Eastside Youth Organizer

Job Description: Community Organizer (Youth Focus), Eastside (Boyle Heights & Unincorporated East Los Angeles)

Title: Full Time Community Organizer

Application Deadline: January 19th 2021, 12pm (PST)

Start Date: Feb-March 2020 (flexible)

About Organization

East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) is an environmental health and justice non-profit organization working towards a safe and healthy environment for communities that are disproportionately suffering negative impacts of industrial pollution.

We recognize and promote full and authentic community participation in influencing policies that affect us directly. We are committed to doing this work through direct democratic decision-making and are dedicated to taking collective action to ensure our communities are co-powered to practice self-determination.

EYCEJ focuses grassroots community building in East Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles, and Long Beach, utilizing the following approaches:

Base Building – to build a base of active community members and leaders to be self-advocates and build community power to reach self-determination among those severely affected by industrial pollution

Policy Change – to change policy and influence land-use decisions, swaying public opinion and implementing advanced technology to pursue sustainable development projects that are community centered, health protective and justice focused

Movement Building- to work in collaboration with all stakeholders and influencers to build a local, statewide, national and global movement for environmental health and justice

About Position

Objective: to build community power through individual and group leadership development training, workshops, and direct-action (including but not limited to protests, rallies, demonstrations, etc.)

Salary: EYCEJ has a flat pay structure with all full-time employees receiving $43,250.00 annual salary with paid vacation and some medical benefits.

Hours: It is expected that the Community Organizer will work 40 hours per week. Weekends and frequent evening hours are required. Weekly work schedule to be agreed upon with the Executive Director.

Job Duties

Outreach and Organizing

Organize around key environmental racism/environmental white supremacy issues facing the local community. Activities will include:

1. Organize a strategic youth membership drive
2. Conduct consistent youth outreach to maintain youth membership spaces
3. Recruit youth members to participate in the Fighting For Life Academy (EYCEJ’s leadership development program)
4. Mobilize youth members and the local community to events, public meetings, and important actions
5. Support youth membership in leading campaigns and programming activities
6. Work with Core Members and other EYCEJ Community Organizers to connect membership across the region (social gatherings, campaign activities, programming)
7. Develop relationships with schools, parks, allies, social service agencies, churches, government officials, business organizations, media, etc. based in serving our communities to identify ways of collaborating that will push EYCEJ’s agenda
8. Each organizer may have specific organizing projects based on school or region

Administration

1. Create flyers and promotional materials, including social media.
2. Help to maintain the database of contacts and resources.
3.  Maintain protocols for processing approved expenses and mileage reimbursement.
4. Work with Executive Director to ensure that work plan is successful.  

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong commitment to social justice
• Integrity and a strong work ethic
• Bilingual (Spanish/English)
• Excellent written and oral communication in both Spanish and English
• Organizing experience with demonstrated results
• Experience working with or on behalf of working families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Experience motivating, directing and organizing people and projects.
• Demonstrated networking skills and ability to sustain and build partnerships and collaborations with diverse constituencies.
• A team leader who can also work collegially as a member of a team.
• Capable of working in environments where there are competing needs and limited resources.
• A sense of humor and the desire to work in a positive and supportive environment.
• Thoughtful and creative problem-solving skills.
• Current driver’s license, good driving record, and valid auto insurance coverage.
• Good computer and administrative skills
• Meeting facilitation & presentation experience
• Knowledge of local (East LA, Southeast LA, Long Beach) environmental health issues
• Experience organizing and/or participating in direct actions