You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.

VISTA Digital Media & Communications Specialist - LA Family Housing

L.A. Works
Email

AmeriCorps VISTA Position Description

AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a national service program dedicated to ending poverty by building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public agencies. VISTA’s mission is to strengthen and supplement efforts in low-income communities to eliminate and alleviate poverty by engaging volunteers from all walks of life, all geographical areas, and all age groups in a year of full-time service.

By joining the L.A. Works Volunteer Corps Program, you will be placed with one of our nonprofit partner organizations to serve for 12 months and tasked with a capacity-building project such as: creating sustainable systems to expand services, recruiting community members to volunteer in local programs, establishing a database of program alumni, and/or developing partnerships to bring new economic opportunities in Los Angeles County.

Benefits of AmeriCorps VISTA

  • Living Allowance – VISTA members will receive a modest bi-weekly living allowance of $30,116.15 per year to cover basic expenses. 
  • Relocation Allowance - If VISTA members move 50+ miles from their home to a new community, they will receive relocation travel assistance and a settling-in allowance.
  • Healthcare Benefits – VISTA members will be able to choose between reimbursement for healthcare or a healthcare plan that also includes dental and vision coverage.
  • Professional Development - VISTA members will receive professional development opportunities from L.A. Works and AmeriCorps VISTA throughout the year.
  • Child Care Assistance - VISTA members may be eligible to receive a child care benefit if they have children under the age of 13. 
  • End of Service Award – At the end of their service, VISTA members will be able to choose between the AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of $7,395 to pay for education expenses or a cash stipend of $1,800. 
  • Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) - Once VISTA members complete their term of service, they will qualify for NCE, a unique hiring path that makes it easier for federal agencies to hire VISTA alumni.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be 18 years or older and cannot be enrolled in an undergraduate program 
  • Pass a national service criminal history check
  • Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens or the following legal residency classifications: refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status, or DACA status
  • AmeriCorps VISTA cannot accept applications from international students on OPT/CPT visas

 

VISTA Digital Media & Communications Specialist

 

Employment Type: Full-Time

Work Setting: Hybrid / Field-Based

Location: Los Angeles County

Reports to: Director of Communications / Development & Communications Team

 

About Us

LA Family Housing (LAFH) is a leading homeless service provider and affordable housing developer in Los Angeles. Our mission is to help people transition out of homelessness and poverty through a continuum of housing enriched with supportive services. We believe that housing is a human right, and we are invested in driving forward the innovative solutions we know are effective in ending homelessness. With more than 40 years of experience, we know what works: an individualized approach that combines a continuum of housing options enriched with supportive services. LAFH works with individuals, families, youth, veterans, seniors, and transition-age youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness, many of whom face systemic barriers including housing instability, unemployment, and limited access to resources.  In 2025, we connected more than 16,000 people with housing resources and supportive services. With our sister organization LAFHBuilds, we also own or co-own 40 interim, affordable, and supportive housing properties and have over 700 new units of housing in our pipeline.

Our community-based approach allows us to influence how homelessness is addressed in Los Angeles and nationwide. We take tremendous pride in positioning our staff as national leaders in innovation, best practices, and policy within housing production and homeless services. From presenting at national conferences to facilitating service collaboration among providers in other regions, we equip our industry to effectively respond to homelessness and ultimately move more people home. Join this incredible team of changemakers and start making a difference in people’s lives today at LA Family Housing

Position Overview

Are you passionate about storytelling, social impact, and systems-building? As the VISTA Digital Media & Communications Specialist, you will help build the communications infrastructure that powers LA Family Housing’s (LAFH) mission.

We are seeking a creative and strategic VISTA Digital Media & Communications Specialist to support LAFH’s communications infrastructure and capacity-building efforts. This role offers the opportunity to elevate the voices of individuals experiencing homelessness, increase public understanding of complex social issues, and develop the strategies and tools that sustain long-term community engagement and organizational growth.

The role focuses on strengthening LAFH’s ability to tell compelling stories, engage the community, and increase awareness of our work and homelessness solutions. The VISTA member will help build a more robust and sustainable social media and communications infrastructure. Ultimately this increased communications capacity will help expand LAFH’s communications reach, deepen our audience’s understanding of homelessness, strengthen community support, and generate greater engagement and resources to support individuals and families on their path to housing stability.

This position works closely with the Development & Communications team and across departments to ensure compelling storytelling and consistent, strategic messaging that advances organizational priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Social Media Strategy and Engagement

  • Develop a long-term strategic social media plan across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and emerging channels
  • Build editorial calendars to improve content consistency and coordination across department
  • Develop social media content that highlights volunteer opportunities, organizational impact, community partnerships, fundraising initiatives, and participant success stories
  • Strengthen the collection and analysis of social media analytics, engagement tracking, and reporting to help evaluate impact and guide future strategy
  • Create templates, guidelines, and documentation that support sustainable social media management
  • Research best practices and emerging trends in nonprofit social media engagement, test new approaches, and develop recommendations and systems that will strengthen LAFH’s digital communications into the future

Storytelling & Content Development

  • Develop systems and processes for ethically identifying, collecting, and documenting stories from program participants, volunteers, staff, and community partners
  • Create a centralized library of storytelling assets, including written stories, photographs, videos, testimonials, and interview materials.
  • Identify opportunities to amplify participant voices and increase community understanding of homelessness and housing stability solutions.
  • Attend program activities, outreach efforts, community events, and volunteer activities to gather photos, videos, interviews, and content. 
  • Create written and multimedia content that highlights participant journeys, volunteer contributions, frontline outreach efforts, and program outcomes to share across LAFH digital channels. 
  • Create documentation and resources that enable staff to continue implementing and expanding storytelling efforts after the VISTA service term ends.

Media & Public Awareness

  • Support media outreach by building media lists, drafting advisories, and assisting with visibility campaigns tied to major organizational initiatives and events
  • Increase public awareness and understanding of homelessness and housing solutions

Fundraising & Community Engagement Support

  • Contribute to the development of content for fundraising campaigns, volunteer engagement efforts, donor communications, media outreach, and public education initiatives to strengthen philanthropic engagement and community support

Data, Systems & Sustainability

  • Track social media analytics, engagement metrics, and campaign performance
  • Develop reporting tools and dashboards to evaluate communications impact
  • Build sustainable systems, templates, and workflows to support long-term organizational capacity

 Qualifications

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication and storytelling abilities
  • Passion for homelessness services, housing stability, and social impact
  • Interest in social media strategy, digital communications, and public engagement
  • Interest in data tracking, analytics, and reporting
  • Ability to work across teams, internally and externally, and with program participants of LA Family Housing
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
  • Strong attention to detail, and organizational and collaboration skills
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office
  • Proficiency in social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
  • Basic design capabilities, including familiarity with InDesign, Illustrator, Canva, or similar software
  • Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or related field (preferred)
  • Experience with nonprofit communications or social impact work (preferred)
  • Bilingual skills are useful but not required

Other

  • Maintain and execute confidential information according to HIPAA standards
  • Obtain and maintain CPR/First Aid Certification
  • Successfully complete a HireRight background check which includes criminal background, education background, and employment verification.
  • Successful complete a Live Scan background check which is connected to DOJ and FBI databases.
  • Ability to pass post offer Tuberculosis (TB) clearances
  • Travel throughout Los Angeles is a regular duty for this position and is required 15% of the time
  • Use of a personal vehicle to travel between worksites and other locations is required
  • Must have and maintain a valid California Driver’s License and auto insurance in good standing
  • Able to work a 9/80 hybrid work schedule

 Physical Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment

 The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Employee may be in contact with individuals and families in crisis who may be ill, using substances, and/or not be attentive to personal health and safety for themselves. The employee may experience a number of unpleasant sensory demands associated with a client’s use of alcohol and drugs, and the lack of personal care. The employee must be ready to respond quickly and effectively to many types of situations, including crisis situations and potentially hostile situations. Employee is required to:

 Walk and climb stairs; Handle, finger, grasp, and feel objects and equipment; Reach with hands and arms; Communicate, receive, and exchange ideas and information by means of the spoken and written word; Be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; Repeat various motions with the wrists, hands, and fingers; Be able to have visual activity for (including, but not limited to) administrative and clerical tasks; Drive personal vehicle in and around Los Angeles County and periodically transport clients; Be able to enter various buildings that may require climbing stairs; Be subjected to outside environmental conditions; Use a personal and/or laptop computer, and copy, postages. Complete all required forms in personal writing.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. If you require an accommodation, please make sure to inform the Human Resources Department by the first week of employment. If an accommodation is not required at the time of employment, but is later required, you must inform the Human Resources Department of the need for accommodation at the time it is needed.