Do you enjoy getting outside and serving your local community, while also earning a modest stipend? Are you passionate about the environment and volunteerism? Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER is seeking a civic-minded individual to fill our open AmeriCorps Volunteer position.
Gunpowder Riverkeeper (GRK) is excited to announce that we have been approved as a Service Site through Volunteer Maryland (Vol MD) for an AmeriCorps Volunteer to join our team in the fall season. We are looking forward to welcoming an AmeriCorps volunteer to strengthen our day-to-day operations, water quality monitoring program, educational outreach, and serve as our first volunteer coordinator. This volunteer position is open to interested applicants until August 4, 2023 or until the position is filled.
Help tackle critical community needs and bring people together! Gunpowder Riverkeeper is looking for a volunteer who can work full-time, 40 hours / week. The Vol MD service year will begin on September 13, 2023 and conclude on July 31, 2024; members must complete 1,700 service hours during the term. Whether you are just starting out in the work world, looking to advance your career or wanting to share a lifetime of experiences, this opportunity has a lot to offer. Anyone 17 years of age or older, who is passionate about service, is invited to apply.
The volunteer will assist in the following areas:
Communications and Marketing:
- Assist in devising a new marketing campaign for the Gunpowder River watershed
- Provide content and update website and social media platforms
- Film and Videography Production
Fund Raising:
- Assist with developing a fundraising campaign
- Assist with grant research, writing and submission
Program Support:
- Manage Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER volunteer program
- Assist with water quality monitoring
- Assist with permit compliance
- Assist vulnerable populations with higher environmental burdens
- Assist with Nature Center planning, programming and funding
Benefits: Vol MD AmeriCorps members receive a living stipend of $17,600 (pending funding from the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism), and health insurance if they are not already covered. They may also qualify for a childcare allowance. Other benefits include mileage reimbursement for site-related travel, student loan deferment, professional training, valuable networking opportunities, working with a dedicated team of AmeriCorps members and staff, and making a real difference in a local community. After completion of a successful service year, members receive an education award of $6,895 through the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Some members may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, see additional information from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-public-service-loan-forgiveness-en-641/
Application Process: To participate in Volunteer Maryland, applicants must submit a written application. Staff will review the application and invite qualified applicants to interview. VM will conduct two reference checks and complete a criminal background investigation. After an applicant has been tentatively matched, the three-part criminal history check will be initiated. Individuals will not be allowed to begin training until all results are received and verified by the program.
Enrollment Requirements: To serve as a Volunteer Maryland AmeriCorps member, an individual must:
- Be at least 17 years of age
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or legal permanent resident alien of the United States
- Satisfy the national service criminal history check
- of the national sex-offender registry,
- state repository check (Maryland and state of residence),
- and FBI fingerprint check;
- Criminal history checks will be initiated before the start of service; an individual will be ineligible if s/he is required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry, has been convicted of murder, or fails to disclose any previous conviction. Other convictions or pending charges will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with program policy.
To apply: Email GRK Executive Director, Theaux Le Gardeur, at gunpowderriverkeeper@gmail.com with your resume and two references with the subject line “Vol MD AmeriCorps Volunteer Position.” This volunteer position is open to interested applicants until August 4, 2023 or until the position is filled.