Goodwill Recruitment and External Communications VISTA Leader 

Have you completed a year of service with AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps and want to help others serve while also gaining experience operating AmeriCorps Programs? Do you care about fostering community? Being a VISTA Leader gives you that chance! Gain leadership experience with our Goodwill AmeriCorps team in Portland, Maine. We are passionate AmeriCorps alums supporting members across Maine. Must be AmeriCorps/Peace Corps alum to apply.

Since 2015, the Goodwill VISTA Partnership has sought to alleviate poverty in communities across Maine and New Hampshire, from the most rural areas to the most populous cities. At present, members are placed in partner agencies situated from the Seacoast of New Hampshire to the border towns of Lubec and Limestone, Maine. 

The diverse work of our AmeriCorps VISTA members contributes to the capacity-building and organizational-development goals of local agencies, including schools and nonprofits, providing invaluable boosts to the wellbeing of communities. Our VISTA Members work to reduce poverty at these organizations through indirect service such as creating new programs, assisting with community assessments, fundraising and grant writing, communications work, increasing social media presence, and recruiting and managing volunteers among other projects. The organizations we partner with focus on important community issues including but not limited to affordable housing, support for seniors, food security, assisting New Americans, educational support, and accessible transportation.  

In 2023 alone, our VISTA members provided over 3,000 hours of service, working to recruit over 1,405 new volunteers, leveraging over 1.1 million dollars for host-site organizations, and creating 243 new and enhanced systems and business processes. The positive impact VISTA members offer their local communities is remarkable and continues to build year after year. 

The Goodwill VISTA Leader will support and assist in the management of the Goodwill VISTA Partnership. The Goodwill VISTA Partnership is an intermediary model focused on poverty reduction. It is a state-wide collaboration between Maine based non-profits in many different fields with varied focus areas described under the Corporation for National and Community Service Program Guidance, yet all VISTA projects focus on poverty reduction. Our VISTA Leaders support our members as they serve their VISTA terms, building a strong community network and creating opportunities for members to gather and connect with each other, program alumni, and community partners. This VISTA Leader position will also focus on recruiting new applicants to serve as VISTAs with our host site partners and creating external communications content to inform current members, partners, alumni, and the greater community about what the impact that our AmeriCorps VISTA members have. This position includes travel across Maine and New Hampshire to visit our partners and our members.

Benefits

• Bi-Weekly Living Allowance of $1049.48/Biweekly
• Relocation Allowance of $750 plus $.40 per mile (for those moving more than 50 miles)
• Health Benefits
• Childcare Reimbursement if Eligible
• Student Loan Forbearance for eligible federal loans (interest paid by AmeriCorps)
• SNAP Eligibility (depending on financial situation)
• Training and Professional Development
• Life Navigator (on-staff licensed counselor for members)
• Choice of Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($7,395) or an end-of-term bonus ($1,800) upon term completion
• Non-Competitive Eligibility for federal employment for one-year post-term
• A flexible schedule and supportive team environment
• Extensive Training through our AmeriCorps program and VISTA
• Access to additional training opportunities available to Goodwill’s Employees

*Individuals are limited to two full Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards in their lifetime

Already have a MyAmeriCorps account and want to apply for this specific role? You can find that listing on MyAmeriCorps here.

The positive impact VISTA members offer their local communities is remarkable and continues to build year after year. Descriptions of all Goodwill AmeriCorps Positions can be found at: goodwillnne.org/jobs/americorps/positions/.