My year of AmeriCorps VISTA service took place in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a VISTA member at Jefferson County Public Health, I worked closely with community stakeholders, organizations, and the general public on a variety of different projects.  Through this, I gained valuable experience with being a team player, stepping up as a leader, navigating conflict, and finding creative solutions. 

After completing my year of service, I went on to attend medical school. I am currently finishing up my final year and will start medical residency in a few months. I can honestly say that so much of my personal journey towards being the best physician that I can be was colored by the experiences that I had during my year of VISTA service. As a VISTA member, I heard many personal stories from community members and through this, I saw the variety of ways that public health can have such a profound impact on a community’s collective wellbeing. I experienced enlightening moments where the community bridged differences and came together, and I also experienced moments where hate and divisiveness tore us apart. As I have progressed through medical school, I have carried this emphasis on community and narratives with me. I understand how crucial it is to learn my patients’ stories, where they come from, and how their symptoms affect them. My experiences working in public health taught me to look beyond a patient’s physical symptoms and learn about their community and their life. Most of all, they taught me that the best way to connect with patients and to make meaning of all of the tragedies that happen in the medical field is to come together with patients and their families, much like how so much of the community came together during the COVID-19 pandemic. I will always carry this lesson with me as a physician- the importance of trust, listening to others stories, and working as a team. 

To me, being an AmeriCorps VISTA member felt like a way of giving back to my country. Service learning is one of the best ways to learn about community, conflict management, and leadership while making an impact in the community. I know that I would not be where I am today without my year of AmeriCorps service, and would likely not have the same impact on patients that I hope to have in my medical career. And as I reflect on my time as a VISTA member during the COVID-19 pandemic, I am reminded of how it felt navigating such a tumultuous sociopolitical atmosphere. I am reminded of how important it is to come together, hear each other’s stories, and find common ground. AmeriCorps is an opportunity for people from all walks of life to unite in national service, which is something our nation should value and take immense pride in.

AmeriCorps held an opportunity that was a turning point for me within my public health career. I gained valuable skills within the area of instructional design which involved designing a course for the Jefferson County Public Health Volunteers. I grew both professionally and personally through rapport with colleagues within my cohort and thrived within a safe learning environment as well. I am preparing for a career in nursing now and the skills and knowledge gained are congruent with where that career will take me professionally.

Serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member was a truly transformative experience—both personally and professionally. After graduating from college with a strong interest in public health, I was eager to gain hands-on experience but unsure of where to begin. A recommendation from a friend led me to apply for the AmeriCorps VISTA program, which ultimately became a pivotal step in launching my career. Through a placement with Immunize Colorado, I served at Jefferson County Public Health as the Immunization Outreach Coordinator. In this role, I had the opportunity to lead community-based vaccine outreach clinics, coordinate public health events, and build meaningful partnerships with local organizations. I also collaborated with several programs across the department—including sexual health, harm reduction, tobacco cessation, and environmental health—broadening my understanding of the public health landscape. My AmeriCorps service allowed me to educate community members, address health misinformation, improve accessibility to vital health services, and assist families in navigating available community resources. These responsibilities not only deepened my passion for health equity but also sharpened essential professional skills, such as public speaking, leadership, networking, and relationship-building.

The impact of this experience was immediate and long-lasting. Following the completion of my AmeriCorps term, I was hired by the same health department as the Health Events Coordinator—a role I would not have been considered for without the depth of experience and professional development gained through my year of service. AmeriCorps opened the door to a meaningful and sustainable career in public health. More importantly, it affirmed my commitment to serving others and working toward a healthier, more equitable community.

AmeriCorps services are a win-win for our country. They not only address pressing community needs—such as increasing healthcare access, mentoring students, assisting veterans, creating economic opportunities, and promoting environmental conservation —but they also create the next generation of leaders and public servants. Dismantling and undermining these programs during a time of widespread social, economic, and environmental challenges would be a profound disservice to our communities and our future. I strongly urge continued investment in and support of AmeriCorps and its mission. The return on that investment is evident in stronger communities, empowered individuals, and a more resilient nation.

I am incredibly grateful to have served in AmeriCorps VISTA. It was a wonderful experience for me, especially as a retired non-profit executive with 30 years of experience. I wanted to use my skills in a meaningful way, without taking on another executive role.

Serving through AmeriCorps VISTA provided the structure that my sponsor organization and I needed to do great things together. During my AmeriCorps VISTA tenure, I supported the creation and development of programs that expanded integrated health care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), as well as those experiencing substance abuse issues. I contributed to writing a white paper on creating guidelines for a Gold Standard Care model for IDD care, wrote monthly outreach communications, and created trainings. I was busy and happy to serve! However, my most important accomplishment was building connections that created long-term relationships between organizations, which will transcend my service.

AmeriCorps VISTA serves an important role for newly graduated professionals seeking experience, as well as for those like me who want to serve but not be pigeonholed into jobs because of our previous executive experiences. AmeriCorps VISTA is an important and valuable national resource and deserves to not only be preserved but treated as the national treasure that it is.

I loved being part of many years with AmeriCorps, especially with Immunize Colorado! It got me interested in public health, vaccinations, and most importantly my career in social work and the intersectionality of social work and public health - especially as I am graduating soon, with an MSW in May 2025. Seeing all the awesome proposals, initiatives and programs come about because of AmeriCorps and Immunize Colorado has been awesome to see. Future career wise, everytime I hear of what a social worker is doing within FQHC systems or hospitals, I am blown away and amazed and want to do the same. I hope to continue down the path of medical social work because of my choice doing Immunize Colorado. I was able to have a practicum placement with a local FQHC in Cleveland, Ohio that also serves refugees, and they've been hit with a double whammy but also encourages me even more to continue to advocate for refugees, public health, and vaccinations - especially now being more important than ever to do so.

Facilitating the Colorado Immunity Corps, the AmeriCorps VISTA project for which Immunize Colorado is the project sponsor, has been one of the best parts of my job since 2021. I have had the pleasure of recruiting, placing, and mentoring over 25 bright, motivated, and empathetic individuals at host sites across the state of Colorado. Many of these were fresh college graduates who wanted to dip their toe in the field of public health. Others were dedicated lifelong public servants who were searching for ways to support their community and use their skills in their retirement. These folks have served over 50,000 Coloradans through health education and access interventions, ranging from planning mobile vaccine clinics, designing trainings, analyzing data, and implementing vaccine reminder-recall systems. Our members have gone on to pursue meaningful careers in medicine, social work, and public health across the country, leveraging the skills they learned in the safe learning environment that is AmeriCorps VISTA. Many move across the country for their VISTA positions, and choose to make Colorado their permanent home because of the relationships and community that they find here. Others have created lifelong friendships as a result of their service - members who served in 2021 are still close friends today, and support one another as they navigate life and career challenges after their service.

This program fills an important career gap for many individuals. Recent college graduates who apply are often seeking hands-on experience before pursuing permanent, full-time work. Others want an opportunity to explore different areas of public health before deciding on a career path. Still others have yet to fully develop their professional skills, and need a forgiving space to get the real-world experience they need to succeed in the workforce. Some are switching careers, and others are searching for ways to give back to their communities in new ways. The return on investment in AmeriCorps VISTA is profound, as not only are communities receiving services that they otherwise would not, but also organizations are increasing their capacity by bringing in new and fresh eyes in the form of VISTA members, and members themselves are benefitting from learning the ins and outs of public service and a hands-on way. Members’ living stipends are set at the poverty level - the cost of maintaining these programs, relative to the huge impact they have on their members, organizations, and communities, is very small. 

The AmeriCorps staff who I have had the pleasure of working with are some of the most passionate, driven, and service-minded individuals I have met. They are dedicated public servants who provide training, resources, mentorship, and support to VISTA programs across the nation. It is heartbreaking to see that over 85% of them have been placed on leave - people I have gotten to know well in my four years of working closely with them on growing and sustaining this program were placed on leave within a day. 

The program is in a difficult position now - recruitment for the 2025-2026 service year has been in full swing since February. We had an unprecedented number of extremely qualified candidates this year, many of whom were seeking VISTA opportunities as a refuge from an already poor job market. We have nine positions available with wonderful host sites across the Denver Metro area who were excited to bring on new team members. Interviews had happened, and offer letters were being sent out. However, due to the lack of staffing at AmeriCorps, there is nobody there to officially “place” these people in the system, and to complete the necessary approvals to secure these positions for them. Now, a group of passionate recent graduates are living in uncertainty - Will the positions they have been offered actually exist? Should they put that deposit down on an apartment in Denver to come here to complete their service? These extreme cuts have negatively impacted passionate individuals and communities at large.

It saddens me to hear that the AmeriCorps program is experiencing financial difficulties and a lack of governmental support. I would love to share some of my experiences and takeaways from being a part of such a special and impactful organization. I truly appreciate the experience and skills I gained as a VISTA and often reflect with gratitude on my time with Immunize Colorado in Gunnison. While serving with the VISTA program, I learned a great deal about public health during the pandemic. Specifically, I gained insight into the impacts of rural healthcare and the importance of education and community building.

During my VISTA term, I primarily assisted with immunization education, staff training, clinic support, immunization clinic planning, setup, and management, as well as COVID response and tracking. In my role, I came to understand the significance of community building, patient education, and teamwork. At times, we had to meet the immunization needs of 300-500 community members in one session (COVID clinics). Additionally, I implemented a text-reminder system for the community health clinic, which proved integral for appointment adherence, reminders, and communication with patients. Three years later, this system is still being used by the county's public health department. I was fortunate to learn about the intricacies of public health firsthand through the wisdom and expertise of the county’s public health nurses, community health staff, and assistance team.

Since my time in Gunnison, I have taken a step further into healthcare and am currently completing my Master of Health Sciences degree to become a Physician Assistant (PA). I have utilized my understanding of rural public health to deepen my knowledge of effective healthcare practices and patient communication. My time as a VISTA gave me a stronger understanding of the social determinants of health and the complexities associated with rural health. Additionally, I can now educate my current patients and peers about the importance of immunizations and the need to prioritize vaccinations. For instance, during my Family Medicine rotation, several young parents asked about the measles vaccine and its potential impact on their child's health. I was able to combine my understanding of motivational interviewing, medical knowledge, and patient education to have empathetic and informed conversations. While I am still working to sharpen my skills, I feel better equipped to navigate the various elements of healthcare thanks to my experience with VISTA.

Furthermore, while in Gunnison, I gained confidence in taking patient histories while serving as a COVID contact tracer. This experience helped me develop a thorough and detailed approach to patient storytelling. In summary, I am deeply grateful for the skills and experiences I gained while working with AmeriCorps. I have great admiration for the resilience of the Gunnison community and how that experience has shaped who I am today. I hope to carry those lessons forward as I advance in my career as a PA.

While I know times are changing and federal jobs are at risk, I hope my experiences serve as encouragement and demonstrate the impact VISTA has on the community and those who are a part of it.

I served as an AmeriCorps VISTA after graduation from college in 1997.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a career.  I had applied to graduate school but was not accepted. A friend told me about the VISTA program, in which I could serve my community and earn some money to pay off my college loans. 

I spent a year working in a shelter for homeless teenagers.  The job was hard, the pay was lousy.  But I loved it.  I helped students with homework and independent living skills, such as budgeting.  I had not realized how privileged I was to have a loving family that provided me with a home, food, healthcare, clothing.

My experience as a VISTA was transformative.  It inspired me to always look for ways to serve others.  I was fortunate to be accepted to graduate school the following year, and now enjoy a career in higher education where I try to encourage my students to spend a year serving through programs such as AmeriCorps.