We are excited to announce our 2015-16 North Carolina Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA host sites and placements! We are wrapping up recruitment of VISTAs for the new cohort, so please stay tuned to meet our new members in August.
Community Empowerment Fund (CEF)
Partner: UNC Chapel Hill
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity
The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) cultivates
opportunities, assets, and communities that support the alleviation of
homelessness and poverty. CEF is a student-led nonprofit organization based at
UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University. CEF’s structure is based on the
realization of a dual mission: empowering members to sustain transitions out of
homelessness and developing student leadership. At CEF the VISTA will help
address the need for 1) relationship- based support that leads to greater
economic opportunity for individuals experiencing or at-risk of experiencing
homelessness; 2) access to financial services for low-income households, and;
3) a broader, more tightly-woven social safety net for poor households in North
Carolina. The goal of this project is to increase the capacity and
effectiveness of CEF’s Advocate Program.
Duke University, Community Service Center
Partner: Durham County Library
Focus Area: Education
Focus Area: Education
The Duke Community Service Center (CSC) serves as a
clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities available to Duke students and
employees. The VISTA will help the Duke Community Service Center (CSC) further deepen
relationships with partner schools and community agencies through a new program
- Partners in Print (Print Pals). Print Pals is a family literacy program aimed
at Latino parents and children here in Durham area. The program will provide a
supportive environment where parents can discover how to help their children
learn to read. Print Pal mentors will conduct evening workshops with parents
and children, grades Kindergarten-2nd.
The VISTA will also coordinate Print Pals sessions and volunteers, as well
as complementary CSC events and programs that align with the Partners in Print
Program, including National Make a Difference Day, Dive Into Durham alternative
spring break, and Dr. Seuss Day.
East Carolina University, Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC)
Two VISTA members will be hosted by East Carolina
University’s Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC). In addition to the
campus and community-based work below, these members will support campus and
community-wide day of service events, including MLK Day of Service.
Partner: West Greenville community agencies
Focus Area: Education
The VISTA will be hosted by the Volunteer and
Service-Learning Center (VSLC). This VISTA project will capitalize on the
strengths of East Carolina University (most notably its strong mission-based
emphasis on service and community engagement) and the west Greenville
community, specifically Third Street Community Center and Lucille W. Gorham
Inter-Generational Community Center (IGCC). The VISTA will build the capacity
for both TSCC and IGCC to address community needs related to education and
youth development for K-8 low-income youth and families, provide services to
local community members, and strengthen the west Greenville community
partnerships and community as a whole.
Partner: Greenville Harvest
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
The VISTA will be hosted by the Department of Nutrition
Science. VISTA will work to build relationships and help support reciprocal
benefits among the Greenville community, specifically through Greenville Harvest
partners, a local network of community gardens and affiliated agencies. The
VISTA will support collaboration and partnership development among network
partners, including the university. The VISTA will plan and deploy consistent
multi-generational community engagement activities centered on healthy
lifestyles and healthy communities.
Feast Down East
Partner: UNC Wilmington, Public Sociology Department
Feast Down East
Partner: UNC Wilmington, Public Sociology Department
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
Feast Down East (FDE) is a university affiliated non-profit
with a mission to join institutions, community-based agencies, farmers, and
businesses to support, coordinate and expand the production, processing,
distribution, and consumption of local foods. The VISTA placement supports
FDE’s Food Sovereignty Program, which brings fresh, local produce via weekly
fresh markets and produce boxes to four Wilmington Housing Authority
neighborhoods. In addition to bringing fresh produce to these identified food
deserts, the Food Sovereignty program engages resident leaders and UNCW
volunteers in the operation and promotion of the markets, supports
nutrition/garden programs for both adults and children. The VISTA will continue
to oversee and improve the markets, train resident leaders and volunteers, and
work with partner organizations including the WHA to plan for sustainability.
High Point University, Service Learning Program
High Point University, Service Learning Program
Three VISTAs will be hosted by High Point University’s Service
Learning Program, which is home to the Bonner Leaders Program. In addition to
their community-based work described below, the VISTAs will help develop
trainings and supports for Bonner students who also serve with local agencies.
The VISTA will also help energize campus and community members to participate
in the MLK Day of Service.
Partner: West End Ministries
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
This VISTA’s work will take place on campus and in the community with West End Ministries (WEM), a non-profit agency that provides services such as emergency assistance and adult life skill classes. The VISTA will improve WEM's volunteer coordination and training systems to support the agency's emergency assistance program. The VISTA will also help make healthy food more available to WEM clients by developing a community garden with local stakeholders.
Partner: Washington St. Project
Focus Area(s): Healthy Futures, Education
Two VISTA members will work with the Washington St. Project, emphasizing local food security and youth development. One VISTA will create and execute a neighborhood food plan, including a needs analysis and asset mapping to increase resident access to healthy foods through community gardening and a fresh market. The second VISTA will work to grow local afterschool enrichment programs, including a community writing center, and to increase other educational programs for residents.
Hospitality House of Boone
Partner: Appalachian State University, ACT Office
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity
Focus Area: Economic Opportunity
Hospitality House of Boone serves people at-risk of or
experiencing homelessness in Watauga County. The goal of the VISTA project is to
strengthen the Welcome Home Thriftique store, which provides an earned income
funding source for Hospitality House, acts as a resource for services to meet
client needs and serves as a job skills training site for residents and
outreach clients. The VISTA will lead all aspects of Thriftique operation,
including volunteer management, and will continue development of a job skills
training program. To carry out these activities, the VISTA will also
collaborate with the Appalachian State University ACT Office.
Marian Cheek Jackson Center
Partner: UNC-Chapel Hill, Communications Studies
Focus Areas: Economic Opportunity, Education
Focus Areas: Economic Opportunity, Education
The Jackson Center is a community-based advocacy
organization serving historically African-American and low-income neighborhoods
in Chapel Hill through public history, civic media, and community action. The
center will host two VISTAs to support its work. The Community Organizing and
Advocacy VISTA will support the development of Jackson Center programs that
serve the housing and economic needs of local low-income residents. Key
activities include the maintenance and expansion of service partnerships with
university units (including the Communications Studies department), enhancement
of community programs to serve housing needs, volunteer recruitment and
coordination, database maintenance, and the development of new neighborhood
advocacy networks to pair long-term residents with students and community
advocates. The Education VISTA will strengthen ongoing partnerships with 6 area
schools to implement “Learning Here and Now Across Generations” -- a curriculum
aligned with NC course of study standards to focus on civil rights, oral
history, and cross-generational education-- designed to engage and support
learning of at-risk students. The VISTA will connect with university experts
and develop a cadre of resident educators.
NC State University, Raleigh College Center (RCC)
Partner: NCSU, TRIO Program
Focus Area: Education
Focus Area: Education
At NC State, the VISTA will be hosted by the TRIO Program,
which is in the division of Academic Programs and Services, the lead office in
the Raleigh Colleges and Community Collaborative (RCCC). The VISTA will work to
support the continued development of the Raleigh College Center project, an
effort to deliver post-secondary programs and resources at the community level.
The VISTA will coordinate services and programs at the existing College Center
site and seek to expand the model to other partner agencies. The VISTA will
continue to catalog assets at RCCC partner campuses, conduct outreach and
track participants, engage volunteers, and coordinate programs, with a view
toward transitioning coordination of the center to other partners.
UNC-Greensboro, Degrees Matter!
Partner: Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
Focus Area: Education
Focus Area: Education
Degrees Matter! is a collaborative initiative working to
find and assist the more than 67,000 residents of Guilford County who have some
college but have yet to complete a degree or certification. Degrees Matter! is
leading the effort to reach the community-wide goal of adding, by 2025, 40,000
new degree holders in the county. The VISTA placement will focus on outreach
and partnership development by increasing connections to key constituencies and
organizations, including childcare and early education providers, faith-based
groups, and agencies providing services to low-income individuals. The VISTA
will also develop outreach materials and volunteer training materials to better
prepare partner organizations to address access to/completion of post-secondary
education with clients. Finally, the VISTA will conduct community presentations
and events, including supporting a statewide event focusing on the completion
issue and best practices in supporting “comebackers.”
UNC-Greensboro, Office of Leadership and Service-Learning
Partner: Backpack Beginnings
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
At UNC-Greensboro, the VISTA member will be hosted by the
Office and Leadership and Service-Learning, which serves as a catalyst for the
development of experiential curricular and co-curricular leadership and service-learning
initiatives. The VISTA will focus on food insecurity and access to healthy food
in Guilford County by supporting a developing partnership with Backpack
Beginnings, by supporting an emerging on-campus Food Security Network, and by
increasing awareness of food security issues on campus and in the community.
Wake Forest
University, Pro Humanitate Institute
Partner: Shalom Project
Focus Areas: Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures
Focus Areas: Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures
Two VISTAs will be hosted by the Pro Humanitate Institute. The Food Access VISTA member will create a
strategic plan for nutritional education, write nutrition education materials
for community partners, and connect with local programs serving women and
children. This VISTA will also support expansion of the Campus Kitchen project,
including the addition of new meal delivery sites and an evaluation tool for
use by community partner sites. The Economic Empowerment VISTA will map
existing programs and conduct a needs assessment of economic empowerment
programs in Winston-Salem; recruit and train skilled volunteers for work in
financial literacy and employment preparation; build capacity within CIRCLES NC
by identifying and connecting the organization with new partners; and enhance
economic empowerment programs through grant writing.
Western Carolina
University
Partner: The Community Table
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
Focus Area: Healthy Futures
The goal for this VISTA project is to strengthen relationships
between Western Carolina University, the Community Table, the Appalachian
Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP) and the Local Food and Farm to School
Education Program; to build capacity at the Community Table and ASAP/LFFSEP,
and to raise awareness about food insecurity in Western NC. The project aims to
provide the Community Table and ASAP/LFFSEP with the food resources necessary
to meet their customers’ needs, to train and manage volunteers, and to enhance
publicity and outreach efforts. The project is also intended to increase
awareness of food insecurity issues on campus and in the wider community.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
