Faltering Economy a Boon for VISTA

Kerry Douglas stood at her booth this week on the campus of San Diego State University, encouraging students to apply for a job that pays less than minimum wage, sometimes requires them to move out of the state and often means work among the outcasts of society.

It was easy.

Interested students queued up at the booth throughout the day to look at pamphlets and ask questions about Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)--and Douglas wasn’t a bit surprised.

Triggered by the recession, sign-ups for the federal service organization are up dramatically at campuses throughout the nation.

Douglas is a recruiter for VISTA, a 28-year-old federal organization that is growing in popularity among college students who, because of the weak economy, are having difficulty getting a career started and want to get informal, on-the-job training.

The program is also popular with college graduates in their 30s who find they need a break from demanding careers and who are also looking for a way to contribute to their communities, said Douglas.

Last September, to take advantage of an unexpected boon caused by the recession, VISTA started a national recruitment drive on college campuses--its first in 10 years. The effort comes on the heels of the ‘80s decade of self-focus, which found college students interested in getting the best job and making money. But the ‘90s seem to have spawned a new sense charity, with students now wanting to contribute something to poorer communities, VISTA workers said.

Last year, about 400 more college graduates joined the 3,000-volunteer force than in 1990, according to Don Stewart, spokesman for ACTION, an umbrella organization for federally funded domestic volunteer programs.

He attributed the increase to the poor economy and the perception among graduates that they can get job training while contributing to the improvement of the community. “I think students have a certain idealism just getting out of school and feel they want to help in the community,” Stewart said. “More realistically, I think there is a shortage of jobs out there and people are looking for something to do and get more involved. This is a ready-made opportunity (for students) to explore their practical experiences and use it later in the job market.”

VISTA started as a War on Poverty program, a domestic offshoot of the Peace Corps, under President Lyndon Johnson, Stewart said.

The program saw its heyday in the idealistic ‘60s when up to 6,000 students a year signed up for the organization that sent volunteers into poorer communities around the country to teach, erect buildings and help plot landscaping, Stewart said.

Following its peak, voluntarism died down in the ‘70s until it reached a critical point in the early ‘80s, when the focus on making making money nearly led to the demise of Vista. It was saved by grass-roots community groups who knew there was still a need for the organization, Stewart said.

Today, VISTA is run mostly by local nonprofit community groups. Those agencies, ranging from drug-abuse programs to literacy programs, approach the state office and apply for volunteers in their organization, Stewart said.

There are about 15 volunteers in San Diego County working with local agencies such as Interfaith Shelter Network, Alpha Project for the Homeless and the Senior Service Center of San Diego, Stewart said.

Volunteers, which are interviewed by the nonprofit agency before being hired, are required to work for at least a year and are paid a stipend of about $600 a month, Steward said. They are given medical benefits and a deferment on any student loans, but must have a car and are responsible for their own housing, which the agency will help find, Stewart said.

While volunteers might be placed in a U.S. town they request, there is no guarantee.

Douglas, a 24-year-old former volunteer who now works as a recruiter out of San Francisco, screens applications from California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona and directs volunteers to the agencies that need them. She said she joined VISTA to learn more about running a nonprofit agency and working with youth.

“I thought VISTA would be an excellent place to learn more about running a nonprofit (group) and learn more about myself in the process,” said Douglas, who spent her year working as a youth counselor in Colorado. “I wanted to share the joy that I received as a volunteer with other people (by recruiting,) and tell them it was something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Fariba Hamedani, a 23-year-old biology graduate from Maryland who was helping Douglas, said Monday her parents were disappointed when she decided to forgo plans to enter medical school and join VISTA.

But, Hamedani said, her work in a woman’s shelter in San Diego has been worth the sacrifice.

“It’s great and it can sometimes be draining, but I am doing so much for so many people,” she said. “It really helps me to grow as a person.”