AmeriCorps VISTA Program

Spokane County United Way and AmeriCorps
bring out the best of America

Our Role

Spokane County United Way’s VISTA Program manages the selection and support of anti-poverty AmeriCorps projects and members in Spokane County in coordination with AmeriCorps. Currently we host a VISTA Leader, 14 projects and the Summer Associates program in our community. Learn more about our projects here.

Our Strategy

  • Identify anti-poverty projects which align with our vision for a more educated, healthier, and prosperous community
  • Support anti-poverty projects and AmeriCorps members as they strengthen existing or develop new local programs
  • Encourage sustained project operations and outcomes beyond end of AmeriCorps sponsorship

Additional Information

For program inquiries or involvement opportunities please contact Kaela Loriz, VISTA Program Director.

Ready to Apply? Click Here for Opportunities!

AmeriCorps is the federal agency connecting individuals and organizations through service and volunteering to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges. VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is an AmeriCorps program designed to fight poverty through indirect, capacity-building service.

What does participation in our program look like?

Hosting a project:

   Develop a 3-year anti-poverty project to build capacity and sustainability for an organization or program, subject to AmeriCorps and VISTA Program approval

   Assist in recruitment, selection, and onboarding of AmeriCorps member to serve at project

   Supervise member and project to ensure members are building capacity through indirect service and support member and project development

Serving on a project:

    Make a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency

    Use your strengths to build the capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development, and otherwise assist low-income communities

Gain valuable professional experience, learn new skills, and gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of poverty

Receive modest living allowance, health benefits, and a number of end-of-service benefits, including choice of either an end-of-service stipend OR the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

Join peer learning community of other AmeriCorps members in our program, supported by a VISTA Leader

(as of August 2021):

Financial Stability & Economic Opportunity: Fighting poverty by creating businesses, expanding access to technology, recruiting volunteers to teach literacy and strengthening antipoverty groups

Whitworth University’s Dornsife Center for Community Engagement

Spokane Resource Center

Mujeres in Action

Education: Increasing access to services and resources to improve educational outcomes from school readiness to K-12 and post-secondary access and success

Lumen High School

Odyssey Youth Movement

Spokane County United Way

Healthy Futures: Building resilience and changing lives by keeping children nurtured and safe; promoting healthy choices through education and outreach, drug and alcohol prevention and recovery, and connecting low-income families to health services

Gonzaga University’s Center for Community Engagement

Spokane Municipal Community Court

Additional AmeriCorps Focus Areas:

Veterans and Military Families

Disaster Recovery

AmeriCorps VISTA Readiness Worksheetfor prospective project sites

Call for Concept Paper Overview - for prospective project sites

AmeriCorps Member Benefitsfor prospective AmeriCorps members