Good morning on this rainy Election Day! The hubby and I stopped to vote on our way to work this morning. I love that we have the privilege and the responsibility to vote about the leaders in our community and in our country.
One of my VISTA leaders shared an article with me because she noticed that Columbia was mentioned. I was intrigued, so I opted to do a bit of research on the VISTA program. VISTA means "volunteers in service to America". The VISTA program started in 1965 as an anti-poverty program geared toward helping non-profit organizations and public agencies increase capacity. The AmeriCorps program was created by President Johnson's Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and was touted as the American version of the Peace Corps.
VISTA members have three specific objectives as we serve. We hope to encourage volunteer service at a local level. We engage the private sector to provide resources. We strengthen local non-profits and public agencies that serve low income communities. Capacity building is our number one mission. Across the United States there are roughly 5000 VISTAs who work on about 900 projects to better meet the needs of those in poverty.
There are more than 250,000 in the AmeriCorps program as a whole! Over 4o,ooo communities are served and over 1.6 billion hours are served in these communities.
Because VISTAs are federal employees, we are required to take an oath of service on our first day of the job. I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. [So help me God.]
In August of 2019, AmeriCorps released their findings about the rankings of states and cities that generate the most AmeriCorps members. It was no surprise that Washington, D.C. was on the list as one of the top cities. However, the City of Columbia showed up on the top ten small AmeriCities! We even beat out the larger city of Salt Lake City, which ranked ten. I was excited to see our city on the list but not surprised. During my service I have noticed the heart and empathy of folks here in Columbia. I am in awe of sheer number of non-profits that work in our community. It is so encouraging to see other organizations all working together to help people!
Top 10 Small AmeriCities
- Little Rock, AR
- Providence, RI
- Davenport, IA
- Lowell, MA
- Dayton, OH
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Provo, UT
- Miami Gardens, FL
- Columbia, MO
- Salt Lake City, UT
And of some have compassion, making a difference: Jude 1:22 KJV
Click here to find out more about volunteer opportunities at City of Refuge.
All opinions expressed here are solely mine and are not a reflection of the opinions of the Americorps VISTA program or of City of Refuge in Columbia, MO.
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