MANCHESTER, NH – The Families in Transition (FIT) AmeriCorps VISTA Program is now recruiting for the July 2017-July 2018 service year. VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members help break the cycle of poverty in the Granite State by serving as a paid professional volunteer for one year at a local nonprofit or government agency. Positions are available in eight of the 10 New Hampshire Counties.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program that was created in 1964 to lift individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTA members serve as catalysts for change, living and working alongside community members to advance local solutions as full-time, professional volunteers. For more than 50 years, VISTA members around the country have worked to fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development and otherwise assist low-income communities. For more information on AmeriCorps VISTA, visit: www.nationalservice.gov/americorps-vista.
“We’re looking for motivated self-starters with a passion for service to fill positions at nonprofit and government agencies across New Hampshire,” said Emily Melhorn, Manager of Volunteers and the FIT VISTA Program. “These positions are vital to each organization, so that they can continue to provide their services to those who need it most. In fact, this past year, our 21 VISTAs raised more than $710,000 for their organizations and helped nearly 2,600 people who live in poverty right here in the Granite State.”
This year’s FIT VISTA positions are available in the eight out of 10 New Hampshire counties: Belknap, Cheshire, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford andSullivan. Positions range from grant writing, program development, community outreach, employment and training, marketing, fundraising and other activities to help organizations create effective and sustainable solutions to end poverty. To view all of the positions that are currently open, visit: www.fitnh.org/vistapositions.
Benefits of completing a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service include: A monthly living stipend, an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of $5,775 or a post-service stipend of $1,500, health benefits, relocation assistance, medical and personal leave, one year of noncompetitive eligibility status for a federal government job, professional development opportunities and workshops, in addition to a full year of real-world job experience and access to the 170,000 member-strong VISTA Alumni Network.
The FIT VISTA Program is one of the largest networks of AmeriCorps VISTA members living and serving throughout the State of New Hampshire. The program recruits volunteers and organizations to join the FIT VISTA team, with the goal of improving the quality of life for the most disadvantaged members of the Granite State. Since 2010, it has been a program of FIT, a Manchester, Concord, and Dover, NH-based homeless housing and services provider. For more information about the FIT VISTA Program or FIT, visit www.fitnh.org or call 603-641-9441.
