Employers of National Service and AmeriCorps VISTA Champions of Change

On September 12, 2014, President Obama announced Employers of National Service in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps. The President said, “If you’re an employer who wants to hire talented, dedicated, patriotic, skilled, tireless, energetic workers, look to AmeriCorps, look to the Peace Corps… Citizens who perform national service are special. You want them on your team.” 

Since the announcement, hundreds of employers have answered the President’s call. And now, in 2015, we have another opportunity to recognize individuals and employers who reflect how national service creates a pipeline of employment opportunities. This year, we mark the 50th anniversary of the AmeriCorps VISTA program. VISTA started as part of the War on Poverty in 1965, and today remains a strong, innovative anti-poverty program that helps communities expand their capacity to address their most pressing challenges.

We are combining the AmeriCorps VISTA anniversary and Employers of National Service to recognize the impact of this program and how those who serve continue to make a difference in their communities.

We are inviting you to help us identify outstanding individuals and organizations (e.g. corporations, nonprofits, cities, schools) in the following categories:

• Individual Leader:  Do you have a story about an outstanding AmeriCorps VISTA alum who built on his or her service by starting an organization or becoming an outstanding employee of a group that is fighting poverty? Help us shine a light on his or her story.
   
• Legacy Leader: Do you know a VISTA alum who served before 1993 and is still making a difference in alleviating poverty? Is he or she a leader at nonprofit, corporation, or other group? Nominate him or her.  We want to have a mini-reunion with some of this program’s most amazing alumni.
   
• Employer of Distinction: Do you know of or work for an employer that has hired national service alumni and thus created opportunities for those employees to continue to improve their communities? Nominate that organization.

Please submit your nomination by Midnight on Monday, March 23.

Click on the link below to submit your nomination (be sure to choose Employers of National Service and AmeriCorps VISTA Champions of Change in the "Theme of Service" field of the nomination form,

Nominate an Employers of National Service and AmeriCorps VISTA Champion of Change.

Liza Heyman works in the Office of Public Engagement.