WNC-Based Hurricane Helene Relief Fellow

Founded in 1993, NECHAMA: Jewish Response to Disaster is the only national Jewish organization to offer sustained direct recovery services in the United States, responding to damage caused by hurricanes, tornados, floods, and other natural disasters. Over the years NECHAMA has relied on thousands of volunteers to assist communities. Rooted and guided by Jewish values, NECHAMA has three priorities: spreading comfort and hope to people and communities in desperate need of assistance; providing a platform for volunteers of all faiths to explore their identities and purpose; and humanizing Jews and representing Jewish ideals in communities shattered by disaster. Currently, NECHAMA is deployed to Western North Carolina (WNC), providing relief at multiple worksites in the wake of Hurricane Helene. For more information about NECHAMA, please visit www.nechama.org.

NECHAMA’s WNC-based Hurricane Helene Relief Fellows will not lead sites by themselves. Fellows provide direct relief services and work with volunteers while receiving skill-building and mentorship from a Team Lead and working under the Team Lead’s overall direction.

Responsibilities:

• Participating in hurricane relief and reconstruction projects including hanging sheetrock; installing flooring, trim, and insulation; painting; mucking and gutting; removing brush and debris; and other related tasks.
• Working with and training general volunteers to ensure their safety, high morale, skill building and proper use of tools, quality work and daily progress.
• Participating in morning work-site opening activities and afternoon debriefing and site clean-up.
• Loading and unloading NECHAMA vehicles and maintaining tools in good working condition.
• Maintaining staff housing, including grocery shopping and meal preparation, cleaning, and laundry.
• Other miscellaneous deployment activities.

Qualifications: Ideal candidates will possess most of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes and experiences:

• Passion for and commitment to NECHAMA’s mission.
• Minimum of six months experience in disaster response (Americorps term will be counted towards experience), construction, or forestry management.
• Outgoing; detail and team-oriented with excellent communications, leadership, and problem-solving/analytical skills.
• High emotional intelligence, energetic, inclusive and productive interpersonal skills and a track record of working well with colleagues.
• Commitment to racial equity and effective collaboration across lines of race, class, and religion.
• Ability to support a base environment where volunteers feel safe and engaged, allowing them to be a productive force in the field.
• Willingness and ability to live and work in a communal environment.

Eligible candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States, will not now, or in the future, require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States, and are willing to provide employment verification as required.

NECHAMA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, sex, age, gender identity or expression, or any other status protected by applicable law. NECHAMA is committed to providing worksites free of discrimination and harassment.

This is a consultant/1099 position: Fellows are offered a stipend of $250/week plus housing and board. NECHAMA will reimburse for transportation costs to transport the Fellow to Western North Carolina.