Volunteer and Research Coordinator Needed
Are you looking for an opportunity to contribute to an exceptional and effective training program that helps current and formerly incarcerated men to successfully re-enter society?
Members of Modern American Society (MOMAS) seeks a volunteer coordinator to assist with logistical, planning and research activities. This person will play a critical role in ensuring that MOMAS is able to continue to provide its current programming, while also expanding its base of volunteer and financial support.
This is a volunteer position; no compensation is available at this time.
About MOMAS
Members of Modern American Society (MoMAS) is an instructional program at San Quentin State Prison that is designed and operated by currently incarcerated men. The purpose of the program is to provide skills to prisoners that will help them re-enter society when their sentences are completed.
MOMAS is run by an executive board comprised of current prisoners. The program is assisted by outside volunteers. Volunteers are absolutely essential to the success of the program as they are the ones who instruct the classes, bring in outside speakers and presenters, facilitate information gathering and sharing and assist in numerous other ways.
MOMAS currently offers three 10-14 week modules:
- Module 1: Job Readiness Skills
- Module 2: Basic Financial Literacy
- Module 3: Personal Investing and Business Planning
We are looking for an individual to help facilitate volunteers from outside of the prison. The volunteer coordinator will also be asked to provide some basic research and administrative support.
In addition to the qualifications below, we would like to find someone who is good match with the current Executive Board and who believes strongly in the mission of the program.
Job Tasks:
- Assist current and potential volunteers with obtaining their security clearances by working with the program's official sponsor at the prison;
- Work with members of the Executive Committee to identify and recruit new volunteers and instructors to the program;
- Provide regular updates to volunteers about class logistics, important decisions and other topics as they arise;
- Provide critical planning and research support to the Executive Committee about topics ranging from grant applications to curricula; and
- Assist to the extent possible with projects that require administrative support, such as the organization's annual food sale and banquet; and
- Other tasks as they arise related to sustaining and scaling the organization's programs.
Required Qualifications:
- A strong commitment to the goals and mission of the program;
- Ability to work well with the Executive Committee and to defer to their decisions about the curricula, programming, etc., while also providing constructive feedback;
- Must have comfort with and sensitivity to the challenges and needs of those currently serving time;
- Must be reliable, able and willing to commit to the time requirements outlined below;
- Must be detailed oriented, organized and motivated;
- Must be able to pass a background check and obtain a security clearance (no felonies on your record, not currently on parole or probation, not on the visitor list for any individuals in the prison system).
Time commitment:
- We are hoping to find an individual who is willing to commit to working with the program for one full academic cycle (throughout the course of the three modules).
- The individual would be asked to spend up to, but not exceed, 10 hours per week on MOMAS-related activities.
- The individual would commit to traveling to the prison once a week while the modules are in session.
o The coordinator could either attend the Thursday night class from 6-8PM or attend a Sunday afternoon meeting from 2-5PM.
- The remaining time would be spent completing the other activities described above from outside of the prison.
This is a volunteer position only, no compensation is offered at this time.
To apply
If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit a brief statement of interest and a resume to Romania Juandoo at romania.jaundoo@cdcr.ca.gov.
