Community Resource Coordinator

Organization Overview

Kandelia’s mission is to remove barriers to opportunities so immigrant and refugee communities can flourish without compromising values, heritage, or ethnicity.

A Seattle based nonprofit, Kandelia has spent over 40 years collaborating with newly arrived immigrants and refugees to provide the tools and support families need to thrive. Our dedicated staff support a positive, equitable, and inclusive environment for all participants in our programs.

Kandelia’s programs support students and families with English language learning and other skills towards self-sufficiency, community connections and a sense of belonging, and referrals and support for accessing the resources they need. Leveraging collaborative partnerships and a team of volunteers, Kandelia’s programs impact over 600 individuals each year, including 200+ students attending Seattle World School. Seattle World School is one of few public schools in the nation designed specifically to support the needs of recently arrived immigrant and refugee students.

Learn more about Kandelia’s mission and values here.

Position Overview

Kandelia seeks a mission-driven and service-oriented Community Resource Coordinator with a demonstrated passion for community engagement, equity, and justice in education to join our team. The Community Resource Coordinator will plan, coordinate, and oversee our Food Access Program which assists newly arrived immigrant and refugee families by providing weekly, culturally relevant groceries and by helping families access and navigate the resources they need.

The Community Resources Coordinator will also work with community partners, volunteers, and students and family members, while reporting to the Community Engagement Manager.

Location: Primarily at Seattle World School (1700 E Union St Seattle, WA 98122) with some regular meetings at the Kandelia Office (3829B S Edmunds St Seattle, WA 98118) and frequent travel in the Seattle metro area.

Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 Hours a week) 8:00am-4:30pm Monday through Friday, with some flexibility and occasional evenings/weekends. Some remote work may be available.

This is a temporary position ending July 31, 2025, with the possibility of extension dependent on funding.

Core Responsibilities

This position is an integral part of the Community Engagement team. The focus of this position may change in the future as the needs of the program or community shifts.

Community Engagement & Resource Navigation

• Assess student and community needs, specifically barriers to participating in Kandelia programming, through methods including but not limited to surveys, focus groups, community conversations
• Create and maintain catalog of local resources that support community needs
• Research and maintain potential partners who may support community needs
• Communicate regularly with partners to ensure shared goal and deliverables are met
• Collaborate with Kandelia and school staff to identify students or family members who have barriers to participating

Food Access Program Coordination

• Increase food access to participants during Kandelia programming and at home with emphasis on healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods. Program tasks may include but are not limited to: distributing snacks to students, preparing and distributing weekly food bags and/or grocery gift cards
• Communicate with participants regularly to ensure food needs are being met
• Delegate tasks to volunteers and supervise volunteers as necessary
• Follow Kandelia’s financial protocols to accurately purchase and track expenses to report as necessary to grant managers and other stakeholders

Supporting and Tracking Participation

• Assess community needs through surveys, focus groups, interviews and more multiple times throughout the year to plan and implement services
• Check in with participants at least once every other month to ensure needs are being met
• Maintain comprehensive list of enrolled participants and services they have received
• Track participant data and log touchpoints according to Kandelia’s data storage policies and sensitive information policies.

General Kandelia Engagement

• Regularly attend and participate in meetings including but not limited to: all staff meetings, department meetings, retreats, and partnership meetings
• Occasionally serve as a committee member to Kandelia projects and events
• Serve as an internal and external ambassador of Kandelia and our mission, programs and services
• Support in organization wide events and campaigns including but not limited to: annual fundraiser, program events, and sharing online campaigns with community network

Preferred Qualifications, Skills, and Characteristics

• Professional or shared lived experience with refugee and immigrant communities
• Proficiency in one or more languages relevant to our served population (Spanish preferred)
• Empathy, humility, flexibility and willingness to serve and lead in a fast-moving public school environment
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and diverse learners, including but not limited to English Language Learner students/adults, immigrant and refugee students/adults, teachers, volunteers, and community partners
• Ability to build, maintain, and cultivate relationships between community partners and families
• Kindness, discretion, and patience in helping students and families with barriers and life challenges that require sensitivity, care and understanding
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to prioritize and organize multiple assignments at once; work well independently and with a team and partners; communicate about challenges; plan; and most importantly, follow through.
• Comfort with technology including proficient computer skills in Zoom, Google Suite (specifically Google Sheets and Gmail), and Microsoft Suite. This position will regularly use Kandelia’s supporter database, Bloomerang.

Other Requirements

• Legal clearance to work with minors and within the school is non-negotiable and you must pass a background check and any other tests required by Seattle Public Schools or government partners
• Strong ethics, maturity, and appropriate boundaries for adult interactions with minors, including compliance with all Seattle Public Schools HR and reporting requirements
• Must be available to work flexibly, including weekends and some evenings
• Physical demands include working at the computer but also loading and transporting supplies (boxes weighing up to 50 pounds)
• A Washington State Driver's License is required along with access to a personal vehicle that is licensed and insured for picking up weekly food donations and other supplies. Mileage is reimbursed

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation: This is a full-time, temporary, hourly position (1.0 FTE - 40 Hours per week). The hourly compensation is $27.68 per hour. Reports to: Community Engagement Manager.

Benefits: Kandelia offers a generous benefit package which includes 100% paid Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance for staff. A 403(b)-retirement account which Kandelia matches up to $1,000 per employee per fiscal year, and an Orca Card.

Paid Time Off: 18 days paid vacation days increasing after 3 years; up to 6.5 days sick and safe leave; paid holidays including 1 floating holiday; and paid wellness days including Fridays off in July and August and two weeks in December.

Hiring Process

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to hr@kandelia.org. Extended deadline is October 10th at 8am. Open until filled.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Kandelia is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other class protected by law. Assistance and/or reasonable accommodations during the application process are available to individuals upon request. To request assistance or accommodation, please contact HR@Kandelia.org.

This position is "at will,” which means that either you or Kandelia may terminate the relationship for any or no reason, with or without advance notice.