Location of Service: Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) – 901 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917

About Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation:

KCDC serves as the public housing authority for both the City of Knoxville and Knox County and the redevelopment agency for the City of Knoxville. KCDC provides affordable housing at 19 separate sites for some 3,600 families and individuals while concurrently administering some 4,000 section 8 vouchers.

KCDC strives to improve neighborhoods and communities by providing quality affordable housing, advancing development initiatives, and fostering self-sufficiency. The AmeriCorps member will join that mission by supporting the internal working of the agency. While not a direct client services position, the member will serve in a backbone unit of the organization.

For those interested in additional opportunities to give back, getting involved in our internal Community Involvement Council is a great way provide direct impacts for both residents and employees. There are also opportunities to engage with residents through public events and holiday gatherings.

This opportunity will provide the member with an opportunity to become very familiar with public housing, the importance of affordable housing, and urban planning at the city level.

*KCDC provides reduced-cost housing for AmeriCorps serving with KCDC.

Position Summary:

The CAC VISTA member will develop more sustainable food security services through:

• Identify existing or needed resources in the community
• Co-write grants for existing community gardens, food access, and outdoor programming
• Work with expanding food access partnerships to underserved KCDC properties
• Develop educational opportunities around food for residents at KCDC properties
• Collect best practices, observations, and existing research around food insecurity and access for low-income individuals
• Arrange and assist with partnership-based community activities such as food and commodities distribution
• Review data collected from KCDC needs assessment to identify high-need properties and areas while developing a matrix to connect needs with partners
• Work directly with the United Way Food Systems Director and the City of Knoxville Food Policy Council, the oldest Food Policy Council in the United States

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

• Event planning
• Grant writing

Site Preferences/Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; social media platforms; Zoom
• Superior written and oral communication skills
• The ability to work well with residents, community partners, and KCDC staff is required
• Ability to coordinate activities
• A positive attitude
• Self-directed, with the ability to work alone and in groups

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.