City of Charleston Selected as Project Sponsor for Local Americorps*Vista Project
May 19, 2011
CHARLESTON, SC – May 19, 2011 – The Corporation for National and Community Service has approved the City of Charleston as Project Sponsor for the Charleston AmeriCorps*VISTA program for the 2011- 2012 year. VISTA has been in the front lines in the fight against poverty for the past 45 years. VISTA supports efforts to alleviate poverty by encouraging individuals from all walks of life to engage in a year of full-time service with a sponsoring organization to create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. The key principles of VISTA are: anti-poverty focus, capacity building, sustainable solutions and community empowerment.
The name of the local VISTA project is The Charleston Area Service Collaborative with Education and Veterans as the focus areas. The vision is to positively impact the education and lives of children and families living in poverty and enhance the level of support services for veterans and their families. The program categories are youth leadership, extended day, literacy/academic achievement, volunteer management, service learning, health literacy, and parent supports, coordination/continuum of care, collaborative partnerships, and health and wellness.
The City of Charleston will be managing the AmeriCorps*VISTA program in Charleston County and will receive eleven AmeriCorps VISITA positions and one AmeriCorps VISTA Leader position. The VISTA program supports locally driven solutions to fighting poverty. The City of Charleston will be responsible for the management of the local project; assisting project sites in developing appropriate member assignments, and providing guidance, training and technical assistance to the project sites.
The AmeriCorps VISTA project sites are: Be A Mentor, Charleston County Public Library System, City of Charleston Mayor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families, City of North Charleston Mayor’s Office for Education, Youth and Family, College of Charleston Honor’s College, Family Services, Inc., Goodwill Industries of Lower SC, Metanoia Community Development Corporation, MUSC Junior Doctors of Health, and Palmetto Project.
Individuals interested in more information on the program can contact Mindy Sturm, Project Supervisor, 965-4190, [email protected]
AmeriCorps*VISTA is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the purpose of the program is to fight poverty by building the capacity of organizations and agencies in the community.
