Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada's AmeriCorps VISTA Program

Fight Poverty with Passion

Your world. Your chance to make it better.

Meet our AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates
The Volunteer Center would like to welcome our two new Summer Associate AmeriCorps VISTA members! Meghan McGaugh and Josh Pampreen will be serving at the Volunteer Center from June 2 – August 10, 2010 helping develop a youth volunteer program.

Josh Pampreen
Joshua Pampreen hails from the city of Detroit in the great state of Michigan.  He is currently finishing a degree in Psychology at Wayne State University and holds two other bachelors degrees in Mathematics and Communications.  His volunteer experience began at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, MI in 2004 and has taken him as far away as the country of Mali in West Africa in 2006.  He is very excited to be working with the United Way here in Las Vegas and looks forward to an exciting summer.

Meghan McGaugh
Meghan McGaugh graduated from Michigan State University in May of 2009 with a B.A. in Communication and a specialization in Public Relations. After completing a Public Relations Internship at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan, she moved to Nevada to pursue her career. She then worked as the Special Events Coordinator for the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association. Her time at the Make-A-Wish Foundation inspired her to do more work in the non-profit sector, and she looks forward to spending the summer as a VISTA with the Volunteer Center.   

Welcome 2009-2010 AmeriCorps VISTA Members

Front Row (from left to right): Viviana Vallin, Natalie Minev, Jennifer Livingston, Pamela Brearey

Back Row (from left to right): Dana Smith, Paul Lauber, Rebekah Hamby, Donielle Woods,
Meagan HoChing, Ruthie Howard

Pamela Brearey - United Way of Southern Nevada, EIKISI Program
Rebekah Hamby - American Red Cross, Southern Nevada Chapter
Meagan HoChing - HELP of Southern Nevada
Ruthie Howard - Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada
Paul Lauber - United Way of Southern Nevada, EIKISI Program
Jennifer Livingston (VISTA Leader) - Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada
Natalie Minev - Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada
Dana Smith - Three Square Food Bank
Viviana Vallin - Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas
Donielle Woods - United Labor Agency of Nevada

For more information on the AmeriCorps VISTA members click here.
For more information on the host sites where the AmeriCorps VISTA members are serving click here.

Calendar of Events

Thursday, July 29 - Team Meeting/Service Project
Friday, August 6 - End of Service Celebration
Thursday, August 26 - Team Meeting

VISTA Spotlight July 2010 - Viviana Vallin

Name:  Viviana Vallin

Host Site : Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas

Hometown:  Las Vegas, NV

What is your favorite thing about your AmeriCorps position? :  I enjoy working with all of the wonderful staff and volunteers from BGCLV that are committed to changing and saving youth lives every day. Most of all, I enjoy playing a role in connecting our members with passionate individuals from the community who can become role models,  teach them a new skill, and have a meaningful impact on their lives.

What is your favorite place to eat in southern Nevada? :  My mom’s kitchen. 

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? :  Reading and learning new things and spending time with friends and family.

What is your favorite thing to do or place to go in southern Nevada? :   Spending time with my two year old niece and taking her out for new adventures. She is the funniest person I know.

What is your favorite movie or TV show? : I enjoy all types of movies but my favorites are musicals: Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Grease, etc.

What are your plans after AmeriCorps? :  This fall I will be starting the VMD/PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania in order to become a veterinary scientist. I hope to be able to contribute to practical solutions for challenging questions in human and animal medicine by applying a comparative biomedical background and approach to my research.  

What is your favorite quote? :
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” —Helen Keller

Bio:
Viviana Vallin grew up in San Fernando, California and moved to Las Vegas when she was 12. Viviana graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA with a B.S. in Biology in 2009. She will attend veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania in fall 2010. As the Volunteer Coordinator for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, she has been working to establish a volunteer management program.

Additional info:
Viviana Vallin, AmeriCorps VISTA member at the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas is featured as July’s VISTA spotlight. During her year of service, Viviana has recruited and maintained committed volunteers that will assist in carrying out the organization’s mission to serve and empower the youth of Las Vegas. Her major tasks have included putting together a volunteer management manual, creating meaningful and detailed volunteer job descriptions, establishing an orientation and training procedure for new volunteers, and setting up an evaluation system that will accurately describe the effectiveness of the volunteer management program.

AmeriCorps VISTA Quote of the Month
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." ~Nelson Mandela

AmeriCorps VISTA Program Information

About the AmeriCorps VISTA Program
Thirty-seven million Americans live in poverty. Through AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), you can make a tangible difference. And, you'll find the fulfillment that comes from using your knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances turn their dreams into reality.
AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years.
VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more. With passion, commitment, and hard work, you'll create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy envisioned a national service corps "to help provide urgently needed services in urban and rural poverty areas." Less than two years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson realized Kennedy's dream by launching the "War on Poverty." Johnson welcomed the first group of 20 VISTA volunteers saying, "Your pay will be low; the conditions of your labor often will be difficult. But you will have the satisfaction of leading a great national effort and you will have the ultimate reward which comes to those who serve their fellow man."

Throughout the decades, VISTA evolved to respond to local problems and the changing face of poverty. Today, under President Barack Obama, VISTA is larger, stronger, and more vital than it has ever been. Its 6,500 members—who serve at 1,200 projects nationwide—continue to address the root causes of poverty. They are developing new programs, raising funds, helping manage projects, and otherwise building the capacity of nonprofit organizations to become sustainable and of families to break the cycle of poverty. They also are setting the standard for volunteer mobilization and leading the charge to answer President's Obama's call for every American to become engaged in their community through volunteer service.

For more information, please visit the AmeriCorps website.

AmeriCorps VISTA Benefits
VISTAs serve for a variety of reasons, from wanting to make the world a better place to discovering a life-changing adventure. For one year, you will be doing everything you can to create and expand programs that ultimately bring individuals and communities out of poverty.
As a VISTA, you'll gain:

• Memorable experiences
• Highly developed skills
• New friends
• A sense of belonging to a community
• Feeling of waking up every morning to help the world
• A new challenge

Recent graduates gain the kind of real-world experience they can't find in a typical entry-level job. Experienced adults apply their skills and knowledge to serious social problems and discover previously untapped strengths.
In return for a year of full-time service, you'll also receive other benefits as well:
A $5,350 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or $1,500 post-service stipend

• Modest living allowance
• Healthcare benefits while in service
• Childcare assistance while in service
• Student loan forbearance or deferment while in service
• One year of noncompetitive status for a federal government job
• Access to the network of VISTA & VISTA alumni (170,000 strong)

AmeriCorps VISTA Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for AmeriCorps*VISTA, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident, be team-oriented, and be willing to take on a wide range of challenges. Most programs seek members with college degrees or at least three years of work experience. Many also seek retirees with extensive experience. There is no upper age limit and many AmeriCorps*VISTA members bring significant work and life experiences to their assignment. Self-initiative, flexibility and organizational skills are a must. Fluency in Spanish or other languages also can be helpful in certain programs. You must be available to serve full-time for one year. The AmeriCorps*VISTA application process also requires a criminal history background check to ensure community members with whom we work are protected, particularly children, individuals with disabilities, and individuals over 60 years old.

How to Apply
To apply for a VISTA position, you will need to create a profile in our online recruitment system. Next, you can search for positions that meet your interest and location requirements. You can apply for several positions with the same application. To start the process, click here.

Contact
For any questions or concerns, please contact
Jennifer Livingston
AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada
1660 E. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
702-892-2318
Fax: 702-734-8504
JenniferL@uwsn.org