MLSA participates in three AmeriCorps programs. We highly value AmeriCorps members' contributions in support of our mission.
AmeriCorps VISTA Project | AmeriCorps Justice for Montanans Project | AmeriCorps Legal Fellows Program
AmeriCorps VISTA Project
MLSA's AmeriCorps VISTA Project places VISTA members with nonprofit and governmental organizations throughout the state to expand their capacity to fight poverty.
We are now accepting applications for July 2013 positions
To prepare your application, please visit www.americorps.gov and select "Join AmeriCorps!" to begin your service journey.
Please note: All VISTA candidates will be required to attend a pre-service orientation (PSO) prior to the start of their term. The PSO will be July 17-19, 2013 in Helena, MT.
Available Positions
Carbon County - Red Lodge, MT
The goal of this VISTA Project is to conduct a community assessment to seek the input of Carbon County’s diverse population to assure that each segment of the population is represented in a strategic plan for economic development. The member will prepare information to educate citizen participants about the process, conduct outreach to increase citizen participation, gather citizen input, and aid in strategic planning to assure that all the voices of Carbon County are part of the economic development plan.
CASA of Montana/CASA Advocates for Kids - Helena, MT
The CASA of Montana and CASA Advocates for Kids VISTA member will develop a comprehensive and standardized on-line training model to allow for more flexible volunteer training. Implementation of this type of training will allow flexibility in how volunteers complete training given varying schedules and geography. The VISTA member would research other programs that have successfully implemented online training modules, develop curriculum, and develop the resources to implement the system. These efforts will ensure that neglected and abused children involved in the court system receive the best services possible and have optimistic futures ahead of them.
Community Support/Women's Resource Center - Dillon, MT
The goal of the VISTA project is to build capacity through awareness and online resources and collaborate with community members and organizations to mobilize community members to actively participate in the prevention of sexual and domestic violence. The VISTA member will expand the information available to the community and survivors of domestic violence through the development of a "hub" website to aggregate all the resources and information available within the community. The member will also develop and implement a social media campaign and other materials to raise awareness of the Center's services and build community support. The member will collaborate with community organizations to recruit volunteers to participate in awareness events and continue with the development of resources for survivors.
Disability Rights Montana - Helena, MT
The goal of this project is continued development of a statewide educational and fundraising campaign to promote the legal rights of persons with disabilities and raise funds for Disability Rights Montana using both traditional and electronic media. The campaign will educate those with disabilities about their rights in the work place and available resources as well as educate the community about the rights of disabled people and how to develop inclusive opportunities. This will lead to a decreased stigma about employing persons with disabilities and the development of employment opportunities for disabled Montanans and increase the capacity of Disability Rights Montana to provide services to persons with disabilities facing discrimination.
Flathead Food Bank - Kalispell, MT
The goal for this VISTA project is to conduct a feasibility study and develop a strategic plan for the development of a job training center to be run by the Flathead Food Bank. A secondary goal for the project is to develop curriculum and outreach materials to teach individuals and families about food financial fitness, so that they can learn the economic and health value of leading healthier lives. The member will accomplish these goals by building partnerships in the community, developing resources for the Flathead Food Bank , researching and developing curriculum for the food fitness classes, conducting a feasibility analysis, and developing a strategic plan all while developing systems to sustain the efforts after the member’s departure.
Human Resource Development Council IX – Bozeman, MT
This project with focus on ongoing development and implementation a mentoring program and development of a volunteer program to support the HRDC's homeless and financial literacy programs. The VISTA member will assess the needs of the community served by the program, which will not only be incorporated into Mentor Program development, but also the agency's strategic planning process. In addition, the member will lead efforts in evaluating program success and training volunteer mentor coordinators to ensure program sustainability.
NeighborWorks Montana - Pablo, MT
The VISTA project will complete project activities meant to build capacity on Montana and Wyoming's reservations by improving the availability and affordability of housing. The VISTA will work closely with members lo conduct relevant research to develop a website for the MWTHC, organize homebuyer education classes and think of creative ways to expand homebuyer education on reservations, pursue funding through grants and applying for other federal housing programs, provide technical assistance to tribal housing authorities, and conduct other special projects aimed at increasing housing availability throughout the reservations.
Opportunity Link - Havre, MT
The Vibrant Futures project is a HUD-funded sustainable community planning project with an aim to expand the livability of the target communities through local and regional strategies aimed at improving housing conditions and affordability, increasing access to transportation, water infrastructure, access and availability of health care services, and economic development. The VISTA will engage and educate community members in the target communities to ensure that community members have a say in the planning process. This will be accomplished through stakeholder meetings, focus groups, outreach aiming at identifying the immediate needs of the communities so that community planning process can be structured around increased livability through stable housing and increased economic opportunity.
Red Lodge Area Community Foundation - Red Lodge, MT
The VISTA will support veterans in the community by building capacity for the five main Veteran service organizations in the Red Lodge Area. This will be accomplished through the completion of a needs analysis of veterans in the area and a assessment of the services currently offered followed by the development of a strategic planned aimed at identifying ways to fill the gaps in services. The VISTA will also assist the veterans organizations in resource development which will allow them to better support veterans in the area by increasing the scope of their services.
Rural Employment Opportunities - Helena, MT
The VISTA project will focus on building and sustaining cooperative networks of low-income individuals/families living in multiple Montana communities or regions. Nearly one of three Montanans live in poverty or “near poverty.” This is largely due to the lack of liveable-wage jobs and isolation from community resources and opportunities. By networking individuals/families in this situation, REO will be able to assist individuals/families, through a self-help model, to: plan, locate resources, identify and create opportunities for employment or enterprise (small business) and increase levels of household net worth. In year three, REO seeks to: organize and launch four new local WECAN networks, implement a fundraising plan to raise up to $50,000 in project funds, integrate services and outreach to Veterans and recruit additional advisory board members.
State Bar of Montana - Helena, MT
A statewide needs analysis determined that over a quarter of Montana veterans have a consumer related legal issue. With over 100,000 veterans in Montana, it is important that these veterans have access to the resources and organizations that can help alleviate these issues. The goal of this project is to improve the resources available to Montana veterans and to expand outreach to educate veterans about available resources. The member will develop a partnership between the State Bar of Montana, Montana Legal Services Association, ArmyOneSource, the Supreme Court Administrator’s Office, the VA’s Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, the Montana State Law Library, and the University of Montana School of Law to identify available and missing resources, create a distribution plan for the newly created Veterans’ Guide to Finance Related Law, recruit and train volunteers to conduct outreach presentations, and develop materials aimed at educating veterans about consumer related issues.
Western Sustainability Exchange - Livingston, MT
This VISTA Project aims to expand WSE’s Young Entrepreneur Stewardship (YES) program by providing disadvantaged children an opportunity to learn basic business concepts at a 5-day YES Camp and then immediately put these concepts into action by helping them create a business they can run at WSE’s Livingston Farmers Market. WSE’s goal for the project is to recruit 60 children into the program, at least 45% from low-income families. The VISTA member will develop a recruitment campaign to target children from low-income families and research and develop a program to mentor these children so that they can create a product or service to sell through YES booths at the Livingston Farmers Market. Additionally, the VISTA member will create a model program which could be duplicated in additional communities allowing more children from low-income areas to benefit from the lessons learned through YES.
YWCA Missoula (Pathways Program) - Missoula, MT
The goal of this VISTA project will be to provide information about the impacts of domestic violence on children, educate the community on this social issue and increase access to resources for victims of domestic violence and their children, and ultimately reduce domestic and sexual violence in the Missoula community. The VISTA will perform a needs assessment of the Children's Program to identify specific gaps and needs in the services provided, research best practices and procedures for children's programs in domestic violence shelters, recruit at least 10 new volunteers for the Pathways children's program, help increase the Children's Program financial capacity, and provide education and outreach throughout the community Missoula community.
YWCA Missoula (Transitional Housing) - Missoula, MT
The goal of the first VISTA Project is completion of an assessment of the Transitional Housing Program which was developed and administered during the first and second year of the project. Completion of the assessment will lead to the creation of procedures and practices to fill some of the identified gaps in services. The VISTA will also continue efforts to secure resources to support expansion of the transitional housing program. The VISTA member will conduct focus groups to improve the Transitional Housing (TH) program, give outreach presentations regarding YWCA Missoula services, write grant applications and reports, and measures to assure sustainability of the program improvements. These efforts will allow YWCA of Missoula to reach one of their goals of reducing poverty by empowering women and children in the community, breaking the cycle of violence, and creating a safe and welcoming community for all.
If you have any questions regarding any of these positions please contact Brittany Waiss, AmeriCorps Coordinator at bwaiss@mtlsa.org or (406) 543-8343 x 206.
AmeriCorps State Justice for Montanans Project
Members of the AmeriCorps State Justice for Montanans Project serve with MLSA and other organizations to provide direct services to people seeking assistance with legal issues.
AmeriCorps Legal Fellows Program
Attorneys who serve with MLSA's AmeriCorps Legal Fellows Program provide legal services to MLSA clients and recruit pro bono attorneys.
MLSA sponsors an AmeriCorps Legal Fellows program for law school graduates committed to expanding access to justice. This program is funded in part by Equal Justice Works. In addition to providing services to clients, fellows also conduct outreach and recruit attorneys and law students to provide services pro bono. Each fellow serves a term of approximately one year, which may be renewable for a second year. Fellows receive an AmeriCorps living allowance and a supplement, and are also eligible to receive an education award upon successful completion of the term of service. If you would rather learn about one of MLSA's other AmeriCorps programs, please click the appropriate link: MLSA AmeriCorps VISTA Project or AmeriCorps State Justice for Montanans Project.
Currently, an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows serves with MLSA on a Veterans and Medical-Legal Partnership project.
Each year, MLSA evaluates the fellows' projects and MLSA's needs and, in conjunction with national AmeriCorps and Equal Justice Works staff, tailors new projects for any incoming fellows. MLSA typically recruits for fellows in the spring. If we are currently accepting applications, we will provide a link to an application and any other relevant information here.
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Jessica Millward serves with MLSA providing services to veterans, clients with public benefits issues, and clients referred through MLSA's medical-legal partnership with RiverStone Health. Originally from Mohnton, Pennsylvania, Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Trinity College, Hartford, majoring in both Political Science and English with a concentration in literature. During law school at American University, she served as Executive Chair of Washington College of Law’s Equal Justice Foundation and spent her summers clerking at The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and New Hampshire Legal Assistance. Serving her second year as a fellow, Jessica provides direct services to clients and develops written materials and resources to support MLSA's projects relating to veterans, public benefits and medical-legal partnerships. Jessica is excited to live in Montana for the first time. |
If you have questions about MLSA's Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows program, please contact Elaine Dahl at edahl@mtlsa.org or 406-442-9830 x 138.
