Center for Community Partnerships’ VISTA Project

Monday, Aug. 20, seven young leaders--six AmeriCorps VISTAs and one VISTA Leader--begin work in Racine and Kenosha as part of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside VISTA Project. This is a three-year program to build capacity and sustain collaboration among community nonprofit organizations and government agencies to empower low income individuals and families by addressing economic development, job creation, financial education, and asset building.

The Center for Community Partnership (CCP) at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside partnered with the City of Racine's Mayor's Office of Strategic Partnerships and the Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency to develop and implement the project.

The VISTA programs and sites are:

• Sustainable Local Food Employment, site co-supervisors: Sustainable Edible Economic Development Corporation and HALO (Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization). Partner: Racine Urban Garden Network
• Launch Box-Small Business Development, site supervisor: RCEDC (Racine County Economic Development Corporation)
• Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program Expansion, site supervisor: Human Capital Development Corporation
• Homeless Assistance Coalition of Racine County?Continuum of Care (CoC) Entity, site supervisor: Legal Action of Wisconsin
• Racine Coalition for Financial Fitness, site supervisor: Family Services of Racine
• Racine County Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, site supervisor: Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency

During the three-year project, VISTAs will build and strengthen systems, expand and enhance programming, and create an infrastructure allowing for sustainability of effective programs and partnerships.

AmeriCorps/VISTA is a national service program that works to eliminate poverty. The first VISTAs began serving in 1965 in the migrant farm worker camps in California, the hollows of eastern Kentucky, and the inner city of Hartford, Connecticut. Since then, more than 180,000 VISTAs have served throughout America to expand capacity of homegrown efforts to address community challenges.

• 
• 
• 

ABOUT THIS STORY:

Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 8/16/2012

MORE UW-P NEWS:

All current news releases
News archive
Ranger Today home