Our VISTA Summer Associates Program has officially launched!
For the next ten weeks, twenty individuals from all over Illinois will be serving their communities by working at nonprofit organizations in our state. These Summer Associates’ projects have a wide array of focal points: youth educational programming, fundraising, volunteer recruitment and management, computer literacy and job skills training, financial literacy, and community outreach.
To make sure everyone got started on the right foot, Housing Action hosted a Pre-Service Orientation webinar for the Summer Associates. During the webinar we covered best practices, programmatic procedures, and general professionalism. Toward the end of the webinar, the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Program Officer, John Hosteny, administered the Oath of Service, which is the same oath elected officials take when they are sworn into their offices, and it was at that very moment our Summer Associate officially started their terms of service.
Part of what is exciting about the Summer Associates program is the members can do direct and indirect service as opposed to our full year program, which is solely indirect service. Allowing both types of service creates flexibility for the Summer Associates to help their organization. The other exciting part of the Summer Associates program is since the terms of service are 10 weeks people in the middle of earning their undergrad can take on the positions.
We are excited to see what these Summer Associates can accomplish in their terms of service, and we will be sure to share their achievements as the summer progresses.
— Willie Heineke, Outreach Associate at Housing Action Illinois
