Service Description
An AmeriCorps Member will help build GV-HEAT’s overall capacity to increase its current output measured in households served with energy efficiency upgrades and a healthier living environment.
We are looking for a Three-Quarter Term AmeriCorps Member. The AmeriCorps Member will give GV-HEAT the ability to sustain and grow its program. The activities of the Member will be multi-faceted and will focus on interacting and collaborating with the local community to help educate and spread the word with multiple stakeholders. The AmeriCorps Member will assist GV-HEAT in four key areas as part of its mission to increase the scope and quantity of energy efficiency upgrades in income-qualified households. The areas, listed in order of priority are 1) Outreach; 2) Program Support; 3) Workforce Development, and 4) Expansion into the Health Sector.
As part of Outreach, the AmeriCorps Member will spearhead GV-HEAT’s outreach efforts by creating and following an outreach plan. The plan will consist of sending direct mailings, preparing, and posting advertisements, organizing events or home tours, hanging flyers at prospective homes, collaborating with other organizations who are serving a similar client base, presenting in front of interested parties, interviewing past participants, and preparing case studies. As part of Program Support, the Member will assist and educate prospective and new clients, assist with data analysis and report creation, comprise user data into meaningful reports, create user maps, and conduct energy savings calculations and reports to be presented to our stakeholders. As part of Workforce Development, the Member will successfully build and help grow a contractor network that is proficient in performing energy efficiency upgrades and electrification in income-qualified homes. The Member will expand GV-HEAT’s contractor list, network with, and educate contractors, assist with organizing contractor trainings, create, and promote a scholarship program for contractors, and expand our existing partnership with the Pathways program of the RE1J school district – all in the fields of energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energies. As part of the Expansion into the Health Sector, the Member will prepare a plan of how to expand GV-HEAT services into the health sector. The Member will reach out to the local hospital and clinics to introduce our programs, develop collaborations, and expand GV-HEAT’s health focus by assessing health risks and identifying solutions when we are serving our clients. Many of these key areas will overlap in scope and in finding solutions.
Service Activities
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
1. Outreach
o Prepare and follow an outreach plan.
o Conduct direct mailings to prospective clients.
o Design and post advertisements on print and social media, on the radio.
o Organize events or home tours.
o Hang educational flyers at prospective homes.
o Collaborate with organizations who are serving a similar client base.
o Present in front of interested individuals, groups, or organizations.
o Interview past participants and prepare case studies.
o This area may expand to include areas of interest for the member.
2. Program Support
o Assist and educate prospective and new clients.
o Assist with data analysis and report creation.
o Comprise user data into meaningful reports.
o Create user maps.
o Conduct energy savings calculations and reports.
3. Workforce Development in the fields of energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energies
o Build and help grow a contractor network that is proficient in performing energy efficiency upgrades and electrification.
o Expand contractor list.
o Network with and educate contractors.
o Assist with organizing contractor training.
o Create and promote a scholarship program for contractors.
o Expand our existing partnership with the Pathways program of the RE1J school district.
4. Expansion into the Health Sector.
o Prepare a plan for how to expand GV-HEAT services into the health sector.
o Reach out to the local hospital and clinics to introduce GV-HEAT programs and share information.
o Work with nursing services who are already going into homes.
o Develop collaborations with the health sector.
o Expand GV-HEAT’s health focus by assessing health risks and identifying solutions when we are serving our clients.
o Member may be encouraged to seek out and write a grant to support project objectives.
Community Need Addressed
The specific unmet community need that this position will address is the lack of access to resources and support for improving energy efficiency, comfort, and affordability of housing in the Gunnison Valley region. The Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority's GV-HEAT program primarily serves households in the low-income range (80% AMI or below) and is expanding its programming to assist those in the middle-income range (80-150% AMI). Many of these households face excessive energy burdens and health risks associated with their living conditions. The AmeriCorps Clean Energy and Housing Community Liaison will help address this need by increasing outreach efforts, providing program support, developing workforce capabilities, and expanding services into the health sector. Through these efforts, the position aims to improve living conditions, reduce energy costs, and mitigate health risks for vulnerable households in the community.
Position Outcomes
The AmeriCorps Clean Energy and Housing Community Liaison position aims to achieve several desired outcomes in the Gunnison Valley region, including increasing the number of households served with energy efficiency upgrades and healthier living environments through GV-HEAT, reducing energy burdens for low to middle-income families, improving health outcomes by addressing housing-related health risks, enhancing community engagement and awareness about energy efficiency and housing programs, and strengthening workforce capabilities in energy efficiency upgrades. These outcomes will be measured through tracking the number of households served, assessing reductions in energy costs, monitoring changes in health outcomes, evaluating community participation in program activities, and measuring the expansion and quality of the contractor network. Ultimately, the service seeks to create tangible improvements in residents' lives by providing access to energy-efficient, comfortable, and affordable housing while simultaneously mitigating energy costs and health risks associated with inadequate living conditions.
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Relocation allowance (if applicable)
Regional Conferences, professional development opportunities.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy
Creativity & Problem Solving
Improvise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients