Become a National Service Member

Each year, national and community service participants and grantees recruit hundreds of thousands of volunteers, who donate millions of hours of service to their communities. National service programs address compelling community issues in education, public safety, health and human needs, the environment, and more. National service participants tutor children and adults, rehabilitate housing for low-income families, immunize children against preventable diseases, respond to natural disasters, mentor young people, help persons with disabilities and the elderly to maintain their independence, and manage after-school programs for social and academic enrichment, to name a few. There are various national service programs helping to develop an ethic of service and leadership skills, and expanding and sustaining organizational capacity.

The Volunteer Centers of Michigan through its partnership with Michigan Nonprofit Association has various opportunities to serve Michigan communities. 

What is AmeriCorps*VISTA?

AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a full-time national service program for men and women ages 18 and older interested in developing lasting solutions to the problems of poverty in America. AmeriCorps* VISTA members address the problems of poverty in communities by mobilizing community resources and increasing the capacity of the low-income communities. Members are driven and strive to create positive, long-term, sustainable change. AmeriCorps* VISTA is part of the AmeriCorps national network of service programs within the Corporation for National and Community Service. The AmeriCorps* VISTA program has been addressing the needs of impoverished communities since 1965.

What is the VCM*VISTA Program?

VCM AmeriCorps*VISTA members create or expand programs designed to bring
individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTA members will work with a Volunteer
Center to enhance the quality and quantity of volunteering opportunities, build awareness
and relationships between the volunteer center and its surrounding community and recruit
and train community volunteers.

• View a Sample VCM*VISTA Position Description
• View a listing of our current VCM*VISTA Members

Additional Information and Resources:

• Official Americorps*VISTA homepage:  www.americorps.gov
• Corporation for National and Community Service provides toolkits within the “Resources” and “Initiatives” links: www.serve.gov
• Learn & Serve site listing national days of service with links to additional information: www.servicelearning.org
• VISTA Campus provides VISTA training materials and manuals:  vistacampus.org
• National Resource Center provides tools and training related to volunteer management: www.nationalserviceresources.org

National Service Program Links

• AmeriCorps
• AmeriCorps*VISTA
• AmeriCorps*NCCC
• Senior Corps
• Learn and Serve America

Michigan Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA program:

Recognizing the potential for institutions of higher education to more responsibly address the local needs of those in low-income communities, MCC AmeriCorps*VISTAs act as transformative agents between institutions of higher education and their surrounding communities. AmeriCorps*VISTA members build, support, and develop the capacity for MCC member institutions and their students to be better stewards of the community, and to gain a richer and more valuable experience outside the classroom. AmeriCorps*VISTA members build mutually beneficial relationships which can lead to long-term partnerships between community-based organizations and colleges and universities; enhance the quality of campus community service and service-learning programs; and encourage increased involvement in the civic life of the community. For more information please visit Michigan Campus Compact or contact Mel Strapec, MCC AmeriCorps* VISTA Leader at 517.492.2436 or mccvista@micampuscompact.org.