Below is a brief outline of the Coalition's VISTA Literacy project goals, an outline of VISTA regulations for members and work sites, and a description of the relationship between the Coalition, the work site, and the VISTA member.  If your adult literacy program has a current need that might appropriately be met by a VISTA volunteer, the first step is to outline your proposal to host a VISTA member in concept paper format.  If you have questions about how to complete the concept paper, or have trouble downloading the instructions, please give us a call at 615-259-3700 or 800-323-6986.  We can help place Literacy VISTAs only in the state of Tennessee.  If your program is in another state, or if you are interested in applying for a project of your own, please contact your CNS state office direct.

1.  The Coalition’s project-level work plan includes the following general goals:

• VISTA members will assist  literacy provider agencies to expand existing volunteer  programs or develop a volunteer program as appropriate.

• VISTA members will assist literacy provider agencies to use their community contacts and develop new ones to raise awareness of services available to learners and of the value of the agency’s programs to the community as a whole.  They will help solicit donations of in-kind goods and services to sustain the agency’s ability to provide those programs to learners.

• VISTA members will assist literacy provider agencies to solicit financial support from individuals, businesses and foundations to supplement the agency’s annual budget and/or fund specific programs.

 

• VISTA members will assist literacy provider agencies to enhance agency systems and infrastructure to better equip the agency to serve community need. 

Each VISTA member has his/her individual Volunteer Assignment Description (VAD) including one or more of these goals and specific activities associated with each goal, as appropriate to that agency’s needs.  Once your concept paper has been accepted, we'll help you to develop the work plan for your VISTA member.   The outcome envisioned by the work plan must in some way be sustainable without the member’s efforts after his term of service is complete.  A VISTA member’s progress is measured in terms of achieving these set goals, but also and ultimately by whether the sustainability outcome is met. 

2.  VISTAs are required to work full time, 35-40 hours per week, and are considered to be on call 24-7.  They cannot hold another job or attend college while in service.  They must commit to working at your site for at least one year.  VISTAs do not perform direct service, but rather work to increase the capacity of the program or agency in one or more of the categories described above.  For instance, a VISTA would not be allowed to teach learners to read, but instead would recruit and train volunteers to teach learners, and organize that volunteer tutor corps in such a way that it would be self-sustaining when the VISTA’s term of service is complete.

VISTA members are prohibited from participating in political campaigns, voter registration drives and similar activities while on duty or perceived to be on duty as a VISTA member.  Members may not participate in any religious activity while on duty.  This does not mean that a VISTA cannot vote or go to church while serving, but simply that VISTA service activities cannot be associated with political or religious activities.

3.  Individual sites should take the lead in recruiting their own VISTA member.  The Coalition can help you develop a list of qualifications needed, and we will list the position in the Americorps national online recruiting system.  However, local applicants are often stronger candidates because relocation is not necessary, and because they have at least some knowledge of the community in which they will be working.  Generally, we will approve whomever you approve, as long as their application is in order and there are no obvious problems.

4.  VISTA members must attend a Pre-Service Orientation (PSO).  They cannot begin work until the PSO is complete, and work begins the day after the PSO ends.  PSO is offered at set times each year, and the application deadline precedes the PSO by about six weeks.  PSO events scheduled for 2008 are:

Feb 5 - 8

Apr 8 - 11

June 24 - 27

Jul 15 - 18

Aug 5 - 8

Aug 25 - 28

Dec 8 - 11

In addition to PSO, members will also be provided additional in-service training after their service begins.   The Corporation for National Service (CNS) covers all expenses associated with attendance at both of these events.

5.  Member Benefits

• Members receive a living allowance of approximately $833 per month ($9,996 per year divided by 26 pay periods = $384.46 per pay period).  Direct deposit to the member’s bank account is made on a biweekly basis by the CNS. 

• VISTA members may choose one of the following, awarded upon satisfactory completion of a full service year:

   Education Award: VISTA members accrue $4,725 per year for up to two years to pay for higher education such as college or vocational school.  It can also be used to pay off student loans.  This award can be used for up to seven years following the end of service.  If the VISTA not does complete the service year, the award is forfeited.

                         Stipend: $100 per month is reserved for the VISTA member.  The VISTA receives the total amount, minus tax,

                              at the end of the year. If the VISTA does not complete the service year, the stipend is forfeited.

 

• Health Coverage is provided to every member (unless waived) beginning the first day of PSO and ending at midnight on the last service day.  There is a small co-pay for office or emergency room visits.  Coverage is NOT available for dependents, and pre-existing conditions are NOT covered.

• Other benefits:  modest relocation allowance if appropriate, optional life insurance, childcare support in certain specific circumstances, 10 days personal leave and 10 days sick leave per year.

6.  VISTA members are required to complete quarterly progress reports and submit them to the Coalition, so that we can provide CNS (which provides federal funding for this project) with periodic reports.  The reports are due at the Coalition office by the 7th of the following month, and must be approved by the member’s site supervisor.  The report format is specific to the site work plan, and will be explained in detail by a Coalition staff member at an onsite orientation visit (OSOT) soon after the new member begins his/her service year. 

7.  The Coalition charges an administrative fee of $2500 per VISTA member per year of service.  A memorandum of agreement between the Coalition and your agency in which you agree to pay this fee must be completed.  The fee will be invoiced when you have selected a VISTA member for your position, and will be due before the start of PSO.

8.  Although VISTA members commit to one year of service at a time, they are eligible (if service is satisfactory and if the concept paper so indicates) to re-enroll for a second, or even a third year.  We encourage you to design your site concept paper for a specific one, two or three year period, so that we can plan to accommodate you.  If you have a multi-year work plan and your VISTA member does not wish to serve for more than one year, another member can complete the plan.  However, please be aware that CNS imposes a limit of three years for any site work plan, and that our project is funded on a year-to-year basis and is dependent on annual federal appropriations.