POSITION TITLE: Shelter Ambassador

LOCATIONS: Center City, Philadelphia

REPORTS TO: Shelter Manager (or Director of Homeless Services)

ABOUT US

Philly House is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian program affiliated with the City Gate Network. The center city men’s shelter serves approximately 200-300 homeless individuals daily. At that same location, we are Philadelphia’s largest homeless meals program, serving 3 meals per day for 365 days of the year. See www.PHILLYHOUSE.org for more information.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The primary function of this position is to be the ‘ambassador’ of our shelter program, by being the Christian friendly presence to those who enter and exit our facilities. You will welcome shelter guests with a smile and assist in shelter activities for homeless men. Significant opportunities exist for relational and spiritual ministry with residents experiencing difficult times. Specific duties include the monitoring the doors during intakes, the answering of telephone lines, security of guests’ personal belongings, the monitoring of guests’ activities, the oversight of safety and security through pat downs and monitoring of the security system, connection of guests to Case Managers and/or service providers.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES

• Provides consistent coverage for assigned shifts in assigned area, working within the team and independently to complete all shift tasks.
• Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of homeless guests, employees, visitors, and other persons to safeguard and maintain of premises.
• Immediately inform Supervisor of any unusual incidents concerning residents, building or staff and complete appropriate documentation;
• Participate in monitoring of homeless guests’ activities, searches of body with metal detector upon entrance to the facility;
• Review prior shift incident reports and communication log book prior to starting shift work;
• Assist in the coordination of guest intakes.
• Answer telephone lines and in person inquiries, screening homeless requests and voice mails.
• Performs general administrative functions such as noting within the communication log.
• Assist in the security of guest’s personal belongings and monitoring of guests activities.
• Connect guests to chaplains, case managers and other local service providers.
• Oversee the security system (metal detectors, etc.) for the safety of shelter guests, staff, volunteers, and Philly House property while on duty.
• Assist guests with barriers they may have related to achieving stability within the community.
• Provide crisis intervention as needed, including determining when it is necessary to involve other staff, administration, or the authorities.
• Maintain written and oral communication of incidents in accordance with policies.
• Maintain a clean and orderly facility per mission and health department guidelines.
• Set and maintain professional boundaries with residents, guests, and peers, maintaining a “Culture of Safety”.
• Attends staff meetings and participates in activities designated by the leadership at the Ministry.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum High School Diploma or GED required; or preferred.
• A public Christian witness and a regular devotional time to maintain your relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
• Ability and willingness to perform housekeeping and occasional lifting up to 30 pounds independently.
• Track record of a sincere desire to work with homeless individuals, be friendly, flexible and enthusiastic, and willing to advocate the mission of PHILLY HOUSE.
• Adherence to our Employee Policy Manual.
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, and a roll-up-my-sleeves attitude with the highest ethical integrity.
• Demonstrated experience with and sensitivity to varying cultural, religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds, values and attitudes.
• Ability to negotiate different personalities and work under competing priorities.
• Ability to assess emergency situations and respond effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal skills in the English language. Bilingual English-Spanish preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency in using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and other applications as well as experience using and entering data into HMIS, or other client databases.
• Must be prompt and dependable.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position is primarily performed indoors in the facilities of our Ministry, yet requiring the ability to navigate hallways and multiple floors. As a part of normal duties, this position will be in close proximity with an at-risk population where errant behavior and disease risk may be present. Appropriate safety considerations will be required to avoid illness and/or injury.

COMPENSATION & HOURS

Competitive hourly wages will commensurate with experience. No relocation assistance is available.

All full-time positions at Philly House begin at $17 per hour with 100% health coverage and 4-weeks of paid vacation per year.

The schedule for this position is shift-based on the needs of the organization. Successful candidates must have ability to cover various shifts as scheduled, especially weekends and holidays. This position requires a variety of hours in which evening work will be involved. A successful candidate must successfully pass criminal background check, drug test, and sex offender screenings.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $17.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Evening shift
• Holidays
• Night shift
• Weekends as needed

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)
• Night Shift (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Philadelphia, PA 19107 (Required)

Work Location: In person