Hours: 30-35 hours per week
Compensation: $20.00 per hour with benefits
Goal
The Garfield GreenZone and Service Project is intended to bring area residents into greater contact with their environment and natural spaces. Through various projects and programming, neighbors can enjoy new walking trails, plant gardens, participate in organized or informal recreation, and preserve green space throughout Garfield for future generations to use. The initiative also provides a pathway for non-violent offenders to avoid incarceration by diverting offenders into community service projects and enabling them to receive training in landscaping skills that could lead to actual jobs.
Job Description
The Bloomfield Garfield Corporation (BGC) is seeking a qualified and experienced person to help coordinate and carry out a number of projects and programs in the Garfield GreenZone and Penn Avenue corridor. This person reports to the BGC’s Chief Operations Officer, and works collaboratively with the Community Engagement and Planning Specialist to plan and organize events and meetings. This staff person also assists the community engagement and planning specialist with related public safety issues. These include working with the district magistrate system to identify individuals whom the court assigns to the BGC to perform community service projects rather than pay fines or receive jail time.
Roles and Responsibilities
A. Greenzone:
● Pursue projects and implement programs that are in accordance with the Garfield GreenZone plan, and involve various individuals, organizations, and private and public agencies in executing this objective.
● Assist senior staff at the BGC in identifying and applying for grants, corporate sponsorships, and other sources of support needed to implement, manage, and sustain the projects and programs emanating from the initiative.
● Identify and collect pertinent data on parcels that could be eligible for acquisition by the BGC or other entities that would expand on conservation efforts by the community.
● Develop educational programming and curricula related to conservation or management of urban open spaces to share with community members, community service participants and students.
● Assemble volunteers as needed from across the community to help implement various aspects of the GreenZone Initiative, including trail-building, clean-ups, removal of invasive species, tree plantings, and other beautification projects.
● Become familiar with the principles behind the concept of environmental justice and find ways to integrate them into the work that results from the GreenZone Initiative.
● Track and analyze the progress of the Initiative to ensure goals and objectives are being met and the metrics of success and accountability are periodically reviewed.
● Create and collect content, reports, visuals, and other communications materials across a variety of platforms that assist the BGC board of directors in gauging the success of the Initiative and in presenting those accomplishments to funders and to the larger community.
Garfield Greenzone & Service Project Coordinator
● Be an ambassador and advocate for the organization at all times, and engage the public and media in helping to understand and support the value of the work done by the BGC in the eyes of key audiences and constituents.
B. Alternative adjudication program & Court ordered community service:
● Identify and prepare individuals assigned by the district magistrate’s courts under their 1520 Alternative Adjudication Program for the training and work experiences they will receive from the BGC under the program.
● Establish and maintain strong relations with local magistrates who agree to participate with the BGC in the 1520 Diversion program and other community service efforts.
● Publicize the 1520 Diversion program and the Garfield Greenzone Initiative through presentations, blog and social media posts, articles in popular and professional publications, and brochures.
● Coordinate with clients who are assigned through the court system, who may not be 1520 participants. These community members can work in the Greenzone instead of paying fines per Magistrate Court.
Requirements of Position:
● Good interpersonal and written communication skills
● Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, G-mail and Google Drive
● Ability to meet deadlines in a timely manner, often with quick-turnarounds
● Occasional availability in the evenings and on weekends for meetings or activities.
● Strong team-building skills.
● Valid PA driver’s license and access to a reliable motor vehicle when needed
● Experience or interest in land stewardship and/or urban agriculture
● Ability to pass PA Act 33/34 and FBI fingerprint clearances
● Residence, upbringing, or family in Garfield, East End, or close proximity preferred
● Ability to lift up to 25 pounds
● Qualified ex-offenders encouraged to apply
Experience or Education
Associate’s or B. A. degree in a field of related interest, and/or five years’ experience working for a community-based organization, or a nonprofit whose mission relies upon empowering and engaging residents of low-income communities.
Resume and cover letter should be sent to pam@bloomfield-garfield.org
References should be furnished upon request. The BGc is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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