Board.
- Create and nurture ongoing pathways for community feedback to be obtained and integrated into WRD program priorities, structures and processes.
- Maintain accurate and up to date records including case notes, case files, budgets, and reports.
- Provide transportation for clients using World Relief vans.
- Other duties as assigned.
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Mature and personal Christian faith
- Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
- Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
- Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
- Valid driver’s license, regular access to vehicle, and ability/willingness to drive clients to appointments
- At least 2 years direct-service experience with vulnerable populations
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- BA/BS in relevant field such as Social Work, Public Health, etc.
- Ability to work creatively and independently to execute innovative programming
- Highly self-motivated with strong follow-through and problem-solving skills
- Proficiency with MS Office and Google Drive products
- Flexible schedule for occasional work during early mornings, late evenings or weekends
- Bilingual preferred: Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, or Urdu.
$22 - $23 an hour
World Relief offers a competitive benefits package and employee discount program for full-time and part-time employees.
World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.
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Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.
For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
