Communications and Outreach – Goodwill VISTA

Since 2015, the Goodwill VISTA Partnership has sought to alleviate poverty in communities across Maine, from the most rural areas to the most populous cities. At present, members are placed in partner agencies situated in Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Lincoln, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, Washington, and York counties.

VISTA Members work to reduce poverty while engaging through a plethora of forms of indirect service, such as creating and running programs, fundraising and grant writing, communications work, increasing social media presence, recruiting volunteers, as well as assisting with community assessments, among other projects. Focus areas of partner agencies include public health, food security, new Americans, environmental justice, educational support, youth development, housing, and more!

The diverse work of AmeriCorps VISTA members contributes to the capacity-building and organizational-development goals of Maine agencies which contribute invaluable boosts to the wellbeing of communities. In 2018, 34 VISTA members provided 3,000 hours of service, working to recruit over 1,405 new volunteers, leveraging over 1.1 million dollars for host-site organizations, and creating 243 new and enhanced systems and business processes. The positive impact VISTA members offer their local communities is remarkable, and continues to build year after year.