Community Outreach and Engagement Specialist VISTA 2026-27
Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist VISTA
For one year, get paid to build sustainable solutions in a community, gain valuable hands on experience and prepare for your future. This full-time AmeriCorps service position offers a great opportunity to make an impact in the lives of others while building your own knowledge and skillset.
AmeriCorps VISTA members are Volunteers in Service to America who perform indirect service to build capacity and sustainable solutions.
What will you do?The Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist will help build Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s (Habitat EBSV) capacity to develop, implement, evaluate, and sustain a comprehensive Community Outreach and Engagement Program across Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara Counties. Under the supervision of the Community Strategy & Partnerships Manager, this VISTA member will:
- Research community engagement best practices and outreach models.
- Develop sustainable outreach systems, tools, and partnership strategies.
- Pilot and evaluate community engagement approaches to inform program development.
- Strengthen referral pathways and strategic community partnerships.
- Support implementation of a structured, data-informed Community Outreach & Engagement Program.
- This position will strengthen Habitat EBSV’s long-term capacity to build trusted community relationships, expand access to housing opportunities, increase program participation, and sustain effective community engagement strategies across the region.
Where will you serve?
Organization name: Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley
Nearest metropolitan area: Oakland, CA
Full-time staff: 80
Expected number of AmeriCorps members: 7
Number of homes to be built: 19
Activities and attractions: Our affiliate is located in California’s vibrant Bay Area, where stunning natural beauty meets world-class innovation. Enjoy year-round mild weather, towering redwood forests, and easy access to beautiful beaches, lakes, and outdoor adventures. Just across the Bay from San Francisco, you’ll experience the perfect balance of scenic landscapes and the energy of a globally recognized city. The Bay Area is also renowned for its rich cultural diversity and welcoming, inclusive communities, making it a place where people from all backgrounds can thrive, connect, and feel at home.
Unique projects: The AmeriCorps members will support the completion of a 10-unit townhome development in the City of Hayward and assist with our fall Build-a-Thon, which will advance construction of a 19-unit affordable housing development in the City of Walnut Creek. These 19 homes represent the second phase of the project, following the successful completion of the first phase, which delivered 23 affordable homes.
When will you serve?
Start dates are flexible and based on this location’s availability. Talk to the hiring manager for this position about start dates during your interview process. The start date will be 4-6 weeks from receiving an offer and no earlier than September 2026.
Benefits of AmeriCorps service
• Annual living allowance of $24,962 to $40,869, determined by the service location; most locations are on the lower end of this range.
• Segal Education Award of $7,395, upon successful completion of service.
• Forbearance for most federally guaranteed student loans.
• Health care benefits and enrollment in Employee Assistance Plan.
• Ten personal and 10 medical leave days.
• Personal and professional development opportunities.
• Childcare benefits, if you qualify.
• Noncompetitive eligibility status for federal employment for one year after successful completion of service.
• Relocation travel assistance for members relocating more than 50 miles to serve
Supplemental Benefits
Housing stipend paid directly to your landlord - $1500 per month
Minimum Requirements
Applicants must hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens or is a person residing in a state that have the following legal residency classifications: refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status, or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status. Applicants must be at least 18 or older and have a high school diploma or GED.
What are we looking for?
Our ideal candidates:
• Are passionate about developing sustainable solutions for a nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrate respect for diversity of opinion, experience, and background.
• Desire to gain hands-on experience in the affordable housing and nonprofit sector.
• Have experience working on a team.
• Possess stellar interpersonal communication skills.
• Are motivated and committed to serve full time and in person.
* Local to Santa Clara County, Alameda County, or Contra Costa County in California.
* A personal vehicle is required for service.
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1976, is a global, Christian-based nonprofit organization that grew out of an intentionally multi-racial community in rural Georgia. Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat brings together people of all faiths and people of no faith to build homes, communities and hope. Working alongside each other, we help families and individuals build and improve places to call home and achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Habitat seeks individuals who have a willingness to affirm these principles and values.
At Habitat for Humanity International, we are compelled by our Koinonia roots to put God’s love for all into action and pursue housing equity and opportunity by bringing all people together to build community and drive impact. We strive to build a culture rooted in learning, accountability and trust, attracting and retaining mission-driven talent reflective of the global communities we serve.
As an equal opportunity employer, we realize our success depends on courageously committing to being a workplace where all staff feel safe, welcome, visible, respected, supported and valued, and building a workforce that reflects a variety of lived experiences, backgrounds and perspectives, in which every person experiences dignity and respect.
We also require that all staff take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguarding our intended beneficiaries, their communities (especially children) and all those with whom we work. In line with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, all staff must pass a thorough background screening and will be held accountable to upholding our policies around ethical behavior, including safeguarding and whistleblowing.