Try This project idea:
Hire an AmeriCorps VISTA for as little as $3,000!
Need help for a good project that helps fight poverty in your community? AmeriCorps VISTA, or Volunteers in Service to America program may be your answer. As of March 2013, there are 1,042 West Virginia VISTA participants in 35 programs! If your project helps impoverished West Virginians, the WV Commission for National and Community Service may be able to help you.
What can a VISTA do? Current WV VISTAs write grants, recruit and train volunteers, and organize, design or coordinate programs, such as
· Tutoring and mentoring children
· Providing children with nutritious meals throughout summer months
· Addressing homelessness and poverty within the veteran community
· Helping to preserve forests and historic towns
· Recruiting and managing volunteers
· Increasing access to fresh produce, healthy cooking classes, and exercise for low-income communities and families
· Organizing projects that expand the community’s supply of fresh, affordable food
VISTA members typically do not provide direct services, (like tutoring kids or building houses) and cannot take part in partisan political activities. In your project proposal, spell out the way your VISTA would build the capacity of your organization to fight poverty in the community.
What will a VISTA cost? The minimum cost is $3,000. See below.
How long does a VISTA worker stay? One year at a time.
Who are they? They range from recent college graduates looking for résumé-building experiences to retired folks looking for a new way to give back.
Do I get to choose? Yes. You can advertise your position and interview candidates.
How do I get one? There are many ways to hire a VISTA. The easiest and most affordable:Partner with a VISTA-sponsoring organization, a VISTA “hub,” approved by the WV state office. VISTA hubs each have approved VISTA slots. A list of VISTA hubs can be found on the Volunteer West Virginia Web site. The National Service website list of WV AmeriCorps programs may give you good leads.
Talk with the hub staff about what you need. Find out if they have an open position. Once you partner with a hub, you’re ready to advertise, if you have at least $3,000. (If you decide to become a VISTA hub on your own, you must front more of the cost).
What does your $3,000 cover? The state office will put in money to cover the VISTA living allowance, (a modest stipend to last through the year). Your $3,000 will help pay overhead/administrative costs, training, expense/mileage reimbursement, program supplies, etc.
· If you can get more funds to go towards your VISTA, for instance $5,000 – 7,000, you may have a better experience because you have more room to say “yes!” to training opportunities, projects, events and other ventures.
· By AmeriCorps policy, if an organization has a demonstrated community need that fits the bill, they cannot be denied a VISTA simply because they cannot afford the minimum amount of cost share. (They’ll work with you if your project proposal is solid).
· To lower your costs, you can agree to share a VISTA with another organization. You’d collaborate on community projects while sharing the overhead costs.
You’ve got the cash! Now you need the person!
Recruitment is often the most challenging step. Here’s some pro advice!
· Your top choice should be someone local with the passion & skills-sets you need. They’ll be n the community after their term is up, and will likely be a future ally and volunteer.
· Use sites like Volunteer West Virginia, indeed.com, and idealist.org to advertise . Also advertise the old fashioned way: put flyers on community boards around town, use social media (where young folk are likely to see it), and e-blast the announcement.
· Don’t get discouraged if it takes awhile to find the right person. Allow up to 6 months from your starting poin to their first day. Deadlines for submitting your proposal then getting your hire to “pre-service orientation” training might present challenges. Be patient.
Other tips from people who have done it:
· Talk with the West Virginia State Program Director (see below) about what you want a VISTA to make sure it falls within their updated guidelines. You may need to tweak your project to meet their guidelines.
· When you write your proposal, or “VISTA Concept Paper” tell:
- What community problem you’re addressing
- What all your VISTA will work on to improve that problem.
- What specific quantitative outcomes you expect
- How research & stats support your proposal. (For example: “75% of our community suffers from obesity-related chronic diseases.”)
- How this person’s service will strengthen your organization’s ability to fight poverty at a grassroots level after this person is gone. (*Make sure to use the word “sustainability”!)
You’ll hear back from the state office within a couple of months. They’ll invite you to apply, or, (*most likely), ask you to clarify some things before you move forward.
Supervising a VISTA is a lot of work! It can feel like having an employee with an additional set of guidelines and expectations. Be ready for a learning curve with AmeriCorps.
Most important: Remember that this is a human being making below minimum wage. Show them appreciation and support them. A supportive supervisor can makes all the difference in the world. Treat this year as an opportunity to get them a ton of experience & new skills so that they’re ready and eager for their next job, not burnt out and cynical. As Laura Dice, VISTA supervisor at KEYS 4HealthyKids, says: “It’s a way to effect systems change.”
During one year of service, a VISTA volunteer is eligible for:
· An education award of around $5,000 that can go towards student loans, grad school, etc.
· A very modest (but workable) living stipend
· Training opportunities to build teamwork, communication, responsibility, grant-writing skills, volunteer recruitment skills, and more
· Limited health insurance (and childcare assistance in some circumstances)
· Public assistance, like Medicaid & food stamps.
For more information:
· WV State Profile & Programs: http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/upload/state_profiles/pdf_2013/WV%20AmeriCorps.pdf
· Corporation for National Community Service’s definition of a VISTA:
http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-vista/what-vista-members-do
· Segal AmeriCorps Education Award details: http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/segal-americorps-education-award/amount-eligibility-and-limitations-education
· VISTA Concept Paper Instructions: http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/ac_vista_concept.pdf
Our sources:
· Dana Dejarnett, Health Promotion Specialist Berkeley Medical Center: 304-264-1287, ext 31814
· Laura Dice, Project Coordinator at KEYS 4HealthyKids: 304-388-7145;
· Marta Pate, VISTA supervisor at Step By Step, Inc.: 304-546-6377;
· Southall, WV AmeriCorps State Program Director : 304-347-246, ;