Rural AmeriCorps Program
Providing affordable resources and access to national service members for nonprofits in Colorado’s rural communities
More than 5,100 nonprofit organizations operate within rural Colorado. These organizations play an important role in improving the quality of life in Colorado’s communities and provide services that alleviate poverty, addressing everything from transitional housing to early childhood education to strengthening local food systems. In order to build the capacity of rural nonprofits to more effectively address key factors that influence poverty in our state’s communities, more effectively deliver services and further mission impact, CRC is providing a limited number of AmeriCorps members to our rural nonprofit partners across the state.
- Our AmeriCorps VISTA program provides national service members who deliver indirect services to build the organizational, administrative and financial capacity of nonprofit organizations.
How to Host an AmeriCorps Member in Your Community
Join CRC for an informational webinar, in-person session, or speak with our AmeriCorps Program Coordinator to learn more about the application process, requirements, cost and the timeline to apply! CRC reviews applications during two periods each year.
- Apply for an AmeriCorps member by the end of January 2020 to begin hosting a member as soon as July of 2020.
- Apply for an AmeriCorps member by the end of July 2020 to begin hosting a member as soon as December of 2020.
Register for a webinar or in-person session through CRC’s events calendar using the tag #AmeriCorps or #VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA
Program Goals:
Grow Organizational Capacity: Nonprofits and community groups in rural Colorado grow in organizational capacity and gain additional resources to accomplish their missions.
Provide Professional Development: VISTA members have a positive experience during which they increase in ability and gain valuable insight for future studies and employment.
Alleviate Poverty: Persistent poverty in rural Colorado is reduced.
What is an AmeriCorps VISTA member?
VISTA stands for Volunteers in Service to America, and is a national service program that seeks to fight poverty in America. AmeriCorps VISTA members make a year-long, full-time commitment to focus their efforts to build the organizational, administrative and financial capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development, and assist low-income communities.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
What can a VISTA member do for my organization?
VISTA members enable an organization to turn dream projects into reality. They mobilize local human, financial, and material resources to expand the capacity of low-income communities to build on their own resources and address the challenges they face. VISTA members around the country are involved with:
- Project Management and Expansion
- Fund Development
- Volunteer Engagement and Management
- Community Outreach
- Convening Stakeholders
To learn more about how VISTA members directly benefit and build capacity for organizations across Colorado, download our 2017 Rural VISTA Snapshot.
How do you define rural capacity building?
Capacity Building is defined as tasks and activities to create, expand or strengthen systems or processes in order to increase an organization’s ability to function effectively and meet its mission. VISTA members do not take part in direct service activities. Instead, they take part in capacity building activities that aim to make an organization self-sustainable.
Our statewide Rural Philanthropy Days program has identified eight rural regions consisting of 52 counties. We are looking for nonprofit organizations in these eight rural regions to host AmeriCorps VISTA members. The VISTA members will bring their capacity building skills to rural Colorado in order to grow organizational capacity and move the community towards alleviating poverty.
AmeriCorps VISTA Member Benefits
As an AmeriCorps VISTA member you will:
- Gain indirect service experience and skills in nonprofit best practices
- Serve a full-time for one year at a host site organization in rural Colorado
- Receive an annual living stipend and access to healthcare and child care
- Upon completion of service will be eligible to receive education award of $6,095 or end-of-year stipend of $1,800
- Attend CRC member orientation and have access to free professional development opportunities throughout the year
- Become part of a statewide network of national service members and build lasting relationships in our state’s vibrant communities
Ready to Host a VISTA member?
Does your organization:
- Have the staff capacity to supervise a full-time AmeriCorps member?
- Have the ability to provide a clean, collaborative workspace?
- Have the ability to commit to a year-long term?
- Have the ability to commit financially?
- Understand whether you need indirect service or direct service capacity?
Meet Our Rural VISTAs
Anna-Claire Griffin
Community Outreach Coordinator at Summit School District Pre-Collegiate Program
Anna is from Iuka, Mississippi. She earned her B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). During college she worked in the Campus Recreation department for intramurals as referee, supervisor, and program assistant. When she was not at school or working, she was the president of the Special Olympics College at Ole Miss. For her service year, she looks forward to accumulating more volunteers for the Pre-Collegiate program of Summit School District and building capacity within the program. Her goal is to have all of their first-generation seniors attend college.
Ashley Kumburis
Food Security Program Coordinator at Mountain Roots Food Project
Ashley Kumburis is a recent grad from Western Colorado University with a Masters degree in Environmental Management. She loves the outdoors and spends her free time hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing, or hunting. She’s a big animal lover and has adopted a dog, cat, and mixed flock of ducks and chickens into her family. She’s currently based in Gunnison, Colorado with Mountain Roots Food Project. There, she’s the Food Security Program Coordinator helping to fight the war on hunger in the valley. She works to teach people how to provide for their own food needs through education, aggregate donations from backyard gardeners and distributors for their free CSA styled boxes, teaching cooking classes for families on a budget, and collaborating with other organizations and working groups. She’s most excited to pilot new programs and adapt current ones to meet the never-ending demand for the services MRFP provides.
Matthew Spencer
Outreach Coordinator at Families Plus
Matt grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Evansville with a BA in History. He is now serving his VISTA year at Families Plus in Delta, Colorado. Matt hopes to take the skills he learns while serving and continue work to help strengthen communities. When not in the office Matt can be found climbing, hiking, or rafting in the Rockies.
Hope Mazeika
Early Childhood Systems Building VISTA at Grand Beginnings
Hope is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania where she studied Environmental Science. Since she was 15, Hope has worked with summer camps as a counselor and mentor for younger children. After graduating from Pitt, Hope decided to take her education and experiences to the other side of the country and accepted the opportunity to serve in Grand County, Colorado as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. For the next year she will be working with Grand Beginnings to help rural parents and educators make strong choices regarding their child’s early education. In her spare time Hope enjoys hiking, listening to music, and volunteering with animals.
Liza Cooney
Program Associate at Bright Futures
Liza is from Falmouth, ME. She just graduated in May from Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where she studied psychology with a minor in biology. With her psych major, she’s currently interested in pursuing nonprofit work or public health. Although there are all sorts of areas within nonprofit work that she likes, one of her top interests is early childhood education. That is why she is super excited to be to serving with Bright Futures as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Outside of work, she loves to play sports such as soccer, running, and Nordic skiing. She also enjoys music and spending time outdoors. She is grateful for this opportunity and is excited to volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA.
Sara Novicki
San Luis Valley Great Outdoors, Development Associate
Sara Novicki is a native of Wilmington, NC where she studied Social Work at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. During her time at UNCW she volunteered at a variety of non-profits and joined the Rape Crisis Center as a Prevention Education Intern. Her passion for supporting underserved and underrepresented populations led her to later join the AmeriCorps VISTA program. She left the beach for the mountains in January of 2017 and spent a year serving at Mountain Valley School in Saguache, CO. Here she took on the position as their Assistant Geodesic Dome Greenhouse Coordinator which allowed her to write grants and plan community engagement events to support the K-12 STEAM and Garden Initiatives. During her time in Saguache she fell in love with the San Luis Valley (SLV) and made the decision to stay in the area for a bit longer. In February of 2018, she joined San Luis Valley Great Outdoors (SLVGO) in Alamosa, CO as their Funding Coordinator VISTA. In her new position at SLVGO, Sara will be supporting the growth of outdoor recreation and trails in the SLV through fundraising, resource development, and marketing. Aside from serving, Sara can be found hiking trails with her dog, crafting, cooking, dancing, or spending time on the water.
Maddie Interdonato
Outreach and Marketing Associate
Maddie is originally from the east coast, finally making her way to the mountains after receiving her B.S. in Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University. In the pursuit of a career that is outdoor-oriented, she found Alpine Achievers Initiative, and is now serving her second year with them, this time as a VISTA. This program has such a great impact on children in the San Luis Valley and Maddie can’t wait to help develop this amazing program further.
Amanda Falkner
Community Engagement Coordinator
My name is Amanda Falkner and I am a recent graduate of the University of Vermont. I graduated with a degree in Community and International Development, and a double minor in Food Systems and Nutrition and Food Sciences. I am originally from Rochester, NY, but am serving in Alamosa, CO, working as the Community Engagement Coordinator VISTA for the Rio Grande Farm Park. A few fun facts about me: I love dogs and love the outdoors!
Lexis Reid
Domestic Violence Services Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
Hello, I’m Lexis Serving at Hilltop Resource Center working within a department working with domestic and sexual violence in Grand Junction, Colorado. I recently graduated college with a BA in Family Studies and join AmeriCorps to take some time off and explore before starting to work on my Social Work degree.
Halle Leganza
Community Engagement Coordinator
Halle is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. She received her B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in American Sign Language Interpreting from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. There, she became the first recipient of the Adam Hayden Philosophy Scholarship (a community created and funded award) which allowed her to continue to be involved in the academics she values most. With the scholarship’s aid she was able to continue a language-based education that sparked a deep interest in creating access for communities that may typically be overlooked. As an AmeriCorps VISTA she hopes to create similar opportunities for all students to receive enriching and quality educational experiences. During her downtime she can be found tearing through a good book, or enjoying anything the outdoors has to offer.
Kyle Tijerina
Program Associate
Aleticia Kyle Tijerina began her service year with La Plata Youth Services in beautiful Durango, Colorado, a mountain town over 7600 feet above sea level in the San Juan mountain range. As a Program Associate, Kyle will be focusing her attention on development and volunteer recruitment. Besides a career in public service, Kyle is a spoken word artist and hopes to find ways to make her art therapeutic for youth and community members who need a means to express grief in healthy ways and overcome obstacles in their lives. Kyle is proud of her mixed race identity. “On my maternal side, I am affiliated with the Odawa/Potawatomi and Wyandotte nations and on my paternal side, I am Coahuiltecan, my family living in the San Antonio, Texas area for centuries.”
Laura Baker
Communication and Development Assistant
Helping others was modeled to Laura throughout her upbringing. She has volunteered domestically with emergency response providers including the American Red Cross, the Trauma Intervention Program, and as a victim advocate for those affected by domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault. She has travelled abroad to support community building initiatives and to participate in conflict analysis and resolution programming. These experiences, in addition to her formal education in Psychology and Cultural Studies, have helped cultivate the unique skill set that Laura brings to the Hispanic Affairs Project. In this role, Laura endeavors to understand new perspectives, fortify partnerships, and contribute to the neighborly spirit of Montrose
Molly Mello
Youth Engagement Coordinator
Molly’s VISTA year will be spent as the Youth Engagement Coordinator for Mesa County Public Health. She’s originally from Silt, CO and eventually attended Arizona State University for two years and then transferred to Colorado State University, where she graduated in May of 2019. Her degree is in Microbiology with a minor in Environmental Health. Shehas worked in a food science R&D lab and then worked in mosquito surveillance in Larimer County. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and hiking, especially with her dog, Frank.
Alice Chesley
Agriculture Education AmeriCorps VISTA
Alice is from Brunswick, Maine and recently graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. During her time at college, Alice worked as an undergraduate researcher, studying potato disease in northern Maine, in addition to serving terms as secretary and vice president for the University of Maine’s International Student Association to promote cultural exchange in rural Maine. As an Americorps VISTA, Alice is using her experience in STEM to create an agriculture-based curriculum for Colorado’s 4H program. In her free time you can find her running different trails in Fort Collins, hanging out with her roommate (and her roommate’s two cats), or cooking up a storm in the kitchen!
Our 2018 VISTA Host Sites