Early 2023, the City of Cambridge will launch the first non-lottery cash assistance program in the country, Rise Up Cambridge. The program is a $22 million dollar commitment from the City of Cambridge and Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, managed in partnership with the Cambridge Community Foundation. It will provide direct cash to all Cambridge households earning at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, with children under 21 years of age.

Building on the success of Cambridge RISE (Recurring Income for Success & Empowerment), a lottery pilot involving 130 families and funded through philanthropic dollars, Rise Up Cambridge, funded with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, will enable over 2000 Cambridge households to receive $500 per month for eighteen months, with no strings attached.

Rise Up Cambridge aims to address the growing economic divide, maintain a diverse population, and help families recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), an anti-poverty community action agency and program partner, is seeking a motivated individual to serve as the Limited-term (January-April 2023) Part-Time Participant Liaison for Rise Up Cambridge. The Participant Liaison will report directly to the Cambridge RISE Project Director. Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Maintain demographic information to ensure that residents from all areas of the city are enrolling in the project

Periodically review list of participants and communicate payment changes with Rise Up Cambridge Project Specialist

Serve as the primary point of contact for potential participants and recipients to provide accurate and updated information through 1-1 relationships and produced materials

Assist potential participants in completing applications with required documentation for enrollment

Meet individually with participants when necessary to obtain income, residency and other project required documentation and submit for verification

Ensure that all recipients have access to all of CEOC’s program services, including SNAP and other public benefits, health insurance assistance, free tax preparation, college financial assistance and food pantry services

Solicit ideas from participants for other services and resources that would support their families

Participate in all staff meetings and trainings

Other related duties as assigned by Cambridge RISE Project Director and Rise Up Cambridge Project Specialist

Requirements and Qualifications:

2+ years of professional experience related to poverty, economic policy, or social work

Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional staff

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with ease in public presentations

Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

Understanding the strength of diversity, and the need for solutions to support all regardless of race, religion, gender, immigration status, or ethnicity

Strong personal time management skills and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Bilingual/bicultural strongly preferred

Cambridge resident and/or knowledge of Cambridge resources and communities highly preferred

Evenings and occasional Saturdays required

Physical demands: This position is classified as sedentary work. The physical demands required to perform the essential functions of sedentary work include exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally. Sedentary work requires about 6 hours of sitting and no more than 2 hours of standing or walking in an 8-hour workday.