AmeriCorps VISTA

UServeUtah's AmeriCorps VISTA program focuses on alleviating poverty by building the capacity of organizations working in underserved areas of Utah and increasing economic opportunity for Utahns in impoverished communities. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program work full-time with a host organization to engage communities and leverage resources to increase their impact and improve lives. UServeUtah serves as an intermediary, connecting organizations and AmeriCorps members, and ensures that the member’s service to the host organization is sustainable and beneficial in the long term.

Become a VISTA Host Site

AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program mobilize local resources, build organizational capacity and empower communities in development. What this looks like varies by organization but could include fundraising, network building, research, volunteer recruitment, curriculum development, etc. If you have a project you are looking to get off the ground or to build but don’t have the staffing resources, hosting an AmeriCorps member might be a perfect solution.

Learn more about becoming a VISTA Host Site

Serve as an AmeriCorps Member

AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program come from all different backgrounds, from recent graduates looking to gain real-world work experience to recent retirees hoping to give back to their communities. Serving in the VISTA program is an opportunity to have a meaningful, lasting impact on an organization and the community served. It is a productive and fulfilling way to use skills and build skills, and prepare you for a life of service in the public, private, or non-profit sector

Learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA service opportunities

AmeriCorps VISTA Core Principles

End Poverty

AmeriCorps VISTA helps individuals and communities move out of poverty, rather than making poverty more tolerable through short-term services.

Empower Communities

AmeriCorps VISTA engages residents of low-income communities in the planning, development, and implementation of projects.

Build Capacity

AmeriCorps members serving in the VISTA program strengthen, expand, and increase the reach of organizations working to eliminate poverty by working on projects with staff and volunteers rather than directly with people in need.

Create Sustainable Solutions

AmeriCorps members build capacity for organizations to address poverty long after their term of service is completed. Members transfer developed systems, relationships, and knowledge to their site organization and the community to sustain over the long-term.

About the AmeriCorps VISTA Program

Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program are full-time volunteers who commit to a year of service combating poverty by partnering with local government agencies, nonprofits, and educational institutions. Specifically, they work to expand the capacity of the institution where they serve, creating impactful solutions that endure after their term of service ends. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program are distinct from employees in that the federal government pays them a stipend, and unlike interns, they volunteer full-time for a whole year. Instead of doing direct service, AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program set up systems and projects that empower the whole community. For example, instead of handing out food at a food bank, a member might develop a system for cataloging food by expiration date to reduce waste. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program work to make sustainable change and are united in a mission to lift people and communities out of poverty.

Learn more about AmeriCorps: americorps.gov/about/what-we-do