Why should you serve?

There are a number of benefits to service, both measurable, and qualitative. Benefits that will be immediately useful post service, and benefits that will be with you the rest of your life. And we’ll go over some of these. However, the real reason you should serve is because you feel called to. That you know it's up to individuals to help our communities, our country, and our world live up to their ideals and potential. Service requires sacrifice, otherwise it would just be a job. Are you willing to give a year of your life to help make change happen?

Benefits

All AmeriCorps VISTA programs have the basic benefits provided directly by AmeriCorps including:

A living allowance to help you pay your bills during service
Paid vacation and sick days
Additional funds for people moving more than 50 miles to their service site
An ‘End of Service Benefit’ of and Education Award (currently +$6k) or a Cash Stipend
For more details on these benefits and other basic benefits visit this AmeriCorps VISTA page

Professional Development

Many of our members come to our program straight out of college but others are coming from various fields and are looking to transition into non-profits or government development work. We even have some retirees who are looking to stay active and give back to the community. But wherever you’re coming from you’ll have an opportunity to grow and learn in your AmeriCorps role. Most of our positions offer you the opportunity to take on tasks at a level you would NOT see in a regular entry level role.

Deeper Community Knowledge

As an intermediary site our members are a part of HandsOn Greater Phoenix but their roles and day to day work is at various non-profits and government agencies across Maricopa County. Not only will you deepen your knowledge of the local community via your host site organization and the populations they serve, but you’ll also get to learn about the work of the other HandsOn VISTA Members and their host organizations. In our monthly team trainings we visit and learn about various organizations and topics that will help you create positive change in your current AmeriCorps role and in the future, wherever you go next!

Want to speak with someone before applying? Sign up for a 15-minute phone call with our current VISTA Leader here. Schedule Appointment