Section I: Organization Information

Name/Title of Contact: George Stern / Executive Director

Address: 7047 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119
     
Phone Number: (215) 843-5600, George Stern’s extension is 101

Email Address:  geostern@nim-phila.org
     
Web Address: www.nim-phila.org

Total Number of Staff Members: 20
     
Total Agency Budget: $1.4 Million

Agency Mission:
The Neighborhood Interfaith Movement (NIM) is a non-sectarian alliance of Christian,
Jewish, Unitarian, and Muslim congregations and faith institutions which, through NIM’s
programs, give concrete expression to their religious values. NIM staff and volunteers
work to upgrade the quality of child care, assist older adults living at home, and respond to
the needs of residents in personal care and nursing homes. NIM’s Congregation and
Community programs assist NIM member congregations and neighborhood residents in
“building a more just and sensitive community” through education, advocacy and service.  
NIM sponsors a race dialogue group, annual Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King Interfaith
Celebrations, an environmental initiative, and other grassroots efforts. Together with the
Northwest Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network (a homeless sheltering program) NIM
sponsors Interfaith Advocates, working to eliminate the systemic roots of poverty.

Fellow’s Job Title: Congregation & Community Fellow


Section II: The Nitty Gritty

1. Will fellow be working at the same address listed above? Yes

2.  Will the fellow have:   

A. ___Own Office?              _X__Shared Office?            ____No Office?  

B. _X_Own Desk?               ____Shared Desk?              ____No Desk?

C. _X_Own Computer?       ____Shared Computer?      ____No Computer?


3. Please state name and title of fellow’s immediate supervisor.

Anna Guarneri, Director of Congregation and Community Programs

4. Please approximate the percentage of time fellow will work:

__50_Independently      _25__As a team member in a group setting   

_25__As a team leader in a group setting


5. Will fellow be expected to travel as part of his/her position?

If so, will travel be: _X__Within Philadelphia?  ____Outside Philadelphia?

How often will they need to travel? Several times a week

Will fellow need: _X_a car?   ____a transpass?  ____occasional tokens?
We hope to provide access to a car for business, and when possible for getting home after
evening meetings. Public transportation is also available, but a car would be more efficient.

Will the agency provide or reimburse for these expenses? Yes. Mileage reimbursement for
car or transit assistance without a car.


Section III:  Community Need

Please submit a one paragraph response for each question.

1. Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the
Philly Fellow will address, including the number of people in the community directly
affected by the problem.

From 2006 to the present, NIM staff in the Congregation and Community department has
worked with congregations, clergy, and neighborhood residents to identify community
needs to address collaboratively.  Congregations expressed frustration at engaging teens
and at the lack of communication between different faith groups.  Clergy identified violence
as a community-wide problem demanding coordinated response through value-based
institutions like the congregations of NIM. The high murder rate wastes lives and creates
an atmosphere of fear affecting all. Police mapping shows that violence is concentrated in
poorer areas of the city. In the area served by NIM congregations, the income of 22.4% of
residents is below the poverty level and the income of 43.4% is below 200% of the poverty
level. 84% of residents are non-white. School performance indexes rate schools in NIM’s
catchment area well below standard.  The Congregation & Community Fellow will further
develop programs and initiatives focused on youth development, interfaith understanding,
and “increasing the peace” to address these important community needs.

2. Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by
this fellow will help alleviate the problem.

During the past 2 years, NIM’s Congregation and Community department has developed
educational, advocacy, and direct service efforts to address the above needs.  These
efforts include an environmental justice forum and community advocate training
(sponsored by NIM’s environmental group, Sustaining Creation), a non-violent
communication workshop, organizing against nuisance businesses in Germantown, and
the annual Interfaith Peace Walk, which brought 1,000 people of all faiths to the streets of
Germantown and Mt Airy.  Through Walking the Walk, a program developed by the
Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, NIM brings 20 Jewish, Muslim and Christian teens
from NIM congregations together for dialogue and service in the community.  The MLK Day
of Service, a pilot youth Leadership Institute, and a congregational basketball league
further help congregations reach out to neighborhood youth in need of mentors and
positive activities.  The Congregation & Community Fellow will build on these successes to
engage youth and local faith communities in education, advocacy, and service.  With the
support of staff and volunteers, the Congregation & Community Fellow will ramp up
existing initiatives and provide new insight and direction for NIM’s social justice and faith-
based programs.

3. Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project.

The Philly Fellow will work with NIM staff on a daily basis, but most of the work will involve
outreach into the community, especially faith institutions, and preparation for youth-
oriented and social justice activities. Work will involve a lot of listening and gathering of
information, as well as planning and implementation of programs. Northwest Philadelphia
is home to some of the most creative and altruistic citizens of the City. The Philly Fellow
will have wonderful opportunities to work with a variety of interesting and effective leaders.


Section IV:  Job Description

1. Please outline in list form the fellow’s duties and responsibilities.

(a)        Learn about current NIM programs.
(b)        Work directly with, and for a time shadow, the Director of Congregation and
Community Programs to gain insights into operations.
(c)        Initiate and maintain contact with congregational youth leaders and community
activists.
(d)        Recruit candidates for youth programs and plan and staff related community
service projects.
(e)        Help organize and set agendas for meetings on community issues identified by
congregations.
(f)        Make presentations at NIM congregations as needed, in conjunction with other staff.
(g)        Assist the Director of Congregation and Community Programs and the Executive
Director in conducting new and existing community-based programs.
(h)        Coordinate programs as necessary with NIM Children and Families and NIM
Vulnerable and Older Adults
(i)        Conduct outreach to other organizations to determine advisability and feasibility of
collaboration.
(j)        Assist in development of communication and public relations materials.
(k)        Assist grant writer in formulating proposals for youth-related and faith-based
programs.

2. Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in this
position.

(a)        Excellent oral and written communication skills
(b)        Facility with Microsoft Office suite, including Publisher
(c)        Ability to work independently
(d)        Flexibility
(e)        Eagerness to make a difference in the community
(f)        Eagerness to work with teens from diverse backgrounds
(g)        Willingness to work within a diverse environment with many ethnic, religious, and
racial groups
(h)        Comfort with faith-based conversations in a variety of religious and non-religious
settings (congregational or denominational affiliation not required; comfort with religion is)

3. Please outline your agency’s plan to orient and train the fellow.

Orientation will include first- to fourth-week meetings with NIM staff and board and adults
and youth already involved in NIM community programs. We will consult with the Fellow to
determine his/her needs for learning opportunities, depending on experience.  
Opportunities may arise for outside trainings, including but not limited to the annual
Interfaith Youth CORPS Conference “Crossing the Faith Line” in Chicago.

Section V:  Supervision/Resources

1. Please briefly describe plans for supervision of fellow.

The Philly Fellow will be supervised by Anna Guarneri, Director of Congregation and
Community Programs and former Philly Fellow (06-07). Anna has experience working with
youth, clergy, and community residents and is accustomed to supervisory roles. Because
NIM staff members work collaboratively, supervision will be ongoing. Specific supervisory
appointments will be made as deemed necessary by the supervisor or the Philly Fellow.
Fellow will also have access to George Stern, Executive Director, and other staff for
assistance.

2. What methods, information, or data will you use to evaluate the fellow’s success in their
position?

Evaluation in a position such as this is often subjective. We will certainly evaluate the
success of establishing a calendar of meetings, agendas, and goals for educational and
advocacy efforts, and the implementation of existing youth programs. Over time we will
assess the success of contacts, the relationship with congregation and community
leaders, the establishment of new goals and the progress towards their fulfillment. While
we could set arbitrary numbers (phone calls, new congregational contacts, and so forth),
we recognize that this position requires much teamwork, and that ultimate goal-setting
will be in large measure dependent upon the interests of the congregations and
community members themselves. We will work with the Fellow to be sure that s/he feels
that evaluations are fair and rooted in tangible goals.


Section VI: Project Plan

Please outline goals and results you expect the fellow to achieve and the measures you
will use to evaluate performance. These goals must address the community need stated
above.

1. Please describe the proposed project goal you expect the fellow to achieve.

The ultimate goal is to create a firm base for an ongoing, sustainable NIM Congregation
and Community Program, with established protocols for operation that encourages
communication between and among congregations, community activists, teens, and NIM
as well as the establishment of creative programs to better serve the community. We
would expect to see:
(a)        An increase in congregational and individual youth involvement in NIM youth
programming
(b)        Strengthening of current and establishment of new social justice initiatives, such
as interfaith dialogue, environmental justice, and pro-peace efforts.

2. Please list significant milestones for this project and dates by which they will be
accomplished:

Ongoing: Follow up on previous decisions made by and programs established by the
Congregation and Community department, including youth programs.

August: Form understanding of NIM operations.

September: Outreach to old and potential new community activists, congregational
leaders, and youth.

October: Program development, goal setting for social justice activities and youth work.

November: Set Congregation and Community goals for 2008-2009.

December and Forward: Ongoing maintenance of department functioning, program
development, with special attention paid to sustainability.