AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers are particularly concerned about poverty issues. They’re college grads or they have a few years of work experience and, say AmeriCorps staffers, they’ve got the patience and big picture perspective that allows them to work on large scale projects that may not produce results quickly. VISTA volunteers may be placed in one community for up to a year.
National Civilian Community Corps volunteers are 18- to 24-year-olds who may work clearing trails, doing disaster relief, building housing or working with children. The hours may be long, conditions difficult and the work physically laborious. Housing is dorm-style, and volunteers often move around a great deal during the year. AmeriCorps offers a “Serve with a Friend” program that allows friends to serve together.
If your child is interested in applying, the AmeriCorp “Which Program is Right for Me?” web page is the place to start. The site walks you through various volunteer possibilities, matching interests and skills with programs. Young adults - or adults of any age, actually - can apply online. A telephone screening decides who moves on to the actual interview process. Most applicants hear whether they have been accepted, wait listed or rejected within two months of applying.
Up until 2009, AmeriCorps has not been able to accept all the applicants who wish to volunteer, since the program was capped at 75,000. But, if passed, the 2009 Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act will dramatically expand that volunteer force to 250,000 members.
