Russell Star-Lack: Cooperating for Co-Ops
Russell Star-Lack first became interested in housing during college, when he was researching and documenting the history of housing discrimination in the Twin Cities. He wanted to put his knowledge to good use and thought that “AmeriCorps seemed like a great way to...
Being Part of the Solution: Serving as an AmeriCorps Member with Northwest Side Community Development Corporation
When COVID-19 first arrived in the United States, Fabian Cisneros was a part of the Student Conservation Association, serving in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Although he was able to continue his work, the sudden changes to the nation’s day-to-day...
AmeriCorps Spotlight: Tracking Inequalities for Housing Advocacy
After earning her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of Illinois, Krista Weller wanted to continue the work she had started as an intern for Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL). INCIL is a statewide non-profit that uses a...
From Galas to Games: Centro Romero Summer VISTAs Adapt During Pandemic
With a degree in theater from the University of Chicago and a love of technology, Fundraising VISTA Summer Associate Elisabeth Del Toro has helped to turn Centro Romero’s upcoming annual gala into a video extravaganza. Feeling inspired by what other actors are doing...
VISTA Spotlight: Joy at the Chicago Jobs Council
After graduating with a Masters in Sociology from Roosevelt University and while awaiting her matriculation into Loyola University’s School of Social Work, Joy Powell hopped onto her computer in May searching for summer opportunities. “I have the summer,...
Farming in the City: A Day of Service in Honor of 9/11
Believe it or not, fall is only a few short days away, and even if we aren’t preparing ourselves for it, nature certainly is. When you have plants growing in the middle of the city, sometimes they can use a little extra help, and that’s where Housing...
Tackling Case Management in Ford Heights
After earning undergraduate degrees in Social Work from Governors State University this spring, Dionna Gordon and Jocelyn James-Moore immediately put their coursework into practice as AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates at Ford Heights Community Service...
Zeroing in on Food Insecurity and Health Disparities in Chicago Heights
When college students break for the summer, many find a temporary job or internship to build professional experience. For the second year in a row, Paige Pielet chose to spend her summer as an AmeriCorps VISTA. “I was a VISTA last summer and really enjoyed...
Our Chicago: Community Summit to Reflect on 50 Years of the Fair Housing Act
Leah Demarest and Rachel Schwartz are AmeriCorps VISTAs at John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Clinic and Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, respectively. April 2018 marks 50 years since the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act. In...
Building the Next Generation of Change Agents
From recent college graduates to retirees, social workers to construction workers, the members of Housing Action Illinois' diverse AmeriCorps VISTA Network are united under one goal: to end poverty by expanding access to affordable housing. “While the...
The Illinois Affordable Housing Support Project
Housing Action Illinois manages a network of nearly 30 AmeriCorps VISTAs placed with our member organizations. AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty, and our VISTA members commit to serve our communities full-time for a year. They fill a wide variety of roles, but all are aimed at fighting poverty and helping communities by expanding and improving the availability of decent, affordable, accessible housing in Illinois.