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New York Residents Urged to Fight Poverty by Joining AmeriCorps VISTA
As the holiday season brings thoughts of giving back, a new public service campaign was launched today to enlist New York residents to "fight poverty with passion" by joining VISTA, the AmeriCorps program that fights poverty.
The campaign draws attention to the 37 million Americans who live in poverty and to the changing face of poverty, which today is often hidden and found within working families. It encourages Americans to dedicate a year of their lives to fight poverty by joining VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). VISTA was founded in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty. Since then, more than 177,000 Americans have answered VISTA's call to devote a year of full-time service living and working in lowincome communities to help eradicate poverty.
Made part of AmeriCorps in 1993, VISTA provides 6,500 opportunities each year for individuals to create and expand programs that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster business and economic development, increase housing opportunities, and otherwise help low-income individuals and communities toward selfsufficiency.
VISTAs tackle poverty by improving the ability of organizations to alleviate poverty in their communities by raising funds, recruiting community volunteers, and designing sustainable programs that get to the heart of the problem. VISTAs serve with large national nonprofits - such as Habitat for Humanity, ACCION, One Economy, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America - as well as with very small community and faith-based organizations. In New York more than 240 VISTA members serve through 52 organizations.
VISTA members are helping alleviate poverty in a variety of ways including the development of fundraising campaigns to support agency programs; creating summer internship programs for low-income high school students; producing resource guides and promotional material to improve youth and families' access to service providers; nurturing collaborative projects that assist low-income neighborhood residents to address issues through increased civic engagement and leadership development; and the coordination of financial education/counseling programs and the recruitment of community volunteers to provide counseling and preparation of tax returns.
One example of how VISTA is addressing poverty in New York is the American Red Cross emergency preparedness project. This project is working to create new infrastructures within targeted low-income communities through the development of youth driven Red Cross Clubs that focus on increasing public awareness and empowering communities to be prepared for and be able to respond to local disasters.
In return for a year of service, VISTAs receive a variety of benefits, including a modest living allowance, health care, and relocation expenses. At the completion of their term of service, VISTAs also receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $4,725 to use toward college or to pay off qualified student loans, or VISTAs can choose to receive a stipend of $1,200. While VISTAs appreciate these benefits, most say the most attractive part of VISTA is the skills and leadership they gain and the deep sense of satisfaction they feel when they know they've made a difference.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. The mission of the Corporation is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement though volunteering and service. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov .
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