Company description Founded in 1981, Isles is a nationally recognized nonprofit community development and environmental organization with the mission to foster more self-reliant families in healthy, sustainable communities. Each year, Isles reaches thousands of central New Jersey residents with opportunities for at-risk youth job training, affordable housing development, financial literacy training, homeownership counseling, community gardening, environmental health and education, community organizing and regional planning.

Isles’ Community Planning & Development (CP&D) services fall into three broad categories: community planning, real estate development, and urban agriculture. We work with residents to create and implement neighborhood plans; provide predevelopment, planning, funding, design, and community outreach assistance to physical redevelopment projects, including affordable housing; support community and school gardeners through the Isles Garden Support Network (IGSN); offer food and nutrition education; and clean up and activate properties through Clean & Green and T-Recs, our mobile recreation truck. We also represent Isles on many local, regional, and statewide policy and issue-based committees, and are playing a leadership role in Trenton’s efforts to battle its problem of vacant and abandoned properties. Job description Position Summary

Community Revitalization Support Staff assist in all aspects of implementing neighborhood revitalization services including urban agriculture, community beautification, and mobile recreation.

 

Essential Functions

• Support community and school groups in maintenance of community and school gardens
  • Assist with planning, planting, and maintenance of gardens
  • Assist with trouble-shooting of plants, pests, and or diseases in gardens
• Support beautification projects including vacant lot, park and streetscape clean-up and improvement
• Support gardening and environmental education efforts, including youth summer camp

• Sell produce and interact with customers at local farmers markets
• Assist with green infrastructure projects such as tree planting, rain gardens, water catchment projects, and native/pollinator plantings
• Support mobile recreation services

• Promote mobile recreation events
• Load and unload sporting equipment from truck
• Set up and break down for events

• Represent Isles at community events
• Assist with other Community Planning & Development work as needed

 

Education, Experience, Certifications 

• Gardening or horticulture experience and/or interest
• Interest and comfort in working with the general public, especially youth
• Experience using landscaping equipment including but not limited to lawnmowers (riding and push models), rototillers, weed trimmers
• Basic construction skills and power tool use
• Bilingual in Spanish a plus
• Passion for the environment and healthy living
• Must have valid driver’s license and insurable driving record

 

Physical Demands

• This job is performed outside and in all kinds of weather
• Frequent lifting of 50 pounds or more

 

Hours

• 20 hours per week from April 1through November 5, typically 4 days per week
• Schedule has some flexibility; occasional evening and weekends are required

Compensation this position is : hourly, $15/hr + Application instructions Deadlineno deadline