NeighborLink has a vision to see the local Church of Fort Wayne be the hands and feet of Jesus through serving our City’s vulnerable homeowners, who are our neighbors. Thousands of seniors, individuals with disabilities, and people facing life’s circumstances are struggling with home maintenance and repairs who cannot physically or financially perform those tasks. As Project Facilitator, you will be passionate about seeing our mission implemented in the local community, be able to administrate multiple programs at the same time, and have a heart for connecting neighbors. You will be the main point of contact for all neighbors looking for assistance, and the volunteers that will help them, as well as the champion of keeping our project page as up to date as possible. Additionally, this role exists to move volunteers along the journey from being a one-time, transactional volunteers to regularly engaged, transformative volunteers through the continued development and implementation of the NL Volunteer Journey.
Responsible to:
NeighborLink Executive Director and Director of Operations
Key accountabilities:
Neighbor Support
Over 70% of the projects that get posted on our website come through our phone.
Critical Tasks
Take all in-bound requests for assistance via telephone and email, gathering relevant information from neighbor in need, explain how NeighborLink works, and then post needs to website.
Follow-up two weeks after a project has been entered to check the status. At this time, you will determine whether or not the project is still needed, see if any information has changed, and then update the project accordingly. Doing this ensures volunteers have the latest data possible, and ultimately the homeowner’s needs are met.
Volunteer Mobilization
Be the first point of contact for anyone seeking to volunteer with NLFW and turn potential volunteers into actual volunteers through project selection, project management, and project support. You will work closely with Jeff Shatto on these tasks.
Critical Tasks:
Process all incoming requests for additional information regarding volunteerism and help volunteers get started with NL.
Support volunteer needs in terms of project selection, answering questions about the volunteering process at NL, gathering tools and materials if needed, and ensure they are equipped to accomplish what they set out to do.
Be able to effectively communicate project details and the NL mission/vision to volunteers to ensure they understand what needs done and how their efforts fit into the bigger picture.
Volunteer Engagement
Develop, manage, and lead the process in how the NL team engages with volunteers from the point of contact through the three main levels of the NL Volunteer Journey.
Critical Tasks:
Lead and manage volunteer recruitment efforts within NL to help fill the pipeline of volunteers through the Volunteer Journey.
Help manage and facilitate outreach events targeted directly to recruit more volunteers and spread NL mission
Social Media Management
Write, publish, and manage posts on social media to help increase awareness about NeighborLink and the stories about our neighbors and communities.
Critical Tasks:
Plan posts weekly to be posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Support Videographer in whatever jobs needed during video shoots or interviews
General details:
Full-Time Position (40+ hours week)
Experience: 2-5 years of experience
Education: 2- or 4-year college degree preferred or relevant work experience
Start date: Early September
Must haves:
You are able to faithfully align with and be able to implement our organization’s mission of Practical Neighbor-to-Neighbor Expressions of God’s love.
You are self-motivated to stay busy, solve problems, and accomplish your goals in a highly decentralized and independent environment, while also working as a team player toward the big picture.
You have the ability to work each day with most of your hours being completed between the hours of 8am - 6pm in order to reach neighbors and volunteers via telephone. Weekend and night-time flexibility is required as needed based on volunteer demands. However, there is flexibility that comes with the job to ensure a balanced work week.
You have the desire to talk, interact, and build relationships with a large number of people from a diverse range of socioeconomic statuses. You have high levels of interest in relational connections.
You have efficiency working with web-based, form-driven, and word processing kind of applications, and Apple software products. You know when to pick up the phone and make a phone call.
You have experience and a passion for telling stories. This can be in person or via social media, allowing the successes of NeighborLInk to be shared throughout the community.
Skills:
You’re Reliable and Flexible
If you say you’re going to do something, you mean it or you work hard to find a solution if you can’t. You will have several different projects relying on you to do what you’ve promised you can do. You like to take ownership of projects and see them through to completion.
You’re Able to Work Independently
NeighborLink is a flat organization and each staff person is responsible for their specific set of goals. You’ll need to be able to understand the vision, take direction, and then run with it. You’ll also have the flexibility you need to accomplish your job responsibilities as well as fit into your life’s circumstances.
You’re an Implementer
One of the most important skills the successful candidate brings to NL is the ability and desire to get things done. You thrive on knocking things off your checklist and are always looking for ways to fill it back up again.
You’re a Connector
The candidate loves to connect people that should meet and know a good partnership opportunity when you see one. You keep track of the resources you identify and as you observe needs, like to make the connections between the two.
You’re a Life-long Learner
You are committed to becoming the best you can be by being open to personal, professional, and spiritual development. Learning is an important part of our culture and necessary to navigate the challenges of volunteer mobilization and community transformation.
My summer at NeighborLink has been quite the opposite of what I expected it to be. After hearing from fellow students at Indiana Wesleyan about their internship experience, I expected my summer to go similarly to theirs. As a marketing intern, I was told my work would center around mundane tasks that wouldn’t necessarily benefit me, but that would substantially benefit others. I was warned that I would be filing and printing papers, running errands for my coworkers, and doing things that would not aid me in the long run – and that’s okay!
But boy, have they been proven wrong. Not only have I been gaining marketing experience through social media work, video observation, and event planning, but as a person I have felt, and seen, an immense amount of growth in myself as a person. When I first heard about NeighborLink, I never had a clear understanding of what they did. As time went on, and as I learned the mission of their work, I have taken away the idea that each person I encounter is solely a neighbor rather than a stranger. My whole perspective has shifted, and this is by the grace of God. A few weeks ago, we had a team retreat and the main topic conversed centered around how to love your neighbor. I was reminded that not only do I need to be obedient to the negative things in life, but I also need to be obedient to the positive things. This includes serving others in a selfless and loving way. My work here at NeighborLink allows me to portray the great work NeighborLink does through social media posts. I highlight the completed projects, while also showcasing the needed help in the city.
I can’t believe I have had the experiences and opportunities that I have. Two months ago, I was extremely discouraged when a potential internship in Grand Rapids, Michigan didn’t work out because of Covid. Sitting here today, writing this blog, I can clearly see God’s hand on my life and the path he has for me. Without NeighborLink, I wouldn’t have had the great perspective shift that I have experienced. God knew what I needed; therefore, he closed one door and opened another. This internship has also taught me the importance of the “WHYs” in our lives. Each decision an individual makes is because of some sort of “why”. For example, NeighborLink serves their neighbors. Why? Well, because Jesus served others. As a Christ follower, I strive to follow Jesus each day. For me, following Jesus means that everything I do, say, and think should be glorifying to Him. 1 Corinthians 10:24 says, “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” This verse clearly signifies NeighborLink, their mission, and the work produced by each individual, employee, and volunteer. NeighborLink has allowed me to have a change of heart to those I don’t personally know. Being an intern here has also caused me to reevaluate obedience, and how I should practice positive and negative obedience in my life. Overall, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve alongside NeighborLink this summer, and I am eagerly anticipating to see God move in many more ways than expected.
Everyone belongs here at NeighborLink. Before I started working as an intern this summer, I didn’t know if that was true. I was hesitant in some ways. Would we avoid certain neighborhoods based on appearance? Would we disqualify certain volunteers based on what church they were a part of? I soon realized just how inclusive and special of an organization NeighborLink truly is. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, there’s a place for you here. To serve and be served.
No matter what you look like, what you believe, how you live, or what abilities you have, there’s a place here at NeighborLink for you to experience the joy and purpose of loving your neighbor in a practical way. I’m so thankful to be an intern with a group of people who really want everyone in our community to participate and experience the love of God.
A couple weeks ago, the NeighborLink staff went on a retreat to unite as a team and fix our eyes on Jesus. A couple verses that we focused a lot on were John 13:34-35. Here Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Our biggest, most profound, and compelling proof of our love for Jesus is our love for one another. In fact, later in the Bible it says that if we say we love God but hate our brothers and sisters, we’re liars, and the love of God is not in us.
Being a part of this organization means we not only love in word, by praying together, and encouraging neighbors - we love by our actions. We practice what we preach. We build ramps, we paint garages, we mow lawns. One of my favorite projects I’ve been able to work with so far is helping put a new roof on a house. These neighbors we helped were in a lot of need. The couple was older and the wife had recently been hospitalized and couldn’t walk. And I had the opportunity to be a small part in making their lives better. Not as their hero but as their friend.
And that’s what NeighborLink is all about, showing us because of Jesus, we all belong to each other. We’re all brothers and sisters. There are no enemies, only neighbors. Only friends.
My summer at NeighborLink has been quite the opposite of what I expected it to be. After hearing from fellow students at Indiana Wesleyan about their internship experience, I expected my summer to go similarly to theirs. As a marketing intern, I was told my work would center around mundane tasks that wouldn’t necessarily benefit me, but that would substantially benefit others. I was warned that I would be filing and printing papers, running errands for my coworkers, and doing things that would not aid me in the long run – and that’s okay!
ense amount of growth in myself as a person. When I first heard about NeighborLink, I never had a clear understanding of what they did. As time went on, and as I learned the mission of their work, I have taken away the idea that each person I encounter is solely a neighbor rather than a stranger. My whole perspective has shifted, and this is by the grace of God. A few weeks ago, we had a team retreat and the main topic conversed centered around how to love your neighbor. I was reminded that not only do I need to be obedient to the negative things in life, but I also need to be obedient to the positive things. This includes serving others in a selfless and loving way. My work here at NeighborLink allows me to portray the great work NeighborLink does through social media posts. I highlight the completed projects, while also showcasing the needed help in the city.
Everyone belongs here at NeighborLink. Before I started working as an intern this summer, I didn’t know if that was true. I was hesitant in some ways. Would we avoid certain neighborhoods based on appearance? Would we disqualify certain volunteers based on what church they were a part of? I soon realized just how inclusive and special of an organization NeighborLink truly is. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, there’s a place for you here. To serve and be served.