From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

AmeriCorps VISTA

National service program to alleviate poverty

Field	Value
agency_name	AmeriCorps VISTA
logo	AmeriCorps Logo 2020 Stacked Navy.svg
logo_width	175 px
jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
headquarters	Washington, D.C.
chief1_name	Michael Smith
chief1_position	CEO
parent_agency	AmeriCorps
website

AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program designed to alleviate poverty. President John F. Kennedy originated the idea for VISTA, which was founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965, and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993. VISTA is an acronym for Volunteers in Service to America.

On March 11, 2018, President Donald Trump sent his official Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 2020) Budget request to Congress. As outlined in his previous fiscal year budgets, this budget proposes the elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in FY 2020. It provides funding for an orderly shutdown, including all CNCS programs, such as Senior Corps and AmeriCorps (which includes VISTA and NCCC). In FY 2019, VISTA was funded at its FY 2017 and FY 2018 levels of $92,364,000 while AmeriCorps (not NCCC) and Senior Corps received increases in their funding levels.

Background

VISTA is an anti-poverty program created by Lyndon Johnson's Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as the domestic version of the Peace Corps."President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society ... included a domestic equivalent of the Peace Corps called Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA." : Initially, the program increased employment opportunities for conscientious people who felt they could contribute tangibly to the war on poverty. Volunteers served in communities throughout the U.S., focusing on enriching educational programs and vocational training for the nation's underprivileged classes.

As defined under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act (DVSA) of 1973, VISTA's legislative purpose is to supplement efforts to fight poverty in low-income communities by engaging Americans from all walks of life in a year of full-time service. VISTA members support the program's purpose through three primary objectives: 1) encouraging volunteer service at the local level, 2) generating the commitment of private sector resources, and 3) strengthening local agencies and organizations that serve low-income communities. There are approximately 5,000 VISTA members serving in over 900 projects throughout the nation.

During the Clinton Administration, VISTA was brought under the newly created AmeriCorps program, a division of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and was renamed "AmeriCorps*VISTA". VISTA members sign up with a host agency for a full-time term of service – 365 days. In return for their service, members are provided with orientation and training, a living stipend calculated at no less than 105% of the poverty line, settling in and transportation costs, child care benefits, and a basic health care plan. Upon completion of their one-year term, VISTA members have the option of receiving a cash award or the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. There is also the option for individuals to serve as Summer Associates for terms of 8, 9 or 10 weeks alongside full-time VISTA members for a reduced AmeriCorps Education Award.

Directors

The first Director of VISTA was Glenn W. Ferguson and there have been many appointed and acting Directors since then. Margaret Garvey currently serves as the acting Director for AmeriCorps VISTA.

Director	Service dates	Appointed by	Notes
1	Glenn W. Ferguson	1964 – ?	Johnson
	Padraic Kennedy	? – 1966
2	William Crook	1966–1968	Johnson
	Padraic Kennedy	1968–1970
	C.R. Lane	1970
3	Carol Khosrovi	1970 – ?	Nixon
4	Frank E. Williams	? – 1975 – ?
5	Margery Tabankin	1977	Carter
6	James H. Burnley IV	1981–1982	Reagan
7	Jane A. Kenny	1986–1989
	Diana London	1989 – 1993
8	James Scheibel	1993 –	Clinton
9	Paul Monteiro	2014–2015	Obama
11	Max Finberg	2015–2017	Director
11	Eileen Conoboy	Jan 2017–Sept 2019
12	Desiree Tucker-Sorini	Sept 2019-Jan 2021	Trump
13	Meg Ansara	Jan 2021–Feb 2023	Biden
14	Carly Bruder	Feb 2023– April 2024
15	Margaret (Maggie) Garvey	April 2024–Current

Oversight

Created by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducts and supervises independent and objective audits and investigations of Corporation programs and operations. Based on the results of these audits, reviews, and investigations, the OIG recommends policies to promote economy and efficiency and prevent and detect fraud and abuse in the Corporation's programs and operations.

Member pledge

AmeriCorps VISTA members are required by federal law to take the same oath that federal employees take:

References

"AmeriCorps". Americorps.gov.
"Budget".
"H.R. 3794".
"VISTA Timeline".
"Margaret Garvey".
(25 September 1970). "Director Named for Vista". Office of Economic Opportunity.
"Conversation with Max Finberg – Director of AmeriCorps VISTA".
"Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973".
"5 U.S. Code § 3331.Oath of office". Cornell Law School.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

poverty-in-the-united-states americorps volunteers-in-service-to-america 1965-establishments-in-the-united-states service-year-programs-in-the-united-states

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about AmeriCorps VISTA — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report