What is the Corporation for National Service?
The Corporation for National Service was established in 1993 as an independent agency of the Federal Government. It was given the task of streamlining several existing federal agencies supporting volunteer and community service programs. The Corporation's mission is to establish and support programs in an effort to engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community-based service. This service will address the nation's education, human, public safety, and environmental needs to achieve direct and demonstrable results. The Corporation accomplishes this mission through its various program structures, which include the provision of both full and part-time members, the award of grants to establish or expand volunteer programs, and technical assistance to begin or operate programs.
What is the VISTA program?
VISTA is a significant part of the AmeriCorps family of national service programs that started in 1964. It provides full-time members to organizations that have goals in agreement with the VISTA mission. VISTA's mission is to strengthen and supplement efforts to eliminate and alleviate poverty and poverty related problems. The VISTA Volunteer's role in the poverty problem solving process is focused toward mobilizing community resources, transferring skills to community residents, and increasing the capacity of the target community to solve its own problems. In addition, the objective of VISTA is to generate the commitment of private sector resources, to encourage volunteer service at the local level, and to strengthen local agencies and organizations addressing poverty-related problems and the needs of low income communities.
What has VISTA achieved in other communities just like yours?
- In 1996, AmeriCorps*VISTAs helped their sponsoring agencies generate an additional $32,000,000 in cash funding. The average amount per project was nearly $50,000.
- In-kind support generated by AC*VISTAs was valued by their project supervisors at more than $37 million.
- AC*VISTAs recruited nearly 114,000 community volunteers, who provided 3.2 million hours of service to their communities. The estimated dollar value of this service ranges from $15.4 million (based on minimum wage @ $4.75) to $42.8 million (based on Independent Sector's estimate of hourly wage for members @ $13.24).
Who can sponsor a VISTA project?
Any private non-profit agency or public agency with a program idea that is poverty related in scope can apply for VISTA resources. These members can then be used to address the identified problem. Potential sponsors must have the capacity and commitment to recruit, train, supervise, and otherwise support VISTA members.
What can a VISTA Member do for your agency?
A VISTA member can allow you to implement those dreams you never have time to try. A VISTA member can be one of the resources that helps to address a new program area related to your mission. A full-time VISTA member can establish or develop the missing link in meeting identified community needs.
The role of VISTA members on a project must emphasize the mobilization of local human, financial and material resources; the transference of skills to community residents; and the expansion of the capacity of the low-income community to solve its own problems.
What is a VISTA Member Project?
A VISTA project provides a long-term impact on alleviating the problems of poverty by using community private sector and volunteer resources to the fullest. Each VISTA project must focus on the mobilization of community resources and on the eventual absorption of the VISTA members' activities by other resources in the community.
VISTA programs:
- alleviate poverty and poverty-related problems
- develop, establish, or mobilize resources and/or services
- utilize full-time volunteer positions (12 months)
- are short term in duration (1 to 3 years)
- are community owned
- build capacity in organizations
- establish sustainability
What is not a VISTA Project?
VISTA assignments should not be aimed at the delivery of individual service to a few clients, for example, tutors, truck drivers, counselors, or caseworkers. Such activities are performed more appropriately by agency staff or by part-time community members. A VISTA cannot perform a direct service where the end goal is to provide that service. VISTA members cannot be used to provide or supplement general clerical support to agency staff.
What are the terms of service for a VISTA Member?
VISTA Members pledge themselves to serve on a full-time basis for a term of at least one year, and it is expected that this pledge will be honored. In certain circumstances, Members may be invited to serve for a longer period.
During their term of service Members generally live among and at the economic level of the people they serve. They remain available for service without regard to regular working hours during their term of service. An additional full-time or part-time job is not permitted during VISTA service. Full-time or part-time enrollment in an educational institution is also prohibited.
What are the eligibility criteria to be a VISTA member?
To be eligible to apply for VISTA, one must be at least 18 years of age, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the US, and be in relatively good health. Persons who are handicapped are not disqualified from service.
How are VISTA members recruited?
The VISTA project sponsor is primarily responsible for the recruitment of people to fill the approved volunteer slots. There is limited assistance available from The Corporation for National Service.
In conducting local recruitment drives, sponsors should use a wide variety of techniques to identify the best qualified individuals. VISTA project sponsors should submit to the The Corporation only those applicants that they regard as well qualified and suitable for VISTA service.
Who are VISTA members now?
Many members serve locally and about one-half of them are low income themselves. There are about 25% of the member who are age 55 or older. All the members bring a sense of commitment and willingness to help others to their assignment.
What are the benefits for a VISTA member?
Members receive a monthly subsistence allowance. Allowances vary based on geographical location of the assignment. Members that complete a full year of service are eligible to receive an education award of $4,725 paid directly to a educational institution of the members choice, or used to pay for an existing school loan. Members who choose not to receive the educational award receive two weeks personal leave and two weeks sick leave. They are covered by a health benefits plan at no cost to them. In addition, they are considered Federal employees for coverage under the Federal Torts Claim Act and Federal Employee's Compensation Act. The income they receive during their volunteer service is excluded from benefit calculation under Federal, State, and Local Assistance Programs. Members who have completed one full-year of service receive non-competitive eligibility in the Federal Civil Service. They also receive skills training during their year of service.
What are the responsibilities of a VISTA project sponsor?
A VISTA project sponsor is responsible for the following:
- attending Corporation-sponsored training events
- recruiting members locally
- selecting and recommending all members
- providing on-site orientation
- providing service-specific training
- providing supervision support to the members
- providing on-assignment transportation support
- providing necessary materials to accomplish the programmatic tasks (office supplies, telephone, space, etc.)
- providing assurance that the program activities become self-sufficient at the end of the VISTA project period
- providing a VISTA Project Advisory Group
- completing required quarterly reports
- evaluating the member's performance
What training is available for VISTA Members and Sponsors?
There are five types of training available: Pre-Service Orientation (PSO), On-Site Orientation (OSO), Early Service Training for members (EST), Training for new Supervisors, and In-Service Training.
Pre-Service Orientation is scheduled almost quarterly. All new members must attend PSO before final placement. New supervisors should participate in new supervisor training. PSO topics include: mission of VISTA; legal and administrative guidelines relating to VISTA members and sponsors; terms and conditions and benefits of VISTA service; and roles of VISTA members.
Sponsors should begin OSO immediately after members report to the project site. This OSO covers a general introduction to the sponsoring agency; volunteer reporting requirements; supervisory and support structure for the members; and other similar subjects.
Early Service Training for members is required within the first 90-120 days of member service. It focuses on skill requirements needed to perform individual assignments, private sector resource mobilization, techniques in recruiting community members, and career development. There is usually a Corporation-sponsored statewide EST in the summer.
Career Development is a joint effort between the supervisor and the VISTA member. There is technical assistance material available from the Corporation State Office to help with Career Development Planning.
In-Service Training is provided by Commerce once each year for serving VISTA Members. Topics include grant writing, strategic planning, and leadership.
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