Lived Experience Advisory Board (Volunteer)

Abode, one of the largest and effective nonprofits working to end homelessness in the Bay Area, is seeking Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB) Members.

About The Role: The Lived Experience Advisory Board member is a volunteer position with a monthly stipend. The LEAB is a volunteer opportunity for adults who are currently unhoused or have experienced homelessness in past; are or have been enrolled in an Abode program; and would like to share their insights with Abode staff and leadership in order to improve housing assistance programs in the Bay Area. The ideal candidate is invested in quality improvement of services.

The People and Culture: You will be surrounded by some of the most talented, supportive, smart, and kind leaders and teams - people you can be proud to work with! Abode Services regularly recognizes employees’ efforts, seeks employees’ input, and cares for employees as people with lives outside of work. We believe that we make better decisions and provide quality services when our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate. People of color make up nearly 70% of our workforce and we strive to recruit and retain employees from all backgrounds. 

Activities of the LEAB:
Partner with decision makers at our agency to provide input on programs, services, and policies.
Offer those with lived experience an opportunity to have influence on the systems that they are impacted by.

How You Make An Impact:

• Attend monthly virtual LEAB member meetings
• Engage in focus groups and listening sessions

How You Meet Qualifications:

• Lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity (current or former)
• *People with lived experience of homelessness are individuals who have:
  • 1. Resided in a temporary housing shelter, transitional housing program, emergency shelter.
  • 2. Slept in a car or outside for shelter and/or couch surfed
• Enrolled in one or more Abode programs for a minimum of one year.
• To be able to speak honestly and candidly about your experience of housing instability and your experience seeking housing assistance services from Abode.
• Desire to share feedback with Abode decision makers about proposed housing program policies and plans.
• Familiarity with Bay Area housing issues.

Compensation:
Monthly stipend payment of $274 per month

Time commitment:
5-10 hours per month

Location of LEAB Meetings: Online via Zoom.

Read here for more information:

The LEAB provides adults who identify as having lived experience of homelessness with the platform to share their wisdom about being consumers of housing support services.

LEAB volunteers are provided the support that is needed through training and professional development to advocate for their peers in the communities that they belong to.

By enriching understanding of Abode staff about life as a consumer of housing assistance services, LEAB volunteers help to include the lived experience voice into Abode’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion plan.

LEAB volunteers provide insight to Abode staff through many of ways including feedback regarding the creation of outreach materials designed to help their peers navigate life in this complex system and design concepts for future permanent supportive housing projects.

In addition to building advocacy skills, LEAB volunteers learn how a non-profit supportive housing organization functions while gaining valuable work experience.

Notice: This description is to be used as a guide only. It does not constitute a contract, commitment or promise of any kind. Abode reserves the right to change, add, delete, upgrade, or downgrade the position as dictated by business necessity at any time with or without notice.  

Notice: Abode Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace.

Salary : $274