You’ll recruit new task force members and creatively involve them with the missions and activities of the adult-led task forces working on behavioral health, drug-use prevention, childhood nutrition, and cultural awareness. You’ll develop a strategic plan for long-term housing/employment for Ketchikan’s homeless, in partnership with local governments and community leaders. You’ll Identify and apply for resources and contributions – both financial & in-kind – to strengthen KWC programs and interventions. You’ll recruit mentors for the youth participants of the Ketchikan Youth Support Network as they develop activities to promote drug-free lifestyles among student populations. You’ll advance the integration of volunteer management systems into our new website & Sharepoint database.
Service Activities
Established in 2007 as a community initiative to address significant community-wide challenges described in a United Way-funded assessment, the volunteer-led Ketchikan Wellness Coalition (KWC) has worked to address the biggest social challenges facing our community. Five staff members have been hired via four grants in the past two years, fueling new growth of some task forces, while others have struggled to meet regularly and impact their target issues. A new team of leaders is coalescing within KWC and you have the opportunity to play a key role in its development. In addition, you will find a welcoming island community in Ketchikan (if you can handle the wind and rain) and will learn skillsets and knowledge from the staff and volunteers who share their talents with our organization. You will enjoy the benefit of interacting with six other VISTA members assigned to the Ketchikan Community Capacity Building project. This collaboration facilitates the VISTAs activities in volunteer recruitment and public relations outreach to the community. Speaking of the rain, there's a lot of it, but locals have learned how to dance, play, and work hard in rain gear - we call it 'liquid sunshine'! When the bright orange ball does appear in the sky, the natural beauty of the Tongass National Forest truly shines. Please apply for this year of service if you can dance in the rain, work with and engage diverse groups of people, think and plan strategically, yet accept the leadership provided by volunteers as they work to educate and improve the community. You'll find that this artsy community will infuse you with a passion for life equal to your own level of investment in these community-advocacy projects.
Community Need Addressed
Unemployment and homelessness in Ketchikan.
Position Outcomes
Increased organizational capacity.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Relocation allowance (if applicable), Student loan forbearance
Education Benefits
College Degree
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented
Decisions
Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand
Planning
Create environment of contribution, Effectively delegate tasks
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction