The Economic Empowerment Corps: A Guide for Potential Members

Transcription

1 WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT CORPS? The EEC is a statewide AmeriCorps program operated through the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Members commit to a year of direct service, providing financial education and capability services to survivors of domestic violence (and their children). The Economic Empowerment Corps has two areas of focus: economic empowerment and youth empowerment. Members can serve in one role, or a blended role according to the service site s needs. INTERESTED IN APPLYING? Review this document to learn about the position, eligibility requirements, and benefits. See the HOW TO APPLY section (page 6) for more detailed instructions on applying for an Economic Empowerment Corps position through My AmeriCorps. For additional information, please contact AmeriCorps Program Administrator Michelle Fiore at mfiore@kcadv.org or THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE APPLYING: Does the position description interest you? (Page 2) Are you eligible? (Page 3) Have you reviewed the benefits? (Page 3) Can you attend the mandatory pre-service orientation the second week of September 2016? (September 6, 7 and 8). Can you commit to a year of service? EEC members are expected to complete 1700 hours of service from September 1, 2016 to August 31, This is a full time service position (35-40 hours a week). 1

2 POSITION DESCRIPTIONS Economic Empowerment Specialist Economic empowerment specialist will provide a comprehensive array of services aimed at helping survivors become economically self-sufficient. They will help survivors find housing, employment, pursue an education, and even purchase homes. The empowerment specialists will offer financial education classes and credit counseling, enroll survivors in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), help them get credit reports and sign up for micro loans. Economic Empowerment Specialists will: Provide financial education classes, credit reports and one-on-one credit counseling Help survivors open Individual Development Accounts (car, classic or matched savings) Help survivors obtain micro loans Help survivors apply for emergency assistance, public benefits and other social services Help survivors find transitional or permanent housing and help survivors apply for housing assistance Teach job-readiness classes Recruit volunteers to assist with tax preparation, financial education classes and other shelter-related services Assist with KCADV s evaluation of the Economic Empowerment Program Youth Empowerment Specialist The Youth Empowerment Specialist will: Run an educational/tutoring program for children at domestic violence programs Connect children to emergency assistance, public benefits and other social services Assist with and advocate for children with the local school district Organize educational outings Recruit volunteers to assist with children s programming Provide age-appropriate financial education and economic empowerment programming for children and teenagers Enroll teenagers in education IDAs 2

3 ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (WITH OR WITHOUT ACCOMODATIONS) Education or experience in related fields Ability to communicate orally and in writing Ability to work effectively and interact well with others Ability to use a computer and other office machines (telephone, fax machine, copier, calculator, etc.) Have reliable transportation (some travel may be required) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Sex offender registry check Be a U.S. citizen or national or lawful permanent resident Be at least 17 years or older Serve full-time for months and a minimum of 1700 hours *All sections will be pending until the member completes an Administrative Office of the Courts (AoC) background check and an FBI fingerprint check. BENEFITS: Health Coverage. KCADV will assist members in joining the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange (Kynect) within the first month of service. KCADV will provide health insurance coverage through Summit America during the lapse of health coverage at the beginning of their service. Childcare assistance through GAP Solutions Inc. 12,700 stipend. This is paid biweekly, in regular installments, throughout your service. A 5,730 Segal Education Award for successful completion of service. You can put some student loans in forbearance or transfer the award to a dependent (if you are 55 or older) Eligibility for all of KCADV s Individual Development Account programs (Classic, Car and Emergency Savings). Experience, trainings and networking opportunities in your site s community and across the state. Members can have outside employment to supplement their income (as long as this employment does not affect your availability to your projects). Some sites offer living allowances to their members. Sites are not required to do so, but are encouraged to if their budget allows. 3

4 WHERE YOU COULD SERVE: KCADV has 16 service sites across the Commonwealth of Kentucky, including 10 KCADV member program locations: Barren River Area Safe Space (Bowling Green, KY) Bethany House (Somerset, KY) Center for Women and Families (Louisville, KY) DOVES of Gateway (Morehead, KY) GreenHouse 17 (Lexington, KY) Merryman House (Paducah, KY) Safe Harbor (Ashland, KY) Sanctuary, Inc. (Hopkinsville, KY) Women's Crisis Center NKY (Covington, KY) Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence 111 Darby Shire Circle Frankfort, KY Phone: Fax: National Domestic Violence Hotline SAFE (7233) Prevent. Empower. Support. Merryman House Paducah Ballard Carlisle Hickman Fulton McCracken Graves Livingston Marshall Calloway OASIS owensboro Crittenden Lyon Union Caldwell Trigg Henderson Webster Hopkins Sanctuary, Inc Christian hopkinsville Daviess Maclean Muhlenberg Todd The Center for Women and Families SpringHaven, Inc elizabethtown Hancock Ohio Logan Domestic Violence Programs in Kentucky louisville BE-SAFE1 Butler Meade Breckinridge Simpson Grayson Warren Edmonson Allen Hardin Barren River Area Safe Space bowling green GreenHouse17 lexington Hart Barren Jefferson Bullitt LaRue Monroe Oldham Nelson Green Metcalfe Trimble Spencer Washington Marion Taylor Adair Cumberland Women s Crisis Center northern kentucky Carroll Henry Shelby Russell Clinton Galatin Owen Franklin Anderson Casey Boone Woodford Mercer Boyle Wayne Kenton Grant Scott Campbell Pulaski Pendleton Robertson Harrison Fayette Jessamine Garrard Lincoln McCreary Bethany House Abuse Shelter, Inc somerset Bourbon Clark Madison Rockcastle Women s Crisis Center Maysville Bracken Nicholas Whitley Mason Montgomery Estill Jackson Laurel Fleming Bath Powell Knox Menifee Lee Owsley Clay Bell Lewis Rowan Wolfe Morgan Breathitt Leslie Greenup Carter Elliott Magoffin Perry Harlan Cumberland Valley Domestic Violence Services london DOVES of Gateway Morehead Boyd Lawrence Johnson Knott Floyd Letcher Martin Safe Harbor ashland Pike Turning Point Domestic Violence Services Prestonsburg LKLP Safe House hazard and 6 KCADV community partner locations: Bishop and Chase Foundation (Lexington, KY) Gateway Community Action Agency (West Liberty, KY) Hager Educational Foundation (Owensboro, KY) KCADV (Frankfort, KY) Kentucky Refuge for Women (Lexington, KY) Pride Community Services Organization (Lexington, KY) Volunteer Information Center (Henderson, KY) 4

5 HOW TO APPLY: Submit a resume and cover letter to mfiore@kcadv.org to be forwarded to sites in your local area that have an opening. Register and create an application at The guide included in this document will walk you through the application process and how to use the My AmeriCorps portal. (Guide begins on page 6). Apply to the listing at You will interview for the position with the service site. KCADV will conduct a second interview with the sites top candidate(s). KCADV will work with the service site to make a final selection decision. FOLLOW THE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING THROUGH MY AMERICORPS ON PAGE 6 5

6 SETTING UP A MY AMERICORPS ACCOUNT Go to and follow the instructions below. Youwillberedirectedtothe MyAmeriCorpsportal.You willusethemyamericorps portalto ApplytoServe Create/Update Applica=ons SearchLis=ngs Applytolis=ngs OfficiallyAccept AmeriCorpsoffers Click YouwillnowCreateaprofile.Therearefourstepstogothrough. Therearefoursteps.Steponeasksforyourcontactinforma;onandsocialsecurity number.fillouttheinforma;onandclick 6

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8 In#step#four,#you#will#be#asked#about#language,#your#license#and#your#skills.## Once##you ve#filled#out#step#4,#click###############on#the#bo?om#right#hand#corner.## *You%will%be%asked%to%write%briefly%about%each%skill%you%choose%in%your%applica7on%%Ex:%A% journalism%major%might%pick%wri7ng/edi7ng%and%talk%about%their%7me%working%for%their% college%paper.## A"er%clicking%A%%%%on%%%at% Step%4,%a%no3fica3on%will% appear%that%you%will%get% further%instruc3ons%in% your%e;mail.%% % You ll%get%an%e;mail%like% the%one%on%the%right.%% Click%on%the%link%provided% to%confirm%your% registra3on.%% 8

9 Enter&the&informa-on&to&complete&your&registra-on&to&the&My&AmeriCorps& Portal&and&click&& & Record&your&username&and&password.&You&will&use&these&con-nuously.&Now& that&you&are&registered,&you&will&need&to&fill&out&an&applica-on.&& GO THE NEXT PAGE TO LEARN ABOUT DRAFTING AN APPLICATION IN MY AMERICORPS 9

10 DRAFTING AN APPLICATION IN MY AMERICORPS You ll&be&taken&to& the&home&page& of&you re&my& AmeriCorps& Portal&a=er& comple?ng&your& registra?on.&go& to&the& Applica?ons&tab& Click&& Once&you&do&that,&you&will&fill&out& step&1&through&8&of&the&applica?on,& star?ng&with&a&mo?va?onal& statement&and&ending&with& references.&this&will&take&some&?me.&& TIP:%Type%out%responses%in%a%Word%document%and%save%regularly.% The%system%glitches%and%doesn t%catch%all%grammar/spelling%errors.%% Once%you ve%clicked%the%references%tab,%you%will%be%able%to%create%as%many%new% references%as%you%want.%click% Fill%out%the%informa=on%and% submit.%an%e?mail%will%be% automa=cally%sent%to%your% reference%asking%them%to%fill% our%a%reference%form.% % You%can%use%the%Reference%tab% to%see%who%has%responded%and% send%them%a%reminder%e?mail.%% 10

11 Step&8&of&the&applica>on&asks&you&to&create&references.&You&will&need&to&add&two&references& to&complete&your&applica>on.&got&to&the& Reference &tab&to&create&new&references.&& You ll&me&taken&to&the&home&page&of&you re&my&americorps&portal&a<er& comple>ng&your&registra>on.& Youwillgobacktoaddthesereferencesbygoingbacktotheapplica7ontaband clicking.youmusthaveatleasttwocompletereferencestofinishyourapplica7on Onceyourreferences ourcomplete,goback intoyourapplica7on (byclicking) Clickon TheClickon 11

12 This%is%what%your%references%might%look%like%within%your%applica6on.%You%will%click% on%the%ones%you%want%to%use%with%your%applica6on.%% NOW THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS DONE, GO TO THE NEXT PAGE TO LEARN ABOUT APPLYING TO THE SUBMISSION LISTING. 12

13 APPLYING TO THE RIGHT LISTING At#this#point,#you#should#have#completed#your#applica5on#and#have#at#least#two#references.# # This#applica5on#doesn t#automa5cally#go#to#the#host#site#you#are#interested#in.#you#must# apply#to#a#lis5ng.#click#the# Search#Lis5ngs #tab#in#the#my#americorps#portal#on#the#lef.## Under& Quick&Search,&Select& AmeriCorps&State/Na<onal&in& the&program&type&drop&down& menu.& &Select&Kentucky&as&the&state&in& the&state&drop&down&menu.& Type&in&Economic& Empowerment&Corps&for&the& program&name.&& Then&click & & & & & & & &to&find&the&eec&lis<ng.&&& 13

14 Click on the Economic Empowerment Corps listing (as shown below) You ll be able to review and apply for the listing from the page below. Fill out the Certification section and click 14

15 You will then be asked if you are certain that you want to submit an application to that listing. Click. You will receive a notification in My AmeriCorps that your application has been submitted successfully. 15

16 APPLICATION STATUS In the My AmeriCorps portal, you will be able to see listings you ve applied for. You will get an letting you know every time your application date changes. Click the link below to discover what each status means. een_selected_for_a_project.htm 16

17 ACCEPTING THE POSITION When your status is SELECTED, you ve been sent an offer to accept the position. Under submissions tab, click on the Economic Empowerment Corps submission listing (in blue). You will have the option to select or decline the offer. You will be asked to confirm your choice. CONGRATULATIONS! WELCOME TO THE EEC. 17