Urban Renewal Center & Ghent Area Ministries
Position: Full-Time, Benefits Eligible
Reports To: Urban Renewal Center Board of Directors & Ghent Area Ministries Board of Directors
Position Summary
The URC/GAM Program Manager is responsible for the effective, compassionate, and accountable operation of programs and services provided by the Urban Renewal Center (URC) and Ghent Area Ministries (GAM).
This position serves as a welcoming and professional presence for individuals seeking assistance, donors, volunteers, partner congregations, and community organizations. The Program Manager coordinates the Housing Transition Program, GAM's food pantry and clothing closet, HRT ticket distribution, donations, volunteers, program logistics, and relationships with partner congregations and community organizations.
A significant responsibility of this position is building and sustaining a strong volunteer network as an extension of the mission of URC, GAM, and their partner congregations. The Program Manager will recruit, train, organize, supervise, and recognize volunteers while ensuring that programs operate safely, efficiently, consistently, and with respect for the dignity of every person served.
The ideal candidate is energized by people, highly organized, compassionate, resourceful, and able to manage multiple responsibilities and changing priorities. This person should be comfortable working independently, taking initiative, solving problems, and collaborating with two Boards of Directors, church leaders, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
Essential Responsibilities
1. Visitor, Client & Donor Services
- Maintain a reliable, professional presence and be fully engaged during scheduled business hours.
- Create a welcoming, respectful, and safe environment for visitors, clients, donors, volunteers, and community partners.
- Greet visitors and donors warmly and respond to their needs with compassion, professionalism, and discretion.
- Assist individuals in accessing available GAM and URC resources.
- When GAM or URC cannot meet a person's needs, provide meaningful information about other available community resources and assist with referrals when possible.
- Maintain confidentiality and protect the dignity of individuals receiving services.
- Give appropriate priority to requests from partner-congregation clergy or staff concerning a specific individual.
2. Housing Transition Program
- Coordinate intake, scheduling, and follow-up for clients transitioning into stable housing.
- Manage furniture and bicycle donations, including receiving, sorting, inventory, storage, and delivery scheduling.
- Arrange transportation and moving assistance for clients transitioning into housing.
- Coordinate volunteers, including those providing trucks and moving assistance.
- Maintain accurate records of clients served, items distributed, services provided, and related program activity.
- Work with churches, volunteers, community organizations, and other partners to meet housing-transition needs efficiently and compassionately.
- Oversee volunteer teams supporting the Winter Shelter and other seasonal housing-related programs.
3. Volunteer Recruitment, Training & Supervision
- Recruit, onboard, orient, train, organize, and retain volunteers from partner congregations, universities, military commands, civic organizations, and the wider community.
- Work with URC leadership and partner congregations to develop meaningful volunteer opportunities.
- Maintain a volunteer database that includes availability, skills, service hours, and other relevant information.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for partner organizations and volunteer group leaders.
- Provide appropriate supervision, direction, and support to volunteers during their service.
- Ensure volunteers understand and follow established procedures and contribute to a positive, respectful atmosphere.
- Address procedural or performance concerns appropriately.
- Coordinate volunteers for pantry, clothing closet, Housing Transition, Winter Shelter, and other program activities.
- Plan volunteer appreciation and recognition efforts.
4. GAM Office, Pantry & Resource Management
- Ensure the GAM office is clean, organized, functional, and inviting.
- Maintain clean food-storage areas at least weekly.
- Clean refrigeration equipment monthly, preferably during the first week of each month.
- Monitor office, pantry, clothing, and program supplies and identify operational needs.
- Maintain accurate records of:
- Food pantry disbursements
- Clothing closet disbursements
- HRT ticket disbursements
- Clients served
- Items distributed
- Services provided
- Volunteer service hours
- Provide required statistics to the Food Bank in a timely manner.
- Maintain organized administrative records, calendars, databases, and program files.
- Effectively use Microsoft Word, Excel, spreadsheets, databases, calendars, and other standard office software.
5. Donations & Distribution of Resources
- Receive and appropriately manage food, clothing, furniture, bicycles, and other donations.
- Greet donors warmly, accept donations even when GAM or URC cannot directly use the items, provide donation forms when requested, and thank donors for their contributions.
- Sort donated clothing appropriately:
- Clothing suitable for street use should be made available through the clothing closet.
- Clothing unsuitable for street use but appropriate for resale should be donated to another charitable organization.
- Non-usable clothing should be discarded appropriately.
- Manage inventory, storage, and distribution of donated furniture, bicycles, and other Housing Transition resources.
- Ensure established distribution procedures are consistently followed, including:
- Clothing: Three articles per visit, with one visit every two weeks.
- Food pantry: Two visits per calendar month.
- HRT tickets: Provided for health, job interview, and assistance appointments.
- Establish and maintain clear eligibility and distribution parameters for rental and utility assistance in consultation with the GAM Board.
- Monitor the availability of resources and communicate emerging needs to the appropriate Board.
6. Partner Congregation & Community Relations
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with partner congregations, clergy, church staff, volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and community partners.
- Visit each partner congregation personally at least once per year.
- Take proactive steps to strengthen relationships with clergy and staff.
- Work with congregations to identify meaningful opportunities for volunteer service and community engagement.
- Serve as a reliable point of contact for partner organizations and volunteer groups.
- Prepare a quarterly newsletter for partner congregations.
- Consult the appropriate Board leadership before proceeding with requests that fall outside established program parameters.
7. Safety, Security & Incident Response
- Make workplace, visitor, client, and volunteer safety a primary responsibility.
- Maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone participating in or visiting the programs.
- If a visitor becomes unruly or uses vulgar or inappropriate language, appropriately ask the individual to leave.
- If the individual refuses to leave, contact the Norfolk Police non-emergency number.
- If there is an immediate threat or emergency, call 911.
- Notify the appropriate Board President as soon as feasible following a significant safety or security incident.
- Exercise sound judgment and remain calm when responding to difficult or unexpected situations.
8. Program Development, Accountability & Continuous Improvement
- Evaluate programs and operations regularly and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness, volunteer engagement, and services to clients and visitors.
- Take appropriate action to implement improvements within the authority of the position.
- Maintain accountability for established procedures, services, records, resources, and overall program effectiveness.
- Keep both Boards of Directors informed about significant operational developments, challenges, improvements, and initiatives.
- Consult the appropriate Board before undertaking changes that require significant additional funding or materially change established program practices.
- Assist with grant reporting, statistics, funder requirements, and other program accountability responsibilities as assigned.
- Maintain accurate and timely documentation necessary for organizational reporting and decision-making.
Qualifications
Required
- Outgoing, warm personality with strong interpersonal skills and a genuine enjoyment of meeting and working with people.
- Proven ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, personalities, communities, and life circumstances.
- Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
- Strong administrative skills, including proficiency with spreadsheets, databases, calendars, Microsoft Word, Excel, and standard office software.
- Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to maintain accurate records and handle confidential or sensitive information with discretion.
- Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license.
- Ability to coordinate transportation, deliveries, volunteers, and other program logistics.
- Ability to work independently while maintaining effective communication and accountability with two Boards of Directors.
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends as programs, events, volunteer activities, and community needs require.
Preferred
- Two or more years of experience in nonprofit operations, volunteer management, social services, community outreach, program management, event coordination, or a related field.
- Experience with grant reporting, funder compliance, or nonprofit program statistics.
- Familiarity with the Hampton Roads faith, nonprofit, and social-service landscape.
- Experience working with congregations, civic organizations, universities, military commands, or other community groups.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Personal Qualities
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- A servant's heart and a genuine commitment to the dignity and worth of every person served.
- Compassion and respect for individuals experiencing difficult circumstances.
- Initiative — sees what needs to be done and takes appropriate action without waiting to be asked.
- Reliability and accountability — follows through on commitments and responsibilities.
- Discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive client and organizational information.
- Grace under pressure and the ability to remain calm and solution-oriented when plans change.
- Flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing program and community needs.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with clients, volunteers, donors, clergy, staff, and community partners.
- Good judgment in balancing compassion for individuals with consistent adherence to established policies and procedures.
- Collaborative spirit and the ability to communicate effectively with two Boards of Directors and multiple stakeholder groups.
Reporting & Accountability
The Program Manager is a shared employee of the Urban Renewal Center and Ghent Area Ministries and reports to both organizations' Boards of Directors.
The Boards will work collaboratively to establish priorities, evaluate performance, provide organizational guidance, and ensure that the position's responsibilities remain aligned with the missions and policies of both organizations.
The Program Manager is expected to maintain regular communication with both Boards and to promptly communicate significant operational, financial, safety, personnel, or programmatic concerns to the appropriate Board leadership.
Employment
Full-Time, Benefits Eligible
The position offers a full-time schedule with benefits. The work schedule will include regular business hours as well as occasional evenings and weekends based on program requirements, volunteer activities, meetings, events, and community needs.
The position requires the ability to perform a combination of office-based administrative work, direct interaction with clients and visitors, volunteer coordination, and physical/logistical activities associated with donations, storage, transportation, and housing transitions.
Pay: From $50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
Work Location: In person
