AmeriCorps VISTA Marks 50 Years of Fighting Poverty

 

Washington, D.C. — Today the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and leading experts on issues of poverty in the U.S. kicked off the 50th anniversary of AmeriCorps VISTA with the first-ever National Solutions Summit. This half-day event will focus on the program’s accomplishments and feature innovative ways AmeriCorps VISTA members are fighting poverty.  

 

Since its inception 50 years ago, nearly 200,000 men and women have served communities all over the country through AmeriCorps VISTA. VISTA has a unique and effective approach to fighting poverty by providing knowledge and tools to increase a community’s capacity to fight poverty. From establishing literacy programs to training people for 21st century jobs, VISTA members have mobilized community volunteers and local resources to create a lasting impact.

“AmeriCorps VISTA has an amazing story to tell—and our mission is as important now as it was in 1965,” said Paul Monteiro, director of AmeriCorps VISTA.  "Our program's dynamic history will help us develop and refine innovative solutions to poverty in the 21st century.  The AmeriCorps 50th anniversary is designed to do exactly that."

 

As part of the anniversary, CNCS and AmeriCorps VISTA will support Community Solutions Summits throughout the country. The events will bring together local participants from various fields, sectors and walks of life to identify the issues related to poverty in their community and brainstorm solutions that can be implemented through VISTA programs. Five Spotlight Solutions Summits will be held in Philadelphia, Pa.; Berea, Ky.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Austin, Texas—cities where VISTA hopes to make a greater impact in the future. 

 

Following the community summits, VISTA will continue to engage with these groups monthly as part of the Solutions Incubator, a program to move ideas developed at the summits into actionable solutions that can be implemented in the communities. In December, a Solutions Showcase will highlight and celebrate the initiatives born from the other events throughout the year.

 

“As we mark the 50th anniversary of AmeriCorps VISTA, we are celebrating the public-private partnerships that enable local leaders and organizations to expand their capacity to create economic opportunity in their communities,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “From Eastern Kentucky to Arizona, I see how communities turn to AmeriCorps VISTA members to help improve lives. They are connecting citizens with the resources necessary to get a job, introducing students in low-income communities to technology, and helping organizations recruit volunteers to address many challenges.”

 

Additional information about AmeriCorps VISTA’s 50th Anniversary activities or to participate in a Community Solutions Summit near you, visit the AmeriCorps VISTA website.