AmeriCorps* VISTA Asset Building Corps

The Asset Building Corps: Through the sponsorship of the Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN), the Asset Building Corps (ABC) places VISTAs at organizations working with low-income individuals and families to develop their assets in a multitude of ways through 10-15 projects annually. OMEN has managed this program for the last seven years. It has benefited more than 30 organizations. Currently OMEN is host to 12 VISTAs serving one-year terms around the state.

Asset Building Corps VISTAs serve low-income Oregonians by promoting economic development programs that help strengthen their communities and fight poverty. Activities of the corps include working on financial literacy, affordable housing, and microenterprise development.

VISTAs in the ABC are doing work on the following projects: • Earned Income Tax Credit awareness • Community Land Trust development • Youth Entrepreneurship programs • Native American business and entrepreneurship development • Food business and food access/security • Rural entrepreneurship and business cooperative development • Program expansion and marketing for business development programs

AmeriCorps* VISTA Background: “AmeriCorps* Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) is a national service program dedicated to eliminating poverty by helping individuals and low-income neighborhoods make positive changes for themselves. Through AmeriCorps* VISTA, ordinary people provide extraordinary service in more than 1,200 projects nationwide.”

The mission of the VISTAs is to develop programs that fight poverty in a ways that are sustainable and build the capacity of the host organization. They help develop new programs, make already existing programs more efficient, and sustain those programs by augmenting the resources the program uses. Over a one year term of service, a VISTA can make a lasting mark on the success of the organization.