Friday, January 8, 2016

2015 VISTA Year in Review!

Some of our favorite highlights from another year of AmeriCorps VISTA, building capacity of community-based service programs that benefit both campus and community partners.

VISTA program celebrates 50th Anniversary with help from NC Campus Compact VISTA Leaders Perdita Das and Catherine Casteel. They were key organizers of the state anniversary event: a sunny day of service and fellowship at Lifespan in Greensboro.

VLDR Perdita Das gives then-national director Paul Monteiro a piece of her mind! Actually, she was extremely polite and honest about the challenges VISTA Leaders and members face. A week after their conversation, VISTA changed rules regarding second employment. Coincidence?





NC Campus Compact VISTA alum Carolyn Byrne Rifkin returns to the Compact as VISTA program coordinator!


The Marian Cheek Jackson Center -- with the help of UNC, Self-Help Credit Union, and other partners -- realizes a plan to create a multi-million dollar landbank to preserve affordable housing in Northside.

The Hospitality House's Welcome Home Thriftique celebrates its 1-year anniversary.

Our 2014-15 VISTA cohort rolls up the numbers, as shown in the infographic (left), prepared by VLDR Catherine Casteel. But just imagine how much impact they made that's not accounted for in these tallies!




NC Campus Compact hosts a new, 2-day orientation program for new VISTA members, featuring some hands-on service, a presentation by NC Fund historian Robert Korstad, and relationship building!

The 2015-16 VISTAs get rolling and hit major milestones:

Since August, our newest NC Campus Compact VISTAs have managed 726 volunteers and have raised cash and in-kind donations valued at just over $80,000.

The work of the education-focused VISTAs served 694 students, 224 of whom have entered post-secondary education.

VISTAs serving in Healthy Futures projects reported 249 people experiencing increased food security and 2,653 people receiving support for hunger.

And 120 people received financial literacy education, 520 received job skills training and 43 people were placed in jobs in part because of the work of the Economic Opportunity VISTAs.