AmeriCorps: State vs. VISTA
AmeriCorps State works with Governor-appointed State Service Commissions to provide grants to non-government and government entities that sponsor service programs. These organizations use their grants to engage AmeriCorps members in service to help meet critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment.
AmeriCorps State programs engage AmeriCorps members in providing direct service to address unmet community needs. Local programs design service activities for a team of members serving full- or part-time for up to one year. Sample activities include tutoring and mentoring youth, assisting crime victims, building homes, and restoring parks. Members also help to recruit community volunteers to expand the reach and effectiveness of the organization where they serve.
The organizations that receive grants are responsible for recruiting, selecting, and supervising AmeriCorps members to serve in their programs.
If the focus of the program is ‘service’, then the program (or volunteer) qualifies. I’m not sure what the program focuses on, I’ll need some input as to your goals.
VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA members live and serve in some of our nation’s poorest urban and rural areas. With passion, commitment, and hard work, they create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty.
Each VISTA member makes a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. In return for their service, AmeriCorps VISTA members receive a modest living allowance and health benefits during their service, and have the option of receiving a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or post-service stipend after completing their service. About 6,500 VISTAs are placed each year in more than 1,200 projects in low-income communities around the country.
VISTA can:
* Create an adult literacy awareness campaign and recruit volunteer tutors.
* Set up transitional housing dedicated to helping the homeless turn their lives around.
* Expand programs to help low-income families obtain affordable health insurance.
* Recruit mentors for children of incarcerated parents.
* Organize shelter and job opportunities for victims of disasters
The first option, adult literacy, looks the best for the GED program. The second might work for the homeless youth ….
Project sponsors must be able to direct the project, supervise the AmeriCorps VISTAs, and provide necessary administrative support to complete the goals and objectives of the project. The goals and objectives must be clearly defined and directed toward alleviating problems of low-income communities, and meet the regulations of the AmeriCorps VISTA program.
One consistent goal for every AmeriCorps VISTA project should be the sustainability of the project by the sponsoring agency and the low-income community after AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsorship ends.
VISTA looks like a good fit to me. The first step is to contact Terry Gunnell (below) with particulars.
Arizona State Contact:
Terry Gunnell
230 North First Avenue, Suite 200
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: (602) 514-7171
Fax: (602) 379-4030
Email: az@cns.gov
Go here to read criteria for applying for a VISTA Volunteer … (five pages):
http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/fed_reg_VISTA.pdf
Both LasArtes GED and the youth homeless solution meet the aims outlined in the five pages of criteria:
Each AmeriCorps*VISTA project must focus
on the mobilization of community
resources, the transference of skills to
community residents, and the
expansion of the capacity of
community-based and grassroots
organizations to solve local problems.
Programming should encourage
permanent, long-term solutions to
problems confronting low-income
communities rather than short-term
approaches for handling emergency
needs.
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