VISTA Host Site (Sub-Site) Application INTRODUCTION Project Description The Keep America Beautiful AmeriCorps VISTA Project will place VISTAs in low-income communities to create or strengthen programs that increase food security such as creation and maintenance of community gardens, provide job training and develop the local economy. When appropriate, VISTAs may also address long-term recovery from disasters. A total of eight VISTAs will serve in Keep America Beautiful affiliate communities. Specifically, VISTAs will: 1) develop community gardens in neighborhoods without access to healthy, affordable food; 2) support community coalitions in bringing new jobs and job training to neighborhoods with high rates of unemployment; and 3) research and implement efforts in communities affected by disaster to improve resilience in order to provide a firmer foundation for future economic improvement and decreased poverty. VISTA members specific service activities may vary by site and will depend on specific projects proposed by each selected host site. VISTA activities may include community outreach, increasing community engagement and awareness, assessing community needs, recruiting and training volunteers, expanding networks and strengthening existing partnerships, identifying and securing financial resources, and developing materials such as training manuals and curricula. Keep America Beautiful is seeking affiliates interested in serving as host sites for VISTAs to assist in the areas outlined above. A preliminary selection of host sites will be made from organizations submitting this application. Successful applicants will then be asked to submit additional information prior to final approval. Overview of AmeriCorps VISTA Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is a federal anti poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of national service programs, housed at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). AmeriCorps VISTA supports efforts to alleviate poverty by providing opportunities for Americans 18 years and older from a diverse range of backgrounds to dedicate a year of full-time service with a sponsoring organization (Keep America Beautiful is a sponsoring organization) to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty.
While strong progress has been made in lifting Americans out of poverty since the inception of VISTA, recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau identifies nearly 41 million people still living below the poverty line in the U.S. In FY 2018 AmeriCorps VISTA plans to support approximately 7,500 full-time VISTA members who will serve with approximately 800 sponsors. They will leverage human, financial and material resources to develop sustainable solutions to problems in low-income communities across the country. VISTA led programs generally last three years. Usually projects are continued by a different VISTA member each year. VISTA Core Principles 1. Anti-poverty focus each VISTA project should focus on empowering individuals to emerge out of poverty, not simply make poverty more tolerable. 2. Community Empowerment must engage people of the communities to be served by the project in planning, developing implementing and evaluating the project. 3. Sustainable Solutions Projects should be designed with a goal to phase out the need for VISTAs within three years and have the project continue without them. 4. Capacity-building VISTAs must perform in-direct service such as building infrastructure, leveraging existing resources, expanding community partnerships.
Keep America Beautiful AmeriCorps VISTA Application Affiliate Name: Affiliate Contact Name: Affiliate Mailing Address: City State Zip+4 Phone/Email: Employer Identification Number (EIN): Statement of Need provide an overview of the community need that the VISTA members will address. How will they address those specific community needs. Description of Project(s) describe project(s)/program(s) VISTA members would work on or create for your affiliate and how the low-income community can have input into the project plan and implementation. Project Management Describe the plan for daily supervision of the VISTA member and ongoing support between the Supervisor and the VISTA.. Goals and Objectives what are the specific goals and objectives of the project(s)/program(s)? Community Impact - What is the community impact of the project(s)/program(s) the VISTA member will work on?
Timeline Provide a detailed timeline for project(s)/program(s) for the first year. Recruitment Host sites are required to conduct local recruitment for the AmeriCorps VISTA position at their site. All host sites must post the position, screen, interview candidates and submit the locally recruited candidates to KAB if identified. KAB will also interview the candidate, check references and submit the candidate for final approval by the CNCS. Host site opportunities will also be posted to MyAmericorps which may draw some national recruits. A webinar on recruitment will be offered for all approved host sites. Supervision Applicants must designate a person who will serve as the primary host site supervisor. This person must have the capacity to provide day-to-day supervision of the proposed VISTA. This should be a full-time employee of the host organization. VISTA members are required to submit and be responsible for ongoing paperwork and meeting obligations (i.e., time sheets, monthly reports, expense reports, calls with VISTA counterparts and their VISTA leader Who will supervise the VISTA member? How will you provide an on-site orientation for the VISTA, as well as ongoing training and professional development. (Professional development and/or training should not exceed one day per month) Will the Supervisor physically be at the same location as the VISTA member? Can they ensure your VISTA member is able to prioritize the above mentioned tasks? Equipment Access which of the following will a VISTA member have access to within your site location? Copy machine
Laptop computer Desktop computer Telephone Internet access Other Applications are due no later than Friday, June 29, 2018 and should be sent to: Becky Lyons at blyons@kab.org.