Program Assistant - Reading Services

Save to Favorites

Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit healthcare organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss. Our mission is to provide exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals. With Lighthouse Guild, people who are at risk for, or affected by, vision loss have access to all the resources necessary to lead full, independent, and productive lives. We provide services, research and education, and advocate to help people with low vision and blindness. Our vision is a world in which no person is limited by their visual capacity.

The Reading Service Program connects a visually impaired person with a reading volunteer who helps accessing otherwise often inaccessible written and electronic materials. We provide programming in a vision sensitive environment that enables people with vision impairment attain their goals and live independently. This opportunity is ideal for a problem solver, with an outgoing personality, and strong computer skills, who understands how to get things done.

Position: Reading Service - Program Assistant

Location: 250 West 64th Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10023

Opportunity Summary: This position helps implement and administer the Reading Services Program by coordinating schedules, receiving clients and volunteers, and ensuring the smooth running of the program. In addition, this position will assist with matching clients and volunteers. The responsibilities will range from outreach to potential clients, identification of candidates for the program and recruiting and placing volunteers to support the program’s reading needs.

Principle duties and responsibilities:
- Manage the pairing of clients and volunteers.
- Conduct research and outreach efforts to get volunteer readers.
- Answer Volunteer Center phones.
- Receive onsite volunteers and clients.
- Update schedules, cancellations and make appropriate notifications.
- Identify volunteer readers to fill vacancies.
- Escorts visually impaired clients if needed.
- Distributes assistive devices for reading.
- Manage client and volunteer databases and CRM
- Update monthly onsite/offsite volunteer times for reporting
- Fills in as reader to visually impaired client if necessary.
- Support the administrative needs of the department and duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Able to handle confidential information.
- Able to arrive on time and be ready to work.
- A strong customer service orientation, good interpersonal skills and math aptitude.
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required.
- The ability to take and follow instruction and apply critical thinking skills.
- Experience managing a project independently to completion required.
- The ability to exhibit excellence in the execution of your responsibilities required.

Details of the Opportunity:
The ideal candidate is available approximately 20 - 25 hours per week and will be present in the office 3 or 4 days per week for at least 5 hours per day.

Please submit a resume and writing sample to volunteer@lighthouseguild.org. Please include the hours you are available to serve in your cover letter. Direct all questions to the Stephen T. Pearlman Volunteer Center (646) 874-8688.