Welcome to the VISTA Strong Communities Program!
The Coalition’s VISTA Strong Communities is a capacity-building partnership between The Coalition and the AmeriCorps VISTA national service program. The Coalition identifies organizational members with high capacity building needs and then recruits VISTA members to volunteer full-time at these organizations. VISTA members work to make their host organizations’ programs sustainable, ensuring that benefits continue after they leave the program. VISTAs commit to a full year of service with an end goal of finding long-term solution to poverty.
VISTA Members mobilize local resources, build organizational capacity and empower communities in development. What this looks like varies by organization; some nonprofits need internal support, while others want to start a new outreach program. If you have a project that you’ve been hoping to turn into a reality, but haven’t had a dedicated person able to take it on for a prolonged period of time, a VISTA might be the perfect solution.
VISTA Members come from all different backgrounds, from recent graduates looking to gain meaningful work experience to recent retirees hoping to give back to their communities. Approximately 70% of VISTAs serve in their local communities. VISTAs have a variety of different skills and levels of experience which organizations can put to use to make a difference.