DESCRIPTION
Community Legal Services (CLS) of Philadelphia is one of the leading legal services programs in the country. At CLS our mission is to fight poverty, challenge systems that perpetuate injustice and change lives through cutting edge advocacy and exceptional legal representation. CLS helps a diverse client community in issues that impact all walks of life. One of CLS’s practice areas is the Energy Unit, which focuses on life-essential home utility service. The Energy Unit fights for people to have affordable water, heat and electricity in their homes. The Energy Unit’s cutting-edge legal representation and policy and legislative advocacy promotes the health, safety and well-being of all Philadelphians.
CLS seeks an AmeriCorps VISTA Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator for the Energy Unit to provide critical outreach to Philadelphia neighborhoods in key areas to assist low income and vulnerable Philadelphians to maintain vital utility service. This is a full-time five days per week position to be located at CLS’s main office in Center City. This is a one-year AmeriCorps VISTA position. An overview of VISTA benefits for 2018, including living allowance and health benefits can be found on our website.
POSITION SUMMARY: The goal of this project is to help CLS develop and then pilot a neighborhood-based approach to providing utility assistance, thereby increasing CLS’s capacity to meet the utility affordability needs of more low-income Philadelphians. With this project, CLS hopes to reach more clients, learn more fully the extent of utility affordability concerns of the communities we serve, establish new relationships with key community groups, strengthen existing relationships and develop much needed resource and education materials for our low-income vulnerable communities. The VISTA Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator will be immersed in the community to help CLS serve as a resource for the advocacy related needs of community members. This work will expand the knowledge, reach and effectiveness of low-income utility assistance programs that are vital to preserving affordable housing, family unity and community health.