BY ERIN MCGRATH, OPERATIONS AND VISTA PROGRAM MANAGER, THE HUB
It’s national AmeriCorps Week! This year, we’ll be sharing the stories of AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) members past and present over on our social accounts. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@thewvhub) to see those stories.
I have a habit of collecting little quotes to keep in the eye line of my computer monitor, to remind me to keep going when the going gets tough. One of my favorite things I’ve collected is the AmeriCorps pledge.
It goes like this:
I will get things done for America – to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier.
I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity, I will persevere.
I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.
I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.
At The Hub, we believe in the power of community service. We think the programs that are working to lift West Virginians out of poverty are worth investing in. And we believe that building capacity and sustainability in those programs is one of the most effective forms of investment.
That’s why we act as an intermediary for the AmeriCorps VISTA program in West Virginia. We sponsor VISTAs for organizations who have a program in need of capacity-building.
This past year at The Hub, our members have worked to fight systemic poverty through building capacity in programs working on generating economic opportunity, improving environmental stewardship, building healthy futures, and connecting veterans and their families to the resources they need. They’ve leveraged over $131,300 in cash and in-kind donations, mobilized over 1,100 volunteers to serve over 3,200 hours across the state. They collaborated as a cohort on impactful service projects, built capacity in their host sites, and made an undeniable lasting impact at their projects and in their communities.
As a proud VISTA alum and the manager of the AmeriCorps VISTA program here at The Hub, I am constantly amazed by the impact that AmeriCorps programs have on our communities. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps programs), there are more than 3,400 members across 500 projects in West Virginia.
Like the AmeriCorps oath says, VISTAs get things done!
We are looking for more members to join us now.
Head to The Hub’s jobs board to see a running list of VISTA volunteer opportunities »
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