KENNEBUNK — Two opportunities for people to work in the arena of substance misuse recovery, and with senior citizens and nutrition, are being offered by the Town of Kennebunk through the AmeriCorps program.

The first is a year- long gig with Kennebunk Police Department, where the individual chosen will work with law enforcement and also with District 7780 Rotary to provide assistance with the ongoing Recovery Coach Training Academy launched last year.

The second is a 10-week summer program working with staff from the town’s Community Development Department, Social Services office and nonprofit organizations to increase access to programs that address food insecurity and poverty, as well as outreach to low-income and aging populations, said Karen Winton of the town’s Social Services department.

AmeriCorps VISTA — which stands for Volunteers in Service to America — volunteers receive a stipend and a number of benefits for their work. Applicants must be 18 years-old; there is no upper age limit.

“It’s a good opportunity for them and for us,” said Police Chief Robert MacKenzie. He said AmeriCorps reached out to the police department because they wanted to engage in recovery efforts.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work down here,” the police chief said. “This position is a fantastic opportunity for someone to work directly with law enforcement and our community partners to address an issue that affects all of us either directly or indirectly,”

MacKenzie said he sees the VISTA volunteer working with law enforcement and with Rotary to help coordinate the recovery coach program and also to create an up-to-date list of substance abuse disorder services, where they are, what services they provide, and so on.

“There’s a lot of work that has to be done behind the scenes, and we don’t have the manpower,” said MacKenzie,. “(This) will be a valuable asset for us.”

Kennebunk’s Director of Community Development Chris Osterrieder, said the 10-week summer VISTA volunteer will help the town’s focus in minimizing poverty. He said the volunteer will work with Kennebunk Farmer’s Market on SNAP and EBT programs, and on other food insecurity initiatives.

“(The volunteer) will also be working with seniors and making sure we understand what their needs are,” Osterrieder said.

To learn more and view complete job descriptions for both opportunities, visit: www.kennebunkmaine.us/jobs.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.