Location of Service: Bridge Refugee Services – 4420 Whittle Springs Rd Ste A, Knoxville, TN 37917

About Bridge Refugee Services:

Bridge Refugee Services, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating in Knoxville that is committed to providing opportunities for low-income refugees to rebuild their lives, so that they become productive and contributing members of the community.

Position Summary:

• Be “a face” of the organization through outreach efforts
• Communicate volunteer needs to both volunteers and prospective volunteers
• Expand volunteer recruitment initiatives
• Review current recruitment plan and efforts; develop recommendations for strengthening and streamlining current recruitment initiatives
• Create new outreach materials to use at events to engage with prospective volunteers and community partners; recruit volunteers to support outreach efforts
• Assist with implementing a new system for volunteer tracking, evaluation, and monitoring
• Explore how the organization can continue to improve volunteer and community assistance team retention
• Expand volunteer appreciation and engagement efforts through multiple means – events, communications, or other methods
• Review and streamline existing in-kind donation process; assist with coordinating and recording in-kind donations
• Update existing informational and educational materials for volunteers and the general public. This includes helping implementing an ESL program that volunteers can use to engage refugee clients in tutoring and instruction.
• Build new relationships with community partners to boost our signal to volunteers and donors
• Find creative ways to engage volunteers with individual skills, expertise, professional experience, and interests and deploy them to the service of our clients
• Help encourage and promote volunteer self-reporting of volunteer hours and mileage

The member(s) in this position will have the opportunity to gain the following skills/credentials:

• Will learn how to manage a large roster of volunteers.
• Improve communication skills in regard to media, print medium, emails, email blasts, telephone, and in-person communication.
• Education on the inner workings of a non-profit.
• Will learn the process of refugee resettlement on the national and local level.
• The opportunity to help plan and support large community events like our Volunteer Appreciation Event and World Refugee Day.
• Will learn and educate volunteers on the differences between the refugees’ culture and the volunteers’ host culture, including understanding cultural differences, bridging culture, and setting boundaries.
• Will be given the opportunity to take the initiative to build and improve upon volunteer programs.
• Opportunities to train volunteers on how to support refugee resettlement.
• Will learn to use volunteer management software (Better Impact).
• Will learn how to manage in-kind donations.
• Will have opportunities for personal development in volunteer management and refugee resettlement by way of recommended webinars and trainings.

Site Preferences/Qualifications:

• Must have access to and be able to drive a personal vehicle
• Must work well with others, both inside and outside of the organization
• Will be assigned a laptop computer for the purpose of email communication, Zoom meetings, and volunteer & donation management.
• Must be able to work as a team and also independently as needed.

Equity and Inclusion: The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will take action to ensure that members and employees are treated equally without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender, romantic/sexual orientation, age, handicap, cultural or religious convictions.  CAC AmeriCorps provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees.  Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation at any point in the recruitment / employment process.