AmeriCorps VISTA in the Pacific Northwest

History of Mercy Corps Northwest’s former VISTA program

As part of the national AmeriCorps VISTA program, Mercy Corps Northwest began hosting a team of paid VISTA volunteers in positions across Oregon and Washington in 2012. For over ten years, Mercy Corps Northwest sponsored projects that address poverty by building the capacity of nonprofit organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest.

In 2022, Mercy Corps Northwest received its final grant award as an AmeriCorps VISTA intermediary organization – hosting our final cohort of volunteers through February 2023. Throughout our 10 years of engagement, we supported over 45 organizations in Oregon and Washington, placed 151 national service volunteers, and infused millions of dollars of donations into community-based organizations.

We are proud of our accomplishments and the impact of AmeriCorps programs across the nation. As we move into our next chapter of programming, we are now referring interested parties to AmeriCorps to get directly involved in their national service offerings. If you are interested in joining the AmeriCorps VISTA program as a host site or VISTA volunteer, please scroll down to get started.

Are you interested in becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA?

The AmeriCorps VISTA program is open to all lawful permanent residents and citizens of the United States over the age of 18 that meet the VISTA guidelines. You do not need a college degree to join.

All volunteers are paid a stipend for their work and are awarded education or financial credit at the end of their year-long service term. Are you interested in making a difference for communities across the country? Explore the requirements and benefits of joining AmeriCorps as a VISTA below, as Mercy Corps Northwest is no longer an intermediary sponsor.

Could your organization benefit from AmeriCorps VISTA?

AmeriCorps VISTA is a national program dedicated to eradicating poverty, sponsored by the federal agency Corporation for National Community Service. Mercy Corps served as a host site for the federal program starting in 2012 and will host our final cohort of AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers into early 2023.

While nearly 800,000 AmeriCorps members serve in locations across the country, hundreds of VISTAs serve across the Pacific Northwest each year at public, private, or faith-based 501c3 nonprofits; Local, state, or federal agencies; or Tribal governments.

Please visit the AmeriCorps VISTA host site page, or contact our regional team at OR@cns.gov, if your organization is interested in hosting a volunteer. The process requires the completion of a concept paper and proposal.