Washington, D.C. -The Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service saluted the VISTA program for its 40-years of fighting poverty in America and welcomed new Board member Vincent J. Juaristi, of Alexandria, Va., at its spring meeting today.

“I’m honored to join this board at a crucial time for national service,” Juaristi said. “The Corporation is working to increase the number of Americans volunteering by 10 million people over the next five years. I’m excited to be part of that effort, and hope that I can provide guidance to achieve that goal.”

Juaristi is Senior Vice President of VIP (Visionary Integration Professionals), a national management consulting and technology services company. As a former a policy advisor to the Nevada State Assembly and to former Nevada Governor Bob Miller, Juaristi has an extensive background in welfare reform, public education, post-secondary education, health care programs, information technology, housing, and other issues. Juaristi previously served as Director of the Nevada Institute for Children. His volunteer experience includes SHARE Colorado and the Catholic Charities Homeless Shelter in Denver, and more recently with Youth Service America and Hands on DC.

The board also passed a resolution honoring AmeriCorps*VISTA, which was established as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson. The resolution notes that 177,000 people have served in the program since 1965. “AmeriCorps*VISTA members have improved the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens by fighting illiteracy, improving health services, reducing unemployment, increasing housing opportunities, reducing crime and recidivism, and expanding access to technology,” the resolution states. The program is the subject of a new book, VISTA … In Service to America: Fighting Poverty for 40 Years, which was introduced last night at a reception in Washington.

Several current and former AmeriCorps*VISTA members addressed the board at today’s meeting. Gina Hanson, who serves with Webster Habitat for Humanity in Springhill, La., recalled helping respond to the 450 families that arrived in her community in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Dennis Maloney, who was planning on playing professional football until he joined VISTA in the 1970s, described the community justice AmeriCorps*VISTA program that he now runs in Bend, Ore. The Corporation’s goal of increasing the number of volunteers nationally to 75 million would be aided by a focus on community service within the criminal justice system, according to Maloney, who is a retired prison warden. In talking with prisoners during his career, Maloney recalled that many of them are interested in giving back to their communities. “They want to serve, but they haven’t had the pathway open to them,” Maloney said.

The board also heard reports about the 21,000 national service volunteers who have provided more than 1.2 million hours of service in the Gulf States helping people recover from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Volunteers from more than 380 Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, NCCC, VISTA, and Learn and Serve America programs have served in the Gulf, where they have established and operated shelters, provided meals and social services to evacuees, assisted with communications, coordinated the warehousing and distribution of donated goods, answered phones, cleared debris, provided information on housing and other resources, organized children’s activities, raised funds, and managed more than 42,000 other volunteers.

The Corporation for National and Community Service works to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. The Corporation provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is helping build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.

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