Company description HAFA is a membership-based, social justice nonprofit that works with Hmong farmers in the Twin Cities. Many Hmong farmers face numerous obstacles to farming, including lack of access to land, capital, training and alternative markets besides the farmers’ markets. Through cooperative farming, education and advocacy, HAFA works with Hmong farmers to create a path to wealth creation, not just income generation. Job description The goal of this project is to update and execute a dynamic and multi-prong communications strategy that will lift up the stories of Hmong farming families, who came to Minnesota as political refugees and still lack equal access to land, equipment and capital. Hmong farmers make up 50% of farmers in the Twin Cities area and rely on farming to build community wealth and to lift members of its community out of poverty. If successful, this project will uplift HAFA's programming and increase awareness of institutionalized racism that preference white, educated farmers over minority and immigrant farmers, and its damaging effects on the Hmong community's progress away from poverty.

The VISTA member will advance HAFA’s mission by concentrating efforts in 3 areas:
1) Increasing the visibility and amplify the voice of Hmong farming families while shifting from a deficit based to an asset based framework.
2) Increasing the visibility of HAFA and its community impact.
3) Shifting the conversation around local production, consumption and distribution of food and how it impacts communities locally, nationally and globally.

The VISTA member will be responsible for developing and implementing a robust communications strategy.
1) Building strong, trustworthy and equitable relationships with Hmong farmers and their family members affiliated with HAFA
2) Developing strong understandings of the systems and dynamics that currently shape Hmong farmers’ experiences
3) Serving as a bridge builder between Hmong farmers and other stakeholders as appropriate especially mainstream media
4) Exploring ways to engage Hmong farmers in content development and create pipelines of real participation and leadership within the community for example, creating writing circles with HAFA farmer family members
5) Daily posts to Twitter and Facebook and other social media forums
6) Creating a systems of interaction with traditional and ethnic media
7) Tracking relevant media coverage to share weekly with HAFA staff and allies to build internal capacity.

AmeriCorps*VISTA benefits:

• Health Coverage including healthcare cost reimbursement
• Housing allowance of $1,000/mo
• Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend
• Childcare assistance if eligible
• Extensive professional development & training
• Monthly living stipend of $/mo Living Allowance
• Relocation Allowance if eligible
• Mileage reimbursement for work-related driving (outside of to/from work)

Terms:

• Permits working at another job during off hours
• Permits attendance at school during off hours
• Car recommended

Compensation this position is : stipend / non-monetary compensation Application instructions DeadlineMay 13, 2016