Stewards VISTA: Energy Communities - KY River Area Development District - Region 1

About Stewards:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health.

For more information regarding Stewards, please visit our website.

This position is a 365 day (1 year) public service term lasting from July 15, 2024 – July 14, 2025.

Living Allowance: $62.69/day ($22,881.85/year)

Housing Stipend: $400/month

About the Site:

The Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) is the planning and development district for an eight (8) county area. The VISTA member will focus on the following four of the eight Eastern counties: Breathitt, Lee, Owsley, and Wolfe. These counties are economically disadvantaged and distressed by the loss of coal mining in the region. Additionally, there has been a substantial population decrease exacerbated by both COVID-19 and the recent floods in 2021 and 2022. There is an opportunity to strengthen the communities by increasing economic development, services, and highlighting what makes this region special and unique. KRADD and the VISTA member will research ways to support the switch from a coal economy to a manufacturing and tourism-based economy, and by working with the ongoing efforts in the region to meet the goals outlined in the Infrastructure and Investment Act as well as the Inflation Reduction Act. These goals will be achieved through the VISTA writing and administering applications for the cities, counties, and non-profits in Region 1. The VISTA member will support federal and state efforts through projects that supply infrastructure to low-to-moderate income families that rely on failing drinking water wells, community projects that provide ADA compliance, improvements to existing parks and trails and the creation of new ones, showcasing our cultural heritage, assisting in the creation of new economic development opportunities, and working with our communities to improve broadband. The VISTA member will also work with trained grant writers at KRADD to learn how to properly develop, write, and administer these projects through research, data collection, public meetings, and hearings, utilizing steering committees, and making valuable contacts on both the state and federal levels.

Member Duties:

This VISTA will work in the following counties: Breathitt, Lee, Owsley, and Wolfe. 

• Work with managers and appropriate staff to gather information for proposals and coordinates preparation of proposals, grant applications, etc. 
• Acquire information about potential funding sources (local, state, and federal) including current guidelines, giving histories, and other relevant information
• Develop relationships with current and potential funders to strengthen their connection to the District
• Manage and meets a schedule of grant deadlines, reporting timelines and deliverables
• Work closely with city and county governments and local communities within the District to assist with short- and long-range planning efforts and project development
• Responsible for developing a manual of how to write and administer grants
• Develop a process for coordination with steering committees and translation from steering committee recommendations to project documentation

Skills:

• Recruitment   
• Communications 
• Fund raising/Grant Writing 
• Community Organization 
• Environment 
• Education 
• Public Speaking
• Leadership 
• General Skills 
• Youth Development 

Service Areas:

• Community and Economic Development 
• Environment 
• Community Outreach