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Good Sports

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:46:14 +0000

Did you know that how wealthy your family is has a lot to do with which sports you play growing up? Sometimes it’s a demographic thing, but a lot of times it just has to do with whether or not your family can afford to pay for the equipment. Take hockey for example. There’s a ton of stuff you need, and it’s all expensive; whereas, basketball can be played with just a ball and a hoop in a park. There are no hard and fast rules about this, but it’s very clear that many kids don’t get the opportunity to try some sports because of the costs involved. Good Sports is a Boston based non-profit that “provides sports equipment to disadvantaged youth in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and Chicago.” They may have pictures of Boston athletes plastered all over their website (yuck!), but they’re doing a really good thing.

Are You a Good Sport?

The idea behind Good Sports is pretty simple—they raise money and take equipment donations from manufacturers and then provide equipment grants to youth athletic programs. Additionally, Goods Sports runs Community Health Programs in conjunction with Community Health Centers to provide “necessary fitness equipment to children being treated in healthy weight, diabetes, or other obesity related medical programs.” They seem to be doing a great job, and the names on their Boards of Directors and Advisors show that they’ve excelled at integrating themselves within the Boston sports community. It’d be a cool place to break into the sports industry, as you’d have tons of networking opportunities. Right now, Good Sports is looking for an Administrative Assistant, which is kind of a do-everything job in a small non-profit like Good Sports. They do want someone with 3 years of experience as an admin, but I think that a new grad would be a great fit for this position. You can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to Davin Lencz at dlencz@goodsports.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite piece of sports equipment?

Best Shot Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:56:19 +0000

Some of the most fun that I had during college was playing in a charity dodgeball tournament. My team was doing really well until we ran into a team of future NHL players, pitchers from the baseball team, and some former softball players (they threw underhand, and they threw hard) in the semifinals. That match was pretty ugly, but even when you lose at dodgeball, you have fun. We’ve seen dodgeball gaining more and more popularity, and with that trend we’ve seen more and more non-profits using dodgeball to raise funds. Best Shot Foundation is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is doing just this. They’re an organization that is focused on bringing attention to the fact “that pneumonia kills more young children than any other disease,” and then doing something about it.

Give It Your Best Shot

Even here in America pneumonia can be a major problem for people—especially those whose immune systems are compromised in some way. However, across the world it’s a much bigger problem. According to UNICEF:

Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness—more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Over 2 million children die from pneumonia each year, accounting for almost 1 in 5 under-five deaths worldwide. Yet, little attention is paid to this disease.

That’s a startling statistic. Best Shot Foundation is focused on fixing this problem by focusing on “the belief that increased public commitment will drive increased health resource allocation.” They’re getting things started by organizing dodgeball tournaments at college campuses across the country. I love the idea, and I think that you should help. Since Best Shot Foundation is a startup non-profit, they don’t appear to have any full-time, permanent jobs right now, but they are hiring 16 Regional Tournament Organizers to take on the challenge of running these tournaments. Since finding a job is so tough now, this is a perfect stopgap position to gain some experience for your résumé and show off your skills and abilities. And it could turn into something permanent if Best Shot Foundation continues to grow. You need to do more than just send a résumé to apply, so check out all of the requirements in the job description before applying.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever played in a dodgeball tournament?

Ladder Up

Willy Franzen — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:10:44 +0000

Often people don’t realize what services are available to them. I see this all the time with college students and Career Services offices—the students complain about a lack of help even though they’ve never stepped foot in the office. Another example is students who are having trouble paying for college yet have never applied for the thousands of dollars of scholarships that are available to them. This same thing happens all the time in the world of government programs—people endure hardship because they don’t know that there are programs intended just for them. We often hear that there’s a need for more programs to help the poor, yet programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit are significantly underutilized. Ladder Up is a Chicago based non-profit organization that has “returned $183 million to 100,000 hardworking families” by providing “free, real world financial solutions that maximize earnings and savings.” Whether it’s helping their clients claim a tax credit that they didn’t know about or walking a future college student through the financial aid process, Ladder Up helps people make the most of what’s available to them.

Climb the Ladder Up

Part of the problem with the government is that nothing is ever simple. Whether you’re apply for a government job, filing your taxes, or applying for some sort of government program, it’s always complicated. This means that people who need the most help from the government often don’t even know it’s available. Ladder Up changes this by working directly with their clients to help them “get off the ground and stay there.” When the working poor of Chicago run into problems claiming tax credits or refunds, they can go to Ladder Up for financial consulting advice. It’s a brilliant idea for a non-profit, and it’s apparently extremely effective—according to Ladder Up’s website they return $29 to the community for every $1 that is donated to them. That’s a huge ROI! Now, Ladder Up doesn’t have any jobs posted on Idealist right now; however, there are a couple of internships posted. A little deeper research on LinkedIn told me that Ladder Up does have entry level type positions, even if they may not be hiring right now. If you’re interested in a job with them, your best bet is to reach out to them through their Contact page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Ladder Up?

Housing Works

Willy Franzen — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:28:53 +0000

Homelessness is pretty terrible, but the problems that it leads to can be even worse. One of those problems is often AIDS. Housing Works is a New York City based non-profit that “provides homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and their families with housing, meals, medical care, drug treatment, social support, employment opportunities and other lifesaving services.” The cool thing is the scale that they’re doing this on—they are “the largest community-based AIDS service organization in the United States.” That means that since 1990 they’ve served more than 20,000 New Yorkers.

Make Housing Works Work for You

What allows Housing Works to operate on such a large scale (they did $40 million in revenue last year) is their smart approach to fundraising. They run a number of social enterprise businesses that include a chain of thrift shops and a used bookstore/café. These businesses tie into the Housing Works mission because they create jobs for the individuals that Housing Works aims to help. It’s a fantastic model that seems to be extremely effective. If this sounds like something that you’d want to be a part of, then check out Housing Works’ Jobs page, or better yet, check out their Job postings on Idealist. They have a number of positions suitable for new grads including Recreation Assistant, Case Manager, and possibly Harm Reduction Coordinator. The application instructions vary, so pay careful attention.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Housing Works?

First Book

Willy Franzen — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:46:47 +0000

What was the first book that you ever read? Mine wasn’t actually a book—it was a Super Mario Bros. comic book. My parents had decided that it would be fun to take Amtrak to Florida to visit Grandma and Grandpa instead of flying. And it actually was. I spent a lot of the time struggling through the comic book, and then I was suddenly reading. That wouldn’t have happened on a 3 hour flight. Do you have as vivid of a memory of reading your first book as I do? First Book hopes so. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that “provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.” In 16 years they’ve provided more than 65 million books, so you have to call First Book a huge success.

Open a New Chapter with First Book

Considering the fact that you’re probably someone who enjoys reading (since that’s what One Day, One Job is all about), you have to have a strong understanding of how powerful reading skills can be. It all starts when you’re 5 or 6 with a single book, yet many kids just don’t have access to age appropriate books. First Book solves that problem. They also have an awesome way to market their story. By asking you “What book got you hooked?” they’re getting right at an emotional memory. You have to agree that “there are some stories no child should grow up without.” If First Book already has you reminiscing about your early days of reading, then you should check out their jobs. They have two Director level (not entry level) jobs posted on their Jobs page, but there’s also a Strategic Alliances Coordinator position posted on Idealist. It’s perfect for a new grad, so give it a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What was your first book?

National Building Museum

Willy Franzen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:10:38 +0000

For nearly as long as humans have been around, we’ve been building shelters—places to sleep, eat, work, and play. And nearly as long as we’ve been building shelters, we’ve been doing it artistically. Function is still our primary goal—it’s the reason that we build things, but it’s amazing how development, architecture, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning come together as an essential part of human culture. The National Building Museum in Washington, DC was started to “advance the quality of the built environment by educating the public about its impact on people’s lives.” Yes, it’s a museum filled with artifacts and objects related to the history of buildings, but it’s more than that. It’s really about “fostering lively discussion about a wide range of topics.”

Building Your Career

I’ve always had a special appreciation for buildings because they’ve fed me, clothed me, and educated me. My Dad is an architect, so artistically inspired structures pay the bills (or at least they did, now it’s helping people find jobs). If you have a passion for buildings, then a job with National Building Museum will lay the perfect foundation for your career. The National Building Museum Jobs page shows a number of opportunities that seem suitable for new grads. These include CityVision Team Leaders, Visitor Services Representative, Development Events Coordinator, and Membership Assistant. To apply for any of the jobs, send a cover letter, résumé, and salary history to recruitment@nbm.org with the job title in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Building Museum?

Action Inc.

Willy Franzen — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:02:12 +0000

I love it when I get great recommendations for companies/organizations to feature from readers (if you have one, let me know at willy@onedayonejob.com). That’s how I found out about Gloucester, MA based Action Inc. I was sent a link to this article about how the non-profit agency will be getting “$8.5 million in federal stimulus money over the next three years to improve energy efficiency in low-income households from Gloucester to Haverhill to Lynn.” The cool thing about the project is that it not only focuses on reducing energy consumption, but it also focuses on helping low-income people save money that they’re literally burning away. Action Inc. is all about economic security, so their work goes well beyond energy efficiency. It also includes Advocay, Youth Outreach, In Home Care, Housing Loans, Job Training, Emergency Shelters, and Toy Drives.

Take Action

Action Inc. may sound a bit unfocused; however, that’s not really the case. They do their outreach in a variety of ways, but they aim to help a very specific segment of a very localized population. When it comes to promoting economic security for low-income people in the Gloucester area, they do whatever it takes to promote progress. However, you have to think that there will be an increased focus on the area of energy efficiency with the stimulus funds. That might also mean more job openings at Action Inc. Right now they have a Regional Coordinator position available that appears to be suitable for a new grad. You can find the details on how to apply in the job posting, so give it a good read and see if it sounds like something that you’d want to do.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Action Inc.?

American Legacy Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:41:09 +0000

Three months ago when I featured the American Lung Association’s Jobs, I mentioned a good friend who is battling lung cancer. From what I’ve heard, he continues to be doing well and fighting for his life. Unfortunately, I recently learned that my grandmother is also facing a battle with lung cancer despite the fact that she stopped smoking before I was born. It’s obviously very upsetting for my family, and we’re going to do our best to get her through this. I don’t usually like getting too personal with these posts, but there’s no better way for me to introduce the American Legacy Foundation. They are a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.” I’ve seen what tobacco can do to people, and it absolutely amazes me that anyone chooses to smoke these days, but many do. It may be their right to do what they want with their bodies but I’m glad that the American Legacy Foundation is working hard to push them towards a smarter, healthier decision.

Where Rejection Is Good

You’re most likely to have seen the American Legacy Foundation’s truth ads; however, I’m sure that you’ve also noticed some of the other things that they do. They’re working to keep smoking out of movies and to help current smokers break their addictions. They’re also supporting a ton of research. It may seem a little pushy. It may be annoying. But it’s important. We as a society need to reject tobacco—for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our friends. If you agree, then you may want to purse a career with the American Legacy Foundation. Right now the jobs that they have posted on their Jobs page and on Idealist (Communications Manager and Collaboration and Outreach Manager) are a bit beyond the entry level, but you may be able to find something that will work for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How has smoking affected your life?

City Harvest

Willy Franzen — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:45:15 +0000

I never thought that I’d hear the words “city” and “harvest” used together as often as I do these days, but now it seems that every city has a farmers market, urban vegetable gardens, and restaurants with hyper-local cuisine. Oddly enough, City Harvest means something slightly different when they talk about harvesting food. They are “a non-profit organization founded in 1982″ and “the world’s first and New York City’s only food rescue program.” What does that mean? It means that this year they will “collect 26 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms.” They’re harvesting anything and everything that they can (as long as it’s up to their food safety standards) to feed New York City’s hungry. It’s a brilliant idea, and the organizations longevity proves that it’s working.

Harvest a Job

It’s amazing how much food we waste every day. I remember going on an overnight field trip in 5th grade, and instead of throwing out our food, we had to put in a bucket and weigh it. The table with the least “ort” (food refuse) won. City Harvest obviously doesn’t take leftovers from people’s plates, but they do take food that never gets served like bread that a bakery never sells or items that never get served by a caterer. It makes so much sense, and City Harvest is able to execute the idea on a huge scale. They have 17 trucks operating 365 days a year and work with 38,000 donors. If you’re impressed by City Harvest’s creative approach to battling hunger, then you should think about a job with them. Right now, they’re looking for a Program and Marketing Assistant. The job looks perfect for a new grad, so check out the full description and send a resume/CV and cover letter with salary requirements to hr@cityharvest.org if you like what you see. Don’t forget to include Program and Marketing Assistant in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you heard of anything like City Harvest before?

Girl Scouts of the USA

Willy Franzen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:30:12 +0000

Last night I enjoyed one of my favorite Summer treats—a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Now, this wasn’t just any Blizzard. This was a Tagalong Blizzard. If you’re not familiar with Tagalongs, then you’re missing out. They are my favorite Girl Scout cookie. And that brings me to the Girl Scouts of the USA, which is a New York City non-profit organization that you probably know best for pushing cookies. Obviously, the cookies have little to do with what the Girl Scouts of the USA are all about, but the funds raised from selling the cookies enable the organization to continue to pursue its mission of being “the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls—all girls—where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.”

Scouting Out the Job Market

Since the Girl Scouts of the USA started in Savannah, GA in 1912, they have touched the lives of more than 50 million women and have sold billions of boxes of cookies. Those are some unbelievable numbers! Whether you are a Girl Scout alum or just someone who has enjoyed the cookies, a career with the Girl Scouts is definitely worth considering. They have quite a few jobs at their New York City headquarters, and they also have job listings for their regional chapters on their Careers site. Some positions at the corporate headquarters include Associate Web Producer, Web Developer, Writer/Editor, and Web Designer/Programmer. I’ll leave checking out the positions with the local chapters and regional offices up to you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Were you ever a Girl Scout?

campusCATALYST

Willy Franzen — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:59:38 +0000

I’ve mentioned before that I’m on the board of advisors for a startup non-profit called National Coaching Fellows. During my time on the board, I’ve learned how challenging the non-profit world can be. Luckily, NCF has had the support of a “student-driven consulting corps for non-profits” to get through some of its growing pains. That consulting group is Chicago’s campusCATALYST, an organization that “seeks to direct the innovation, ingenuity, and problem solving skills of America’s future leaders towards community development by cultivating a rich academic and social entrepreneurship experience for college students and tangible solutions for nonprofits.” In other words, they take students from the University of Chicago and Northwestern and put them on consulting teams that help non-profits achieve their missions.

A CATALYST for Your Career

Although I haven’t interacted directly with campusCATALYST, I have heard nothing but good things about them. They’ve certainly helped National Coaching Fellows, and they’ve also had a significant impact on other local non-profits. campusCATALYST is only starting its second year, but the level of quality that they appear to have built into their program already is outstanding. They’ve created an amazing opportunity for current college students who have an interest in non-profit work and consulting, but they’re also growing into something more. That’s why they’re hiring. Right now they have a Program Director position posted on Idealist. It’s not necessarily an entry level job, but considering the fact that campusCATALYST was started by an ‘07 Northwester graduate named Molly Day, I doubt that your graduation year will be their main concern. The job looks awesome, and you can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to cC@campuscatalyst.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are your thoughts on campusCATALYST?

Fatherhood Educational Institute

Willy Franzen — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:45:27 +0000

Father’s Day is almost always a little bittersweet for me, as it marks the end of a week long fly fishing trip with my Dad to Northern Michigan. I hate for the trip to be over, but there’s no better way to celebrate the holiday than having spent a week with my Dad doing what we love—catching fish. Last year I searched high and low to bring you a post about the National Fatherhood Initiative, and this year it wasn’t easy to find another Dad related non-profit. Lucky for you, I came across the Fatherhood Educational Institute, which is based in Chicago. I know that I couldn’t have done half the things that I’ve done in my life without my Dad (like start this business), so it makes a lot of sense that the Fatherhood Educational Institute aims “to promote positive fatherhood involvement in povery stricken communities.” Great fathers are so important to the success of their children.

Now, the Fatherhood Educational Institute doesn’t have any job listings that I’ve been able to come across, but they do seem big enough to have the potential for some job openings. Some of their undertaking include the Incarcerated Fathers Project and Fatherhood Support Groups. Both are aimed at achieving the Fatherhood Educational Institute’s mission:

a) introduce indigent and incarcerated fathers regarding fatherhood through the use of clinical and related educational tools; and

b) to promote fatherhood in poverty stricken neighborhoods and in the general public through events and any other means of educating the public on the importance of patriarchal involvement in children’s lives.

Like I said, there’s no word on any jobs, but if you think that a job at the Fatherhood Educational Institute might be right up your alley try reaching out to them through the info on their Contact page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How are you celebrating Father’s day?

Right To Play

Willy Franzen — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:42:08 +0000

You know all those rights that you learned about in school? All that stuff in the Constitution. I’m sure it’s important to you now, but how important was it to you as a kid? Unless you were a unique kid, you just wanted to play. That’s why Right To Play is such an interesting non-profit. They’re “an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world.” Play may seem trivial to many, but Right To Play has found that it’s often the key to opening up those other rights that many of us take for granted. They’re a Toronto based organization with a New York City presence, and they’re currently working in 23 countries: Azerbaijan, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, occupied Palestinian territory, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and Zambia.

A Job That Is Fun and Games

Although working among “the most marginalized including girls, people living with disability, children affected by HIV and AIDS, street children, former child combatants and refugees” doesn’t sound like very much fun, Right To Play does its best to change that. Part of being human is having fun as a child, and Right To Play aims to ensure that’s a reality for all children. The organization has great stories about the work that they do. They’ve done a handball clinic in Jordan and put on a Peace Dream Cup in Liberia. If you’re looking for the intersection of sport and philanthropy, this is it. Right now, Right to Play’s Jobs page has a number of openings posted. None are explicitly entry level, but I think that you should take a look at the Grand Writer and Research Coordinator and the Development Coordinator positions. To apply, you can send a cover letter and resume to usa@righttoplayusa.org with the job title in the subject line before June 1st.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Right To Play?

Green Chimneys

Willy Franzen — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:46:18 +0000

Have you ever heard of animal-assisted therapy? Wikipedia defines it as “a type of therapy that involves an animal with specific characteristics becoming a fundamental part of a person’s treatment.” This type of therapy can have all kinds of beneficial effects for a wide array of ailments, and it can be done with animals ranging from dogs to horses to elephants to lizards. Green Chimneys is a Brewster, NY based non-profit organization that “operates residential treatment for children and a special education school” with a large focus on animal-assisted therapy. They’re located on a 200-acre farm, and they’re constantly working towards “restoring possibilities and creating futures for children with emotional, behavioral, social and learning challenges.”

Green Chimneys Is the Place for Me

If you love working with special-needs children and also love animals, then it would be hard to find a better place to work than Green Chimneys. They have a ton of job opportunities available, and plenty of them are appropriate for new grads. You can find the full list on Green Chimneys’ Jobs page; however, I’d recommend that you look for the following jobs: Youth Counselor, Assistant Unit Supervisor, Therapeutic Intervention Specialist (Crisis Intervention), Social Work Supervisor, Speech Teacher, 1:1 Aides, Social Worker (New York City), and Case Worker (Bronx). You can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to employment@greenchimneys.org, so get to know them by browsing their site and see if they’re a good fit for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever experienced any therapy animals?

Family Health and Birth Center

Willy Franzen — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:29:28 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day! It was a lot harder finding a mother related non-profit organization to feature today than I thought it would be, but luckily I came a cross the Family Health and Birth Center in Washington, DC. They are “a full scope birth center providing prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to women and their families,” and since what they do is all about motherhood, they’re a perfect fit for today. The reason that the Family Health and Birth Center exists is that there are often high rates of infant and maternal mortality in low-income areas. That is unacceptable for a country as advanced as the United States, so Ruth Watson Lubic, “an experienced nurse-midwife and health care reform advocate,” decided to do something about it.

Making the Road to Motherhood Safer

We, as children, often forget how dangerous and difficult it can be for our mothers to bring us into the world. Luckily, there are organizations like Family Health and Birth Center that can make it safer. They offer a wide array of services that can help women in the DC area not only become mothers safely, but also start on their way to being good mothers. If you’d like to consider a job at Family Health and Birth Center, you’ll have to get a little bit creative. They don’t currently have any jobs posted, but they do offer internships and volunteer opportunities. They also have a detailed staff page, so if you take the information on those two pages together, you should be able to prepare yourself well to make a cold call. Your Mom will be proud.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you wish your Mom a Happy Mother’s Day?

The Bronx Defenders

Willy Franzen — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:13:41 +0000

Last night I had some friends over for dinner, and we played a question and answers game. My questions for everyone was “if you got arrested, what would it be for.” Think about that for a second. I’m sure most of you never expect to run into trouble with the law, but not all criminals intend to break the law and not all people who are arrested are guilty. Since you’re a college student/new grad with limited financial resources, how would you afford a defense lawyer? Your parents? (If your parents would pay for it, then maybe you should take advantage of that generosity and have them sign you up for our job search prep course.) Or would you end up needing a public defender? That’s not a good thought – “someone you’ve never seen; someone you didn’t choose; someone you have no reason to trust” is responsible for your freedom. That’s why The Bronx Defenders exists. They “have transformed the role of the public defender by changing the nature of the attorney-client relationship, investing in the communities where our clients live, and striving to create justice for the people [they] serve.” It’s still not pleasant to consider a court case, but having better public defense makes it a little less scary.

The Best Offense is a Good Defense

The Bronx Defenders, like many non-profits, is an organization that you hope that you never have to take advantage of, but if you do, it’s nice to know it’s there. They’ve been around since 1997, and they’re now “poised to grow to over 100 criminal and civil attorneys, social workers, parent advocates, investigators, administrative staff, and community programmers.” They’ve worked with more than 100,000 clients, and that doesn’t even touch on all of the additional community outreach that they’ve done. Despite their focus on public defense, there’s a lot more to the organization than helping out people who are in legal trouble. If you’re excited about what The Bronx Defenders is doing, you’ll be excited to know that they’re hiring. Although the position isn’t posted on their Jobs page, they have an Executive/Development Assistant position posted on Idealist. It seems like a perfect job for a new grad, so apply by sending a resume, cover letter (indicating job title) and 1-2 writing samples to Courtney Libon at courtneyl@bronxdefenders.org. (There appears to be a nearly identical position posted on The Bronx Defenders’ Jobs page as an internship, so we’re not quite sure what the deal is here.)

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about The Bronx Defenders?

Project HEALTH

Willy Franzen — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:05:25 +0000

It’s no secret that poverty and poor health are deeply related. Limited access to healthcare is part of the reason, but there’s a lot more to the story. Nearly everything that we do in our lives has some bearing on our health outcomes, and a life in poverty creates factor after factor that leads to poor health outcomes. Project HEALTH is a non-profit organization that works in Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Providence, RI; and Washington, DC to break “the link between poverty and poor health.” Honestly, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I think that poverty and poor health will forever be intertwined, but battling poverty will be the key to creating better health outcomes for lower-income people. I guess it all depends on how you define poverty.

A Project for You

Despite my confusion with Project Health’s tagline, I think that they’ve put together two awesome programs that show that they really do get it. The first is Family Help Desk, which offers clinics where “physicians can ‘prescribe’ food, housing, health insurance, job training, fuel assistance, or other resources for their patients as routinely as they do medication.” I always thought it was kind of silly that our medical system focused mostly on prescribing medication and not on making recommendations about other areas patients’ lives, so I think that Project HEALTH has nailed it here. It should be so surprise that:

The Family Help Desk’s straightforward, preventative referrals to government and community resources – such as affordable housing, child care, employment, GED classes, and job training – enable families to avert crises and to access increased income and education, which have been documented to result in better long-term health outcomes

It sounds like an amazing program! Project HEALTH’s second program is called STRIVE and it’s “an afterschool intervention that provides low-income teens with sickle cell disease with the mentoring, peer support, academic assistance, and disease management education they need to manage their condition effectively and realize their full potential.” It also sounds like it’s doing some impressive work. Another part of the Project HEALTH story is that most of their projects are staffed by college volunteers. On that note, they do have jobs beyond the volunteer level for those of you who have graduated. Project HEALTH’s Jobs page has 6 openings posted right now. 5 are as Family Help Desk Program Managers (in Baltimore, Chicago, New York, Providence, and Washington, DC) which seem to require some prior work experience, while the other job is clearly entry level – Family Help Desk Program Assistant, Baltimore. You can find out how to apply from the job descriptions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Project HEALTH?

Job Path

Willy Franzen — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:56:56 +0000

You may be looking for a job, but I’ll wager that you probably haven’t considered how inherently human it is to work. It’s not something that I thought about when I was job searching, and it’s not something that I think about much when I’m helping other people with their job searches; however, we as humans were made to work. Thousands of years ago it was hunting and gathering, but as we’ve realized the power of comparative advantage, we’ve chosen to specialize in the things that we’re best at. Contributing to society is part of what makes us as humans go, and that’s why Job Path exists. They’re a New York City based non-profit organization that “supports people with developmental disabilities in their efforts to make choices about their lives.” They “encourage people to explore what they want out of life” and then “provide the opportunities and support for them to succeed at whatever they want — whether it’s paid or volunteer work, living in their own homes, or participating in community life.” At a theoretical level it’s not all that different from what we’re doing here or at Found Your Career. It’s all about helping people become fulfilled.

What’s Your Job Path?

Job Path was founded on a number of core beliefs:

everyone has gifts and capabilities and can make a real contribution
everyone can be part of community life
everyone deserves respect
everyone should have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams
everyone has a voice that should be heard
everyone has the right to make decisions about his or her own life

They have a variety of programs that help their developmentally disabled clients including Employment Services, Community Supports, Supported Living, Service Coordination, Special Projects, and Life Coaching. They’ve been around since 1978, and they’ve put more than 2,000 people in jobs. That’s quite an accomplishment! If Job Path sounds like an organization that you’d like to get involved with, you’re in luck – their Idealist page shows a number of job openings. Open positions include Training Consultant, Coordinator of Employment Services, Mentor (part-time), and Compliance/Payroll Administrator (part-time). They’re not all explicitly entry level, but they’re certainly geared towards relatively new grads. The application information varies by position, so be sure to check out the individual job descriptions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Job Path?

Kidsave

Willy Franzen — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:22:44 +0000

Today my little sister is on her way back from a few months in Ethiopia teaching art at an orphanage for children who have lost their parents to AIDS. From what I’ve heard so far, she’s had an amazing impact, so I’m obviously overwhelmingly proud of her. It’s hard to imagine what life without a family is like, but there are millions of children all across the world who know all too well what it’s like. That’s why we’re taking a look at Kidsave today (not the organization that my sister was working with). They’re a Los Angeles, CA based non-profit that is aiming to “to ensure that no orphan or foster child is forgotten and that every child grows up in a family with love and hope for a successful future.” It all started when friends and business partners Terry Baugh and Randi Thompson, both adoptive parents, realized how tragic the stories of orphaned children really are. They started Kidsave in 1997, and since then they have helped “more than 2700 children [find] parents and lasting connections with adults.”

Saving Kids

Kidsave operates all across the globe with the specific goal of helping children find permanent families. Kidsave has 6 main programs – Weekend Miracles, Summer Miracles, Russian Programs, Colombian Programs, Model Programs, and Advocacy. All of these programs appear to be based on the Family Vist Model, which “draws from a broad base of research on orphaned and abandoned children’s needs and how best to meet those needs.” It looks like a fantastic program, and it should be something that you want to be a part of. Luckily, they’re hiring. They only have one job opening, but it’s perfect for a new grad. It’s not posted on Kidsave’s Jobs page, but you can find it on Idealist. The position title is Summer and Weekend Miracles Program Coordinator. There are quite a few requirements (but none of them are experience based), so check out the job description, and send a cover letter and resume to jennifer@kidsave.org if you’d like to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you heard anything about Kidsave?

The Cara Program

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:48:13 +0000

When people ask me what I do, I tell them, “I help college students find and land jobs and internships.” That’s my 3-second elevator pitch. If you were to ask people at The Cara Program what they do, you’d probably get a response like, “We help the homeless and at-risk populations find and land jobs.” Essentially we’re doing the same things – just for different groups of people. Finding a job isn’t easy, as you probably know, but think about how difficult it is for someone who is homeless. Employers typically want employees who can provide stability, but being homeless is a pretty big sign of instability. The problem is that it’s really hard to become stable without a job. That’s why The Cara Program, based out of Chicago, provides “comprehensive training, permanent job placement and critical support services.”

Who’s Cara?

Cara must be the person who started this program, right? Nope. The Cara Program was actually founded in 1991 by Tom Owens. So who’s Cara? Cara is a lot of people, because cára is old Irish for “friend.” The Cara Program is all about being friends to people in need. And right now, The Cara Program needs some new friends – in the form of employees. Their Careers page has a number of jobs listed, and a couple look suitable for new college grads. These include Development Associate, Job Developer, and Community Resource Specialist. The application instructions vary by position, so check out the specific job listings to get all of the details.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How’s your job search going?

National Student Partnerships

Willy Franzen — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:10:53 +0000

How’s the relationship between your college or university and the town or city that it’s in? Let me guess. Not so hot. It always seems that students and “townies” don’t get along too well. Beyond that, there can also be situations like at Yale in New Haven, CT where the students are generally much wealthier than the people who live in the surrounding neighborhood. This just exacerbates the fundamental gap between the university and the community. National Student Partnerships is a non-profit organization that was started in New Haven by two Yale students who wanted to close this gap. They “designed a program where college student volunteers work one-on-one with community residents, coordinating access to employment opportunities and social services, including job training, housing, health care, child care, and transportation.” It’s a wonderful idea, and it’s working – look at the success stories.

Become a Part of NSP

In a lot of ways college students are an untapped resource. They generally have a lot of free time, a lot of energy, and a lot of brains – they’re just lacking a bit when it comes to “real world” experience. Putting them to work whether it be an internship or a volunteer program like NSP just makes sense. Additionally, college students are our future, which is why “NSP seeks to unite a national movement of students dedicated to direct service now, so that the systemic challenges we inherit do not become ones we will pass on.” Beyond offering volunteer opportunities and internships, NSP also has some entry level jobs for new grads. You can find the listings on NSP’s Jobs page, and they include openings for a Site Coordinator and a Regional Program Manager. The Site Coordinator positions are available in Baltimore, MD; Bronx, NY; Cambridge, MA; Chicago, IL; Evanston, IL; New Haven, CT; Philadelphia, PA (2 Offices); Pittsburgh, PA; Richmond, VA; Somerville, MA; and Washington, DC, while the Regional Program Manger position is located in Boston, MA. You can apply for the Site Coordinator jobs by sending a cover letter and resume to jobs@nspnet.org, and for the Regional Program Manager job by sending your materials to joinus@nspnet.org

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How is your college’s relationship with the community?

Helen Keller International

Willy Franzen — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:40 +0000

I’m sure that all of you learned the story of Helen Keller in elementary school, but just to refresh you she was a woman who overcame growing up both blind and deaf in the late 1800s to graduate from Radcliffe College magna cum laude. These days that would still be impressive, but it’s amazing that she did that when she did it. (She had a tutor spell textbooks letter by letter into her hand.) After graduating from college, Helen Keller made it her life’s work to help blind and deaf-blind people. She founded Helen Keller International in 1915, and it has been “devoted to fighting and treating preventable blindness and malnutrition” ever since.

Against All Odds

You don’t realize how important seeing and hearing are until they’re compromised. I went a year with a bad contact lens prescription, and when I finally stopped procrastinating about going to the eye doctor and got a new prescription, I realized how much I was missing out on in every day life. There are people all across the world who have much more serious vision or hearing needs than needing a prescription adjustment, and they don’t have the services that most of us here in the US have. That’s why New York City based Helen Keller International has “programs in 22 countries in Africa and Asia as well as in the United States.” They build “local capacity by establishing sustainable programs, and provide scientific and technical assistance and data to governments and international, regional, national and local organizations around the world.” If this sounds like something that you’d like to be a part of, then you’re in luck. Helen Keller International has a number of job openings listed on their Jobs page. There are opportunities all across the world, but the only ones that appear suitable for new college grads are in the US. These include Junior Accountant in New York City and Project Coordinator for ChildSight (Idealist posting) in New Haven, CT. HKI is also open to hearing from applicants who don’t see a position that suits them, so feel free to send your resume and cover letter to hkihr@hki.org for one of the listed jobs or an unlisted position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How much did you learn about Hellen Keller in school?

Juma Ventures

Willy Franzen — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:56:02 +0000

Today’s non-profit has a lot in common with us. They’re all about “youth development,” and I guess you could say that we are too. Juma Ventures is based out of Oakland, CA and Washington, DC, and they “operates businesses – known as “social enterprises” – for the purpose of providing job opportunities to economically disadvantaged teens.” Beyond providing jobs, they also empower “youth with financial education and savings programs, college & career exploration, and essential life skills.” It almost sounds like the offline version of IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com + OneDayOneJob.com. Every year Juma Ventures works with 100s of 16-19 year olds from San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego and Washington DC’s most impoverished neighborhoods. They’re a non-profit that uses for-profit businesses to accomplish their mission, and they seem to be having great results. Maybe we should try to find a way to get our job search training course into their curriculum.

Be the Juma, Juma Guy or Girl

In case you didn’t get it, I was referring to this. Juma should do their own version and call it Juma, Juma. They don’t have any videos as entertaining as that, but they do have a video that does a great job of telling their story (if you can’t see it below, click through).

Right now, Juma Ventures has two job openings posted on their Idealist page (even though their own Jobs page says that they don’t have any openings). Both of the jobs look like they could be considered entry level. One is in Oakland, CA – Youth Development Manager – and the other is in Washington, DC – Education Coordinator. The job descriptions are extremely detailed and include information on how to apply, so check them out and see if Juma Ventures might be a great place for you to start your career.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

JumaVentures.org
Jobs at Juma Ventures (not updated)
Juma Ventures’ Jobs on Idealist (updated)
About Juma Ventures
What Juma Ventures Does
Juma’s History
Juma in the News

Do you know anything about Juma Ventures?

Safe Horizon

Willy Franzen — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:52:28 +0000

I’m back home for the holidays, and I hope most of you now are too. It’s wonderful to always have a safe place to go back to, but not everyone is so lucky. Victims of crime and abuse often don’t have anywhere to go. They’re often left with the choice of living in terror in a place that is familiar yet unsafe, or facing total uncertainty. Safe Horizon is a non-profit organization whose mission “is to provide support, prevent violence, and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families, and communities.” They run 80 programs which “are located throughout the five boroughs of New York City in court houses, police precincts, schools, shelters, and community offices.” They may not be able to provide a safe place to go for all 350,000 victims whom they work with each year, but they find a way to support these people until they can find their way to a safe horizon.

What’s on Your Horizon?

From addressing violence to providing support to victims of 9/11 to aiding victims of human trafficking, Safe Horizon is always there for the people of New York. They have put together an amazing array of programs that make the lives of victims better. If you’ve always been the type to lend a helping hand and you’re comfortable around people who have been victimized by crime or abuse, then Safe Horizon might be the perfect place for you to start your career. They have a lot of job openings, and we’ve identified quite a few that appear to be geared towards entry level candidates. These include Youth Advocate, Client Advocate (Staten Island), Client Advocate (Brooklyn), Program Assistant, Evaluation Specialist, Case Manager – Queens Family Court, Residential Specialist, and quite a few others. Take a look at the whole list of job openings to get a sense for how you might be able to start your career providing a safe horizon for victims of abuse and crime. To apply for a job at Safe Horizon, send your cover letter and resume as a WORD attachment to dvcareers@safehorizon.org. Make sure to note the position title and location on subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you home for the holidays?

National Wild Turkey Federation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:00:23 +0000

My thoughts about Thanksgiving are still lingering like leftovers in the fridge, so we’re going to look at some more turkey related jobs today. The National Wild Turkey Federation is a “non-profit conservation and education organization with a mission dedicated to conserving wild turkeys and preserving hunting traditions.” They’re not talking about the turkeys that you had for dinner (at least not most of you), these are the ones that you may have seen in your backyard. It wasn’t too long ago that seeing a wild turkey was a rare occurrence, but these days it seems like they’re all over the place. That doesn’t mean that the work of the National Wild Turkey Federation is done, though. In fact, their numbers are expanding faster than those of wild turkeys. Since the Federation was founded in 1973, wild turkey numbers have increased from 1.3 million to more than 7 million, in the same time the Federation has grown from 1,300 members to almost half a million. That’s called success.

Bringing a New Meaning to the Job Hunt

It may seem counterintuitive that hunters are the ones who are trying to save the animals that they hunt, but it makes sense when you think about it. The individuals who utilize a natural resource are also the most likely to want to protect it. I guess that analogy doesn’t work for job hunters though. I’m sure that you’ll be more than happy to take another job off the market, and that’s why you should check out jobs with the National Wild Turkey Federation. Their Jobs page shows a number of available opportunities, and a couple of them seem perfect for entry level candidates. There are seasonal positions in the NWTF’s Warehouse, Frame Shop, and Customer Service departments in Edgefield, SC, but those aren’t what caught our interest. The Regional Director positions in Wisconsin and Oregon are. They look like awesome opportunities for new grads who are ready to take on a lot of responsibility. If you love wild turkeys and want to do everything in your power to conserve the resource, then head over to the NWTF’s Jobs page, read the job descriptions, and apply online.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Any turkey hunters out there?

Literature for All of Us

Willy Franzen — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:40:30 +0000

How many of you participate in book discussion groups? I’ve never been a part of one, but I had a class in college that might as well have been one. It was one of my favorite classes, and it never seemed to drag by like many lectures did. We had the specific goal of discussing and understanding issues relating to “Values in the Law, Economic, and Industrial and Labor Relations.” At the surface the material that we covered often seemed to have nothing to do with subject matter of the class, but as we started to dig deeper it often became apparent that almost anything could be related to the class title. Group discussion is a fantastic way to learn, and it’s no surprise to me that a Chicago based non-profit organization called Literature for All of Us has used book discussion groups to reach out to teen mothers and other youths from underserved neighborhoods. By reading the same books and then sharing reactions to the material, participants are able to engage with issues that they would probably never comfortably address in a classroom setting.

Literature for You Too!

Literature for All of Us was founded in 1996 with the specific purpose of connecting teen mothers to their strengths through literature, poetry, and discussion. Since then, the organization has branched out to boys (now 20% of their programs), and the model has been replicated across the country and internationally. To truly get a sense of how Literature for All of Us is effecting change in the lives of teen mothers and others, you must watch this video. It follows the stories of a few of the program’s participants as they talk about their struggles with teen pregnancy.

It’s a simple program, but it seems to be working not only to improve literacy, but also to promote the emotional growth of young people who are facing situations that are often too mature for them. If this sounds like a program that you’d like to get involved with, then you’re in luck. Literature for All of Us is currently looking to hire a Book Group Leader / Curricula Specialist for Male Groups. The job requires experience in facilitating group discussions, knowledge of contemporary literature, familiarity with African American and Latin American male authors, and prior experience working successfully with diverse populations and/or groups of young men. It’s a perfect way for you to share your love of the written word with young people who are yet to fully appreciate the power of literacy, and it’s also a great opportunity for Liberal Arts majors to put their educations to work. If you’re interested in applying, you can send a cover letter and resume to kira@literatureforallofus.org .

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been part of a book discussion group?

AchieveAbility

Willy Franzen — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:04:06 +0000

Last weekend we talked about Harlem Success Academy and how they’re making huge strides in educating children from low-income families. What happens at school is extremely important when it comes to educational outcomes for children, but what happens at home can be just even more important. AchieveAbility is a Philadelphia based non-profit organization that is “working to permanently break the cycle of poverty for single parent, low income, formerly homeless families through education, supportive services, community and economic development, housing and accountability.” By helping low-income parents achieve their dreams, AchieveAbility is paving the way for a brighter future for both the parents and the children.

Help Others AchieveAbility

The people at AchieveAbility believe that reliable and affordable housing is the first step to breaking the cycle of poverty, so they offer program housing that provides the stability that families need to start making positive changes. They don’t just provide anyone housing, though. To qualify to be a part of AchieveAbility’s programs, clients must work 25 hours per week and take at least 15 credits per year towards a college or vocational degree. It sounds like an amazing program, and it’s clearly having results – 15 of AchieveAbility’s clients are celebrating their graduations this year.

If you believe strongly in helping families in need, and you think that AchieveAbility is taking the right approach, then you should consider joining their team. Their website is in the middle of a redesign, so they don’t seem to have their jobs posted on their site, but they are posted on Idealist. Right now AchieveAbility has two jobs with no experience requirements – Self-Sufficiency Coach and Academic Coach, and one job that requires a small amount of prior experience (but still seems like it could be well suited to a new college grad) – Manager of Volunteers. The job descriptions give a good sense of what you’ll be doing, so take a look at them. One thing that they say is that you should be comfortable working and doing home visits in West Philadelphia. I don’t know much about West Philly beyond what the Fresh Prince taught me (it is where he was “born and raised… on the playground is where I spent most of my days”), but it’s probably a tough area. If you’re interested in any of these jobs, send an e-mail to employment@achieve-ability.org with (1) your resume and (2) a cover letter indicating (a) your interest in the volunteer manager position and the reason for your interest, (b) your philosophy about helping families in need, (c) where you heard about this position, (d) your salary requirement and (e) the names and contact information of 3 references. Also, indicate the position title on the subject line of your e-mail.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of AchieveAbility? Look like something that you’d want to get involved with?

Citizens Advice Bureau

Willy Franzen — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:00:57 +0000

Although you may not realize it, but most college students return home after they graduate. Don’t believe me? Check out this article that says that 58% of you will return home and 32% of you will stay for more than a year. Although it may not be your desired outcome, it’s nice to have a place to stay and get settled before you start life in the real world; in fact, it’s a luxury. There are a lot of people and families who are left without a home, education, or a job and need a place to settle for a bit. They don’t have their parents’ house to go back to, and they don’t know where to go or what to do. If they’re in the Bronx, they can go to Citizens Advice Bureau, a settlement house. What’s a settlement house? You’ll get the full story in the Wikipedia entry on the settlement movement.

Get Settled with Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice Bureau provides a wide array of services for people who are facing tough times. CAB wants to help the 1/3 of Bronx residents who are living in poverty to improve their lives by building sustainable local economies. It all started with one small office, and now CAB operates 28 sites and serves 35,000 residents every year. As they continue to grow, they need help, and new college grads are perfect for many of the positions that they’re hiring for. CAB’s Jobs page is filled with opportunities for you to touch the lives of people who are struggling. There are both full-time and part-time positions, and the areas of work range from Program Development and Case Management to Early Childhood Teaching and Development. If you’re looking for non-profit work in New York City, Citizens Advice Bureau is definitely worth looking at. The e-mail addresses to apply to vary for each job, so pay attention if you’re applying to multiple jobs. There is an online job application posted on CAB’s website, but we’re not sure what it’s for.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Know anything about Citizens Advice Bureau? Leave a comment.

Save the Children

Willy Franzen — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:35:04 +0000

As we grow up and start looking for our first jobs, we often fail to realize how easy we had it. Although good grades and getting into college are important, almost all seniors and new grads who are looking for an entry level job never had to worry about survival. It was a given. I’m sure that there are some of you reading who had very different experiences, but most of you are now facing the most distressing times of your lives – entering the real world. It’s easy to forget that there are millions of children in the world who live each day trying to survive. Save the Children is an international non-profit organization that focuses almost entirely on making the lives of children across the world better. They do so with a focus on 7 main areas: Economic Opportunities, Education, Emergencies, Protection, Health, Hunger and Malnutrition, and U.S. Literacy and Nutrition. Save the Children has spent the last 70 years fighting poverty’s effects on children through their unique self-help approach, and they’re not stopping any time soon.

Find a Job, Save the Children

Since one of your biggest life challenges is finding a job after graduation, yet many children across the world face much more pressing challenges every day, why not kill two birds with one stone and consider working for Save the Children? They have some a wide range of job opportunities across many locations. Most jobs with Save the Children require a decent level of experience, but we’ve found a few that seem to be suited to new college grads. These include Program Associate (Westport, CT), Specialist – Program (ESSS, Ops) – KY, E. TN (Berea, KY), Program Associate – Livelihoods (Washington, DC), and Program Specialist – Early Childhood (Fresno, CA). You may be able to find a few more jobs that will interest you by looking at all of Save the Children’s job postings. They’re a large organization and seem to do a lot of hiring, so keep your eyes open for new postings too. You can apply for any of these jobs through Save the Children’s online application form, or you can submit a general resume if you don’t see any jobs that fit your background. Working for Save the Children is a great way to help yourself and others at the same time.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Save the Children? Leave a comment.

Street Sense

Willy Franzen — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:52:31 +0000

Maybe it’s just me, but I hate walking by people who are begging for money. It always feels like a can’t win situation. I want to help the people, but I don’t like the idea that the money is probably going to help feed a dangerous addiction. The imposition makes me feel uncomfortable, and I also don’t want to get suckered by one of those fake homeless people whom you see on tv – the ones who tv stations catch clearing hundreds of dollars a day and then driving back to their homes. In the end, I always end up feeling bad, whether I give money or not. Street Sense is a non-profit organization that takes a creative approach to helping homeless people whether they’ve been begging on a street corner or just trying to find a job. They’ve created a win-win situation.

Giving Their (and Your) Two Cents

Here’s what Street Sense is all about:

Street Sense is a Washington, D.C.-based 16-page biweekly street newspaper that was founded in 2003. Its mission is to raise public awareness on the issues of homelessness and poverty in the city and to create economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.

The newspaper features news, features, editorials, poems and art about homelessness and poverty contributed by homeless or formerly homeless people, advocates and professional writers interested in social issues.

Street Sense sells these newspapers through homeless vendors who can buy the papers at a cost of 25 cents and sell them for $1 each. Instead of begging, homeless people are now selling. More than that, they become business owners who are encouraged to reinvest their profits to buy more newspapers to sell. For people walking down the street, it presents a much better situation. They can buy a newspaper for a dollar, and whether they want to read it or not, they can feel as though they did a good deed.

Street Sense has about 60 vendors currently working, and they’re averaging $40 per day. “Since 2004, at least 16 vendors have found housing and more than 30 have started part-time or full-time jobs, many of which were offered to them while selling the paper.” This is an amazingly innovative way to deal with homelessness, and you can help. Street Sense is currently looking for a part-time Vendor Manager who will become full-time in March of 2009. They need someone to help them to “recruit and train vendors, assess vendors needs, connect vendors to services they need and provide advice, expand vendor distribution to suburbs, and much more.” If you’ve worked with homeless individuals before, this could be a great way to begin your career. You’ll learn all about managing a business and helping people make a better life for themselves. To apply for a job with Street Sense, send a cover letter and resume to executive director Laura Thompson Osuri at laura@streetsense.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Street Sense’s approach to eradicating homelessness?