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Host a member of the OHA AmeriCorps VISTA team

Applying to be an OHA AmeriCorps VISTA Host Site


Do you want to increase your ability to end poverty in your community? Could you use help tracking donors, recruiting volunteers, or developing other systems that build your capacity to meet the needs of the low-income community? Or perhaps you have a dream project that addresses a community need but not the resources to get it off the ground.

Public, private, or faith-based nonprofit organizations, as well as, local, state, tribal or federal agencies can become an AmeriCorps VISTA host site. Applications for the Oregon Health Authority AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project are handled by the Public Health Division in partnership with the AmeriCorps Regional Offices.

Host sites identify significant program level work that will help build local capacity to alleviate poverty and improve the public health. Sites host AmeriCorps VISTA national service members each for one year, often for three successive years. OHA AmeriCorps members join one of two cohorts, typically beginning their year of service in April or August. Host sites provide a financial match, direct the project, supervise and mentor the member, and provide necessary administrative support to complete the goals and objectives of the project.

AmeriCorps VISTA members spend one year in full-time service to address the needs of low-income communities and improve public health. All projects focus on building permanent public health infrastructure in communities to help them more effectively bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Projects must only focus on economically disadvantaged communities.

Organizations interested in becoming a host site should review the AmeriCorps website for more in-depth information. Find more information at the link here https://americorps.gov/partner/how-it-works/americorps-vista. 

Interested in learning more?

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Application guidance

Successful applicants will host energetic national service members who will build capacity to improve health and alleviate poverty. Please consider applying and help spread the word. Please contact oha.vista@dhsoha.state.or.us if you are interested in hosting an OHA AmeriCorps VISTA member or need technical assistance with the application materials. 

Broad program goals:
The Oregon Health Authority AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project aims to alleviate, prevent and reduce poverty by engaging new public health professionals in a year of full-time service in public health and partner organizations in order to improve the public’s health.

Key project requirements:
The project must address:

  1. Healthy Futures or public health focus
  2. Poverty - projects must work to break the cycle of poverty by addressing critical community needs for which there is limited funding
  3. Building long-term organizational and/or community capacity for the entire term of service

The AmeriCorps VISTA member must have:

  1. Administrative support (computer, email, work phone, etc.)
  2. Dedicated supervisor, project leads, mentors with time to invest in the member and their project
  3. Clear VISTA assignment description (VAD)

Applications that address the AmeriCorps Healthy Futures priority areas listed below will have priority consideration:

  1. Access to Health Care: Connecting economically disadvantaged individuals to primary and preventative health care through public health system improvement (quality improvement, accreditation); health equity; building healthy communities; COVID response and recovery; population-specific interventions; or special public health projects. See below in Application Resources for more information. 

HS Application Due date:  We are not currently recruiting new host site partners. Please reach out to caroline.d.tydings@oha.oregon.gov if you are interested in applying for an AmeriCorps VISTA member and to learn more about the application process. 

Cost (two options, subject to change): 

Standard: $3,250. These highly competitive positions are more heavily subsidized by the national AmeriCorps program. These positions are intended for organizations and communities with very limited resources. This amount is the Site Support Payment (SSP) which covers costs associated with the members' training, orientation, team meetings, professional development and program staff salary.

Cost share: $26,132. The host site pays a larger amount to cover the members' subsistence allowance and the SSP. Choose this type to greatly increase your approval by OHA and the national AmeriCorps program. Larger organizations with significant funding are asked to provide this level of support. 

New host sites: Please discuss your AmeriCorps VISTA project idea with our team as soon as possible so we can best align our goals before drafting a detailed application.

Host Site Information Sessions: Interested in hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA at your organization? Join one of our Host Site Information Sessions to learn about the program, host site requirements, application process, and more. 

  • When: Second Tuesday of every other month from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
    • May 14, 2024 01:00 PM
    • Jul 9, 2024 01:00 PM
    • Sep 10, 2024 01:00 PM
    • Nov 12, 2024 01:00 PM
  • Register in advance to attend one of these meeting:
  • After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Application materials

Application resources

See also

Questions?

Contact our shared inbox at oha.vista@dhsoha.state.or.us