Volunteer Coordinator

About The Organization 

Long Way Home is a 501(c)3 that envisions communities equipped to innovate and act responsibly in the face of local and global challenges. Through promoting green building, employment, and education, Long Way Home mobilizes people to actively participate in democracy and create innovative pathways to economic and environmental justice. 

Since 2009, the focus of the organization has been on building an 18-building green-designed campus in San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala. We've used more than 450 tons of trash and over 15,500 tires in our construction so far! On the campus, we serve 175 K-11 students who study a curriculum that integrates project-based learning and the green building process to cultivate employability and democratic participation skills for a 21st century, climate-stressed world. In addition to education, we train and employ local green builders who carry out our many green construction projects in Comalapa and throughout Guatemala.

The Day to Day

We need an enthusiastic individual to help us welcome and orient volunteers to the site. Come apply your passion for service and community engagement to support our green building program and volunteers as they learn about sustainability, culture, and life in rural Guatemala. Volunteers are essential to continue building projects at our school and infrastructure projects like dry composting toilets and tire retention walls around Comalapa, Guatemala.

This role as a variety of different tasks which when there are incoming volunteers may look like meeting them at the bus stop, showing them around town, sharing the history of the town mural, walking them to the volunteer house, and providing general support to make their experience enjoyable.

We have a daily chore chart with a little task each day for everyone to support keeping our shared living space clean and comfortable. In this position we would like someone who can also go beyond overseeing those tasks to help manage the house and keep an eye on water tanks and supplies to let us know when things need repair or restock.

While supporting the volunteers, the volunteer coordinator is welcome to join in daily green building projects. This will help grow understanding of green building and working with materials like glass bottles, cob, eco bricks, tires, and more!

Duration: 

Ideally the position would be for 6 months, but this is flexible. 

We do have reliable internet at the school so it is very feesable for someone to have a remote job while working with us.

Qualifications: 

• Basic Spanish in order to communicate with our local builders
• Basic English in order to communicate with our international volunteers
• Previous experience working with volunteers (desirable)
• Able and ready to engage in physical labor 
• Good attitude, team player, motivation to help out and be flexible
• A self-starter (comfortable working with little direct supervision)
• Enthusiasm for LWH’s mission and work

Location 

San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala

Housing 

Long Way Home will arrange your housing in the Volunteer House. Housing costs do not include meals but you will have access to a kitchen. 

Compensation 

Free accomodations in our Volunteer House

Letter of service provided

Educational Objectives: 

The following objectives guide the design of this internship: 

• Become well-versed in the methods and applications of green design and building.
• Understand why and how green design should be made accessible in low-resourced and climate stressed communities. 
• Understand the day-to-day operations of a small NGO operations team working at the grassroots level. 
• Develop intercultural and interdisciplinary teamwork skills. 
• Gain insights into opportunities, risks, and limitations for achieving quality education, economic justice, and environmental health in marginalized communities. 
• Have opportunities to increase Spanish language proficiency. 
• Understand the social and professional “do’s” and “don’ts” of living and working in a new culture. Learn about the unique environmental, social and economic context of San Juan Comalapa.
• Proficiency in professionally addressing challenges to provide workable solutions. 
• Develop skills and competencies that transfer to future work situations. 

Documents Required 

Send your statement of interest to amanda@lwhome.org