AmeriCorps Member
Service Opportunity
Full-Time Position
1700 hours in 10 months

Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire and Local Initiatives Support Corporation are seeking a full-time AmeriCorps member to serve as Associate Project Manager. The candidate will ideally begin service on October 1, 2017, and serve a minimum of 1700 hours through the end of his/her term on July 31, 2018. The exact start and end date is confirmed by the Member Agreement of Participation.

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUNDS
CDCSB’s service area includes all of Berkshire County, with a primary focus area on the fifteen towns south of Pittsfield: Lenox, Richmond, Lee, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Tyringham, Egremont, Alford, Sheffield, New Marlborough, Monterey, Otis, Mt. Washington, and Sandisfield. Within this focus area, CDCSB’s work concentrates in the communities that have some level of public infrastructure (town water and sewer, public transportation) and have ready access to services: Great Barrington, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Lee, Lenox, Sheffield. The largest of these, Great Barrington, has a population of 7082; the populations of the other towns range from 151 to 5907 (2015, USA City Facts, US Government).

The south Berkshire region is characterized by its rural setting with a predominance of open space, agricultural land with a trend for increasing “rural sprawl” e.g. the population in the core of downtown Great Barrington has declined by 10% over the last decade; in Housatonic by 17%. The economy is primarily service-based, driven by the hospitality and tourism industry. Land costs are disproportionally high, driven by the vacation, retirement and second home markets. Land costs are rising; wages are declining. The combination of low wage-paying jobs and high housing costs has made it especially difficult to retain the area’s youth; the population is declining and aging with a median age of 45.

The unemployment rate in the larger towns ranges from 4.1% in Great Barrington to 3.3% in Stockbridge (Bureau of Labor Statistics). In 2015 the poverty rate in the larger towns ranged from 10.1% in Lenox and 12.2% in Great Barrington with a rate of 14.3% for all of Berkshire County (US Census ACS). These statistics indicate a significant population of “working poor”. The population is 95% white, with a slowly growing Latino population.

Median household income ranges from $48,000 in Monterey to $91,000 in Alford. The median household incomes in the larger towns, holding the majority of the population, average approximately $52,000. The median household income of the downtown cores of the larger towns are 20% to 40% less than the median household incomes for the towns as a whole.

Median sales price of 1500-2500 sq. ft. homes averages $345,000. The household income necessary to afford the median sale price is $90,000, or $38,000 more than the median household income (MassHousing). Nearly half of all homeowners and almost two-thirds of all renters pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Homeowner and rental vacancy rates are both less than 2%. None of the south Berkshire towns meet the 10% Subsidized Housing Unit threshold set by Chapter 40-B. There is a very deep need for affordable housing throughout the area, for both rental and home ownership.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is dedicated to helping community residents transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities of choice and opportunity — good places to work, do business and raise children. LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help community-based organizations revitalize underserved neighborhoods. This strategy extends to the LISC AmeriCorps program where we support placing AmeriCorps Members with local non-profit partners. Members assist in efforts to revitalize underserved neighborhoods across America and create vibrant places for people to live, work, and play.

AMERICORPS MEMBER ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Housing Development Project Management of at least one current project with direction and oversight by the
Executive Director:

• Oversee and manage the process for project feasibility, design/development, and permitting.
• Coordinate and facilitate project financing applications with particular attention to development budgets and operating proformas.
• Coordinate work and facilitate communication between owner, development consultant, and design/development team.
• Facilitate and manage the communication and relationships with State Agencies, Town Boards and partnering organizations.
• Keep records for all project meetings and project-related correspondence.
• Manage the project schedule, including the construction schedule if applicable.
• Develop relationships with community leaders and serve as CDCSB’s liaison with the community.
• Coordinate project information meetings with neighborhoods and the wider public.
• Coordinate events and community outreach relating to ongoing projects and mission.
• Facilitate Facebook and Twitter account information relating to projects and organization.

AMERICORPS MEMBER PERFORMANCE
Members will be provided with goal(s) at the onset of the service assignment based on the activities and responsibilities noted above. Members will track goal attainment monthly through an on-line system (training provided). Members will also discuss professional performance in the form of a mid-term and final performance
appraisal.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
Members will perform day to day service at CDCSB and serve a minimum of 40 hours per week. Normal service hours are Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm with 30 minutes for lunch per day. There will be opportunities to serve evenings and weekends.

Members are expected to attend and participate in all LISC AmeriCorps sponsored activities including but not limited to:
§ Attending a local onboarding session coordinated by LISC and an onsite orientation to our organization;
§ Attending a national leadership conference tentatively scheduled for March 2018;
§ Attending all locally sponsored monthly meetings;
§ Participating in nationally sponsored webinars;
§ Actively participating in at least two locally identified and team coordinated service projects (one for Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and one for National AmeriCorps Week); and,
§ Engaging in any other LISC events as determined by the local LISC office.

This is an AmeriCorps position. LISC and Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire will not allow the member to engage in activities that are considered prohibited under the terms of the grant while serving as a LISC AmeriCorps member.

DESIRED SKILLS
§ Desire and ability to work with a diverse group of people, particularly those living in low-income
distressed neighborhoods
§ Ability to work independently and in a team environment
§ Basic computer skills
§ Good written and oral communication skills
§ Ability to work a flexible schedule (some night and weekend meetings may be required)

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible to participate as a LISC AmeriCorps member the candidate must meet all eligibility requirements to serve as a National Service participant including but not limited to:

§ Be eligible to earn 100% of a full-time education award
§ Be eligible to perform a term of national service
§ Possess a high school degree, GED certificate or agree to achieve GED during the term of service
§ Be at least 17 years of age (note there is no upper age limit)
§ Have unexpired proof of status as a US citizen or possess unexpired permanent resident status and be able to provide documentation as determined by CNCS
§ Be available to serve for a full 10 month period of time
§ Be able to complete at least 1700 hours of service within the 10 months of service as well as serve the full term of the service

NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY SEARCH REQUIREMENT
If a candidate has a criminal record, it does not necessarily make a candidate ineligible for service. Only candidates who are subject to registry on the National Sex Offender Public Website or have been convicted of murder may not participate as an AmeriCorps member. Only candidates being offered and then accepting the position must consent to a search of the National Sex Offender Public Website, a State Level Criminal History Search and an FBI search. Consent is provided via the LISC AmeriCorps application.

PROGRAM BENEFITS
Upon successful completion of the term of service, the member will be eligible for a $5,815 education award to pay off existing, eligible student loans or return to school. Members are eligible to place existing student loans (loans must qualify and not in a state of default) into AmeriCorps forbearance. The position pays a total stipend of $15,000. The stipend is taxable and paid in 20 equal checks twice a month from LISC. Direct deposit is highly encouraged. A health care benefit is available for the participant only (dependents are not eligible). For members with children under the age of 13, there is a child care subsidy benefit available which is dependent on the participant meeting all eligibility requirements (This benefit is administered by a contracted provider via the Corporation for National and Community Service).

HOW TO APPLY:
Send resumes to Timothy Geller at tim@cdcsb.org.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion in the selection process.