VISTA PROJECT NEWS

It's finally starting to look and feel like spring, which means it's time for us to start thinking about hiring our next VISTA team. We are very excited to welcome two new sites into the VISTA project- Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha and Racine Vocational Ministries in partnership with the Continuum of Care of Racine County. I encourage you to share all of the positions widely within your networks if you know anyone who may be interested:

City Development and Housing Coordinator
Financial Education VISTA
Housing Services Coordinator
Job Skills Training Specialist
Sustainable Food Systems Coordinator
University of Excellence Coordinator
VISTA Leader for the UW-Parkside Project

I hope you enjoy reading about the impact the VISTAs are having in our community. If you'd like to learn more about the program, don't hesitate to contact me. 

Sabrina Kliman
UW-Parkside AmeriCorps VISTA Leader

The nation's mayors are increasingly turning to national service as a cost-effective strategy to address city challenges. To spotlight the impact of national service and thank those who serve, mayors across the country participated in the second-annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service on April 1, 2014. 

Racine Mayor John Dickert recognized all seven VISTA members, as well as other community volunteers, for their commitment to service in the City of Racine. The Center for Community Partnerships along with the Volunteer Center of Racine sponsored the event where VISTA members spoke briefly about how their service has impacted them so far. 

The VITA Program provides no-cost tax return preparation for households that make less that $49,000 a year. VISTA member Brian Dean recruited 24 volunteers who were able to serve 517 households and bring over $1,000,000 back to the Racine County economy. 

Hear from Amy Macemon about why she chose to VISTA to help bridge the gap between college and real world experience. Watch the video!

Look forward to more videos featuring other VISTA members soon!