Homeless Advocate
LOCATION
SCHEDULE OPTIONS
Semester availability
FallSpring
Summer
Service hours
MorningEvening
Available days/hours
Tuesday evenings: 6pm-9pm
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday mornings: 6am-11am
Other hours on an as needed basis.
REQUIRED/DESIRED SKILLS
Because the position demands constant interaction with variety of individuals, applicants must have an agreeable personality and excellent people skills. Applicants should be a socially-outgoing person that enjoys meeting many people and listening compassionately to life stories.
Applicants should also have the following skills: problem-solving, excellent communication, ability to research community resources, basic computer skills, ability to maintain healthy boundaries with clients, record keeping, and the ability to represent Urban Outreach professionally. Most importantly, interns should be able to work well within a team setting.
CATEGORIES
AddictionAdults
Crisis Intervention
Disabilities
Homeless
Hunger / Poverty
Mental Health
Mentoring
Social Services
COMMUNITY PARTNER
Urban Outreach
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP
Duties
Interns of Urban Outreach will assist staff members with the facilitation of our homeless drop-in center during hours of operation. The activity and role of Urban Outreach interns is expansive. Interns assist guests/clientele with accessing pertinent resources, such as government entitlements (food stamps and medicaid), employment endeavors, pertinent substances abuse treatment, food resources, and other relevant community resources. Furthermore, interns may be asked to directly assist staff in the implementation of in-house activities. This list may include, among others: monitoring service records, preparation of meals and beverages, maintaining resource announcements, working in the clothing room, clean-up and other tasks as assigned by supervisor.
Population served
As an accessible drop-in center, a boundless variety of individuals walk through the doors of Urban Outreach. Though we occasionally serve youth and families, our typical guests are single adults, the majority of which are male. Most guests are homeless, though some housed individuals use the drop-in center's resources to access donated materials, such as food and clothing. Likewise, the "reasons" for homelessness are equally diverse.
Community need/impact
Thousands of individuals find themselves homeless each night in Maricopa County. The situation has only become more severe as unemployment and foreclosures continually force people out of their homes. A significant portion of this population live on the streets of Tempe. As there is no established homeless shelter in Tempe, Urban Outreach's drop-in center operates as a rare refuge from the streets.
People come to Urban Outreach for a variety of reasons, including fulfilling basic needs and finding reliable referrals to community resources. Homeless guests often lack the practical skills or emotional capacity to access/apply for community resources, which can be difficult to maneuver. Thus, the presence of a compassionate, skilled, and helpful person is crucial for helping someone get off the street. The intern will occupy this important role. Likewise, the absence of reliable volunteer assistance means that staff do not always have the help necessary for them to complete their duties. An intern will provide sustainable help to staff in the delivery of direct services to guests of Urban Outreach.
