Watson Children's Shelter AmerCorps VISTA

AmeriCorps VISTA  (Volunteers in Service to America) is a National Service Opportunity - not a job or internship. VISTA is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty.

The Watson Children's Shelter VISTA will increase access to the wraparound services for abused and neglected Montana children and low-income, at-risk Montana families by developing a sustainable donor and philanthropic base to grow the reach and impact of WCS services. Montana has the second-highest child out-of-home placement rate due to child abuse and neglect. As of 2019, 16 out of 1,000 Montana kids were in state care, the second-highest rate in the country. This statistic marks a 115% increase in minors in state care programs between 2010 and 2019. WCS is one of the few children’s shelters in Montana that houses children ages 0-14 years old. Given the rise of abuse, neglect, and maltreatment cases in Montana, services like those offered by Watson Children's Shelter are imperative to the child victims and families at risk of continuing the cycle of abuse. This VISTA project will move low-income, underserved Montana families out of poverty by developing planned giving, forging new community partners, and creating strategic donor communications, which will increase access to wraparound services for abused and neglected Montana children and at-risk Montana families. Located in Missoula, MT!

Spend one year engaged in meaningful service to help Montanans access healthcare, healthy foods, education, or housing! AmeriCorps VISTAs bring their talents, skills, and passion to a local organization to help them build their capacity to serve more individuals in their community. You could be writing grants and fundraising, developing strategic communication plans to help more folks engage with resources that could help their families, surveying and evaluating the needs of communities, develop toolkits for public health providers to implement substance abuse prevention programs, and so much more!

We are searching for talented, self-motivated, and hardworking members. In addition to the opportunity to engage in meaningful work, other benefits of VISTA service include:

• End of Service Award: a $7,395 Segal Education Award or $1,800 cash stipend.
• Relocation Allowance: a $750 relocation allowance and reimbursement to and from your new community (if traveling more than 50+ miles to your new community).
• Student Loan Forbearance: an opportunity to forbear eligible student loans.
• Living Allowance: a modest bi-weekly living allowance to cover basic expenses.
• Healthcare Benefit: eligibility to enroll in a Healthcare Allowance or Health Benefit Plan to assist with qualifying medical expenses.
• Non-Competitive Eligibility: a unique hiring path which makes it easier for federal agencies to hire you.
• Valuable Training: numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Montana Community VISTA Partnership is the longest-running project in Montana. By serving as an MCVP VISTA, you will join a vast network of alumni throughout the state and country, building on the legacy of previous members who have fought poverty in Big Sky Country!