Healthy Community Initiative

Up to 20 hours per week, primarily working in the Faribault community

Established in 2007, Growing Up Healthy works with partner organizations and Latinx immigrant families to transform communities through cultivating neighborhood leadership, fostering social connectedness, and collectively advocating for change within neighborhoods and systems.  A team of Growing Up Healthy Coordinators guide this work. 

Growing Up Healthy is seeking a bilingual individual who will focus work with families of young children in Faribault to overcome obstacles that prevent kindergarten readiness.

Tasks: 

• Recruit, organize and support caregivers/parents from prioritized Latinx/low-income neighborhoods in Faribault in order to build a cohort of up to 25 Faribault families with young children ages 3-5 
• Listen for, identify and document barriers and challenges families face; work with the Growing Up Healthy team to regularly share this feedback with systems-level decision-makers. Engage families as much as possible in the process of identifying collaborative solutions
• Assist with preschool/early childhood program and scholarship applications
• Conduct home visits and individual meetings
• Connect families with early childhood screenings; follow-up with children who attend screenings and report they are not enrolled in preschool and/or early childhood programming
• Connect families with eligible community resources and social services, including assisting with required paperwork (as needed)
• Provide follow-up connections after well-child checks
• Assist with childcare applications
• Build strong working relationships with partners and ensure effective communication with individuals and organizations central to the work of Growing Up Healthy
• Advocate for systems-level change
• Evaluate and track data on the effectiveness of Growing Up Healthy’s outreach efforts
• Serve on relevant early childhood committees and advisory boards

Required qualities: 

• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Experience working with diverse populations
• 2-5 years of experience in community organizing and individual family support
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) and Google Suite 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Highly organized with superior attention to detail
• Excellent ability to multi-task and troubleshoot issues
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and as a member of a team
• Capable of completing work on time in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude
• Ability to work evening and weekend hours
• Passion for equity and social justice 
• Willingness to maintain the standards, carry out the purpose, and adhere to the policies of the Healthy Community Initiative 
• Maintenance of a cell phone is an expectation of employment

Preferred qualities

Familiarity with Rice County organizations and resources

To apply

Submit a cover letter, résumé and contact information for three professional references to: Sandy Malecha, sandy@healthycommunityinitiative.org. Application review will begin July 15, 2019, and will continue until the position is filled.