interACTS Story Explorer | Call for Volunteers
In partnership with the Lorain County Office on Aging, Oberlin Center for the Arts is seeking community members interested in supporting older adults who face social isolation throughout Lorain County. These volunteers will engage, through regular conversation, to provide vital and meaningful connections to advance our interACTS program. Please review the position posting and find the application link below.
Summary
The Story Explorer volunteer position will consist of conducting regular wellness check-in calls, by phone, a critical support service administered by the Lorain County Office on Aging, interactions that will ensure that these individuals have their basic needs met but also will build personal connections through ongoing creative conversations. StoryExplorers will be required to place phone calls, conduct conversations and document/transcribe their interactions, information which will be used to create new works of music, dance, theatre, film, and visual art. Learn more about the interACTS program here.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The Story Explorer will provide critical program input and support through consistent ongoing activities, including but not limited to;
Communications: conversing with older adults through weekly phone calls
Data entry: capturing notes and transcriptions of conversations
Triage: providing follow-up referrals, as needed, to Lorain County Office on Aging staff
Desired Volunteer Skill Set
The ideal Story Explorer candidate would share a vision for this program and the value of older adults in our community, and as well would be;
Interested in establishing personal connections with others in the community
Able to communicate clearly by phone and actively listen to others
Positive, courteous, personable and empathetic when working with older adults
Able to manage a conversation while effectively detailing feedback
Dependable, punctual and maintain consistent schedule
Able to uphold privacy and confidentiality standards
Someone who could professionally represent this program and partnering organizations, as well as respect the boundaries of the volunteer - recipient relationship
Comfortable with the basic computer skills necessary to process information
Time Commitment
The time commitment for this position is estimated at a minimum of 2 - 4 hours per week and would vary based upon the number of calls placed per week (ranging from 5 to 15 minutes each) and the time required to transcribe/note each interaction. Time commitments will be established on a case-by-case basis and flexible.
Training & Supervision
All applicants will be required to participate in a 1-hour training session which will cover;
Introduction to Oberlin Center for the Arts and Lorain County Office on Aging
Program overview and goals
Privacy policies and confidentiality standards
Detailed volunteer activities
Understanding the basics of storytelling and facilitating a conversation
Training will be conducted by Oberlin Center for the Arts and Lorain County Office on Aging. All volunteers will be supervised by and report to Oberlin Center for the Arts staff.
For Additional Information
For questions regarding this volunteer position, please contact Darren T. Hamm, Executive Director, Oberlin Center for the Arts by email at Darren@artsoberlin.org or by phone at (216) 533-3878. For additional information regarding partnering organizations, please visit the following;