Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s commission for national and community service, is sponsoring a VISTA project designed to help individuals, families, and communities recover from the recent devastating floods that hit the region in June 2016.

Positions are available in Kanawha, Nicholas, and Clay County. Selected VISTAs will be assigned to a local Long Term Recovery Committee. These activities will include:

• Volunteer recruitment and management.
• Community Connecting/Liaison Activities: education and outreach work to integrate community volunteerism into recovery programs long term, building relationships with partners who can mobilize unaffiliated volunteer resources. Linking citizen volunteer teams to agencies that can utilize those teams.
• Documentation of community best practices, in order to build a disaster spontaneous/unaffiliated volunteer coordination playbook, in case this happens again.
• Documentation of volunteerism during the WV Flood Response in audio visual format.

The AmeriCorps VISTA program, also referred to as the “domestic Peace Corps,” is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

VISTA members make a one year, full-time commitment, to serve in their community. Members receive a modest living allowance, health benefits, and the option to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or a post-service stipend after completing their service. About 6,500 VISTAs are placed each year in more than 1,200 projects in low-income communities around the country.

If you would like additional information about the position or about the VISTA program, contact Waylon Bryant at 304-558-0111 or Waylon.A.Bryant@wv.gov or visit https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=70855&fromSearch=true to apply.