Destination: Home - Lived Experience Coordinator

ABOUT DESTINATION: HOME, A SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION OF SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Destination: Home, a supporting organization of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, is a public-private partnership ending homelessness in Silicon Valley. Through our collective impact model, we convene and collaborate with stakeholders across our community to address the root causes of homelessness and drive true systemic change. We embrace a data-driven and human approach - advocating for policies, incubating new ideas and programs, and investing in strategies to connect more of our homeless neighbors to a stable home and prevent homelessness before it begins. Our work is grounded in a commitment to advancing racial and socioeconomic justice - and working together, we can build a community where homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring.

No one knows more about the needs of homeless individuals than those with lived experience. At Destination: Home, we strive to ensure that our community’s efforts to end homelessness are informed by our neighbors who have endured periods of homelessness.

Our Lived Experience Strategies Include

• Centering the voices of people who have lived experience of homelessness in the policy and program design decisions of the supportive housing system, especially people of color who are overrepresented in homelessness and extreme poverty.
• Creating opportunities for people who have lived experience of homelessness to provide peer-to-peer support.
• Within the supportive housing system, incentivizing the hiring of people who have lived experience of homelessness to reflect those we serve.
• Providing leadership opportunities for people with lived experience of homelessness to shape how we address homelessness in our community.

About The Opportunity

This is a regular full-time non-exempt (hourly) position based in our offices in San Jose. This position will also occasionally work in the field, for example: meet with partner organizations at another location, visit homeless encampments, attend relevant events in the community, etc.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Lived Experience and Innovation, this position will be responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the Lived Experience Strategies, as well as other programs and convenings involving lived experience as part of community-wide goals embedded in the Community Plan to End Homelessness.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Assist with the inventory management of supplies meant for distribution during inclement weather events.
• Coordinate and carry out administrative tasks, including but not limited to sending emails, answering phone calls, scheduling meetings, facilitating meetings, etc. in support of lived experience grantees, and other projects that include people with lived experience.
• Provide a lived experience perspective within a team environment to help develop, inform and implement lived experience initiatives and develop mechanisms for centering the voices of people with lived experience in the policy and program design decisions of the supportive housing system.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Seek new and creative ways to accomplish work and mission.
• Actively seek and cultivate relationships with relevant Lived Experience groups and networks within Santa Clara County. Support the inclusion of lived experience participation into Housing Ready Communities (a Destination: Home effort toward neighborhood engagement), and other activities related to changing perceptions around homelessness.
• Assist with key activities and logistics of lived experience initiatives, including but not limited to ongoing meeting planning, administering surveys, facilitating conversations, and project management support. Examples of projects you will help support in collaboration with other staff members: periodic focus groups, listening sessions, feedback and advisory meetings, training workshops and other opportunities as they arise.
• Work collaboratively with system partner designees to support, track and process the regular distribution (typically monthly) of stipends to people with lived experience participating in various activities. This position will coordinate all aspects of distributing stipends, including communicating with system partners and recipients, as questions or concerns arise.
• Represent Destination: Home at established community meetings relevant to responsibilities, and to advance the goals and perspective of individuals with lived experience of homelessness.

Required

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

• You have at least two years of relevant work experience.
• You are proficient in oral and written communication skills, including experience with email correspondence, drafting letters, making and taking phone calls, text messaging and in-person conversations.
• You are a strong advocate for the involvement of people with lived experience of homelessness and seek opportunities for their involvement in the development and implementation of initiatives.
• You are highly motivated with a passion to achieve real change.

Preferred

• You have well-developed organizational skills and can manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines.
• You have lived experience of homelessness and/or housing instability.
• You have experience using typical office equipment, like a computer, phone, copy machines, and are comfortable developing written documents and spreadsheets. You can navigate websites and digital documents.
• You work collaboratively within a team environment and contribute to the achievement of team goals and objectives.
• You are mindful of establishing and maintaining respectful relationships while promoting a culture of hope and optimism by sharing your lived experience.
• You are a natural communicator, able to engage, challenge and collaborate with all stakeholders, including individuals from diverse backgrounds and varying levels of socioeconomic status.

CAREER PROGRESSION

You are highly encouraged to engage and participate in learning opportunities and in personal and professional development courses. You can negotiate the courses you participate in with your supervisor. Your supervisor will help you create a professional development and training plan to help you accomplish your work and professional goals. Destination: Home actively supports professional development opportunities for staff.

Salary And Benefits

Destination: Home is committed to offering competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. The target hiring range for this position is $55,000 - $62,400 per year ($26.43/hour - $30.00/hour) based on experience, credentials and internal salary equity.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes generous medical, dental, and vision plans; paid time off; holidays and employer contribution and matching to a 403(b) retirement plan.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the incumbent in this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND INCLUSION

Silicon Valley Community Foundation has a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that is representative of our community.

SVCF is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, political affiliation, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

SVCF is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions, of employment, please contact [email protected]. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format and/or using specialized equipment.