NCUA LETTER TO FEDERAL CREDIT UNIONS |
NATIONAL
CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION
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DATE: September 2002 LETTER NO.: 02-FCU-12 TO: All Federal Credit Unions SUBJ: Partnership Opportunities with the Corporation for National and Community Service Dear Manager and Board of Directors: The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), as part of our “Access Across America” initiative, continues to actively pursue and identify organizations and entities with which credit unions can partner in their efforts to create economic empowerment in the neighborhoods and communities they serve. One such governmental agency program that credit unions have partnered with is the Corporation for National and Community Service’s AmeriCorps*VISTA program. Since 1965, AmeriCorps*VISTA has been building permanent infrastructure to help organizations more effectively bring communities and individuals out of poverty. Today, nearly 6,000 AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve in hundreds of nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout the country – working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, reduce unemployment, increase housing opportunities, and helping to bridge the digital divide. AmeriCorps*VISTA provides a Cost-Share Partnership that is a quick, easy, and low-cost way to leverage the human resources needed to jump-start new anti-poverty projects without encountering the complexities and overhead costs associated with start-up or expansion. As a Cost-Share Partner, a credit union contributes the living allowance, approximately $9,500, for each AmeriCorps*VISTA member. In return, AmeriCorps*VISTA covers the cost of benefits and services for the AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Some of the benefits covered by AmeriCorps*VISTA include payroll services, health coverage, and travel costs associated with training of the AmeriCorps*VISTA member. AmeriCorps*VISTA members can develop and help implement wealth building programs for the credit unions to better serve those individuals that credit unions are attempting to reach in underserved areas. Some examples where AmeriCorps*VISTA members can assist credit unions in serving underserved areas are:
If you are interested in further information concerning programs available through the Corporation for National and Community Service, contact the Corporation for National and Community Service office in your state. For a directory of those offices, visit http://www.nationalservice.org/stateprofiles, or contact the AmeriCorps*VISTA office in Washington, D.C. at:
Sincerely, /S/
Dennis Dollar
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