What is a Community Fellow?
A Community Fellow is an undergraduate student involved in the Americorps VISTA program that commits to 300 hours of community service per calendar year. A Community Fellow works primarily at one site (for this blog, that site is the Franklin County Literacy Council) and is part of a larger group of Community Fellows at SHIP.
What does VISTA stand for?
It stands for Volunteers in Service to America. Americorps is often called the domestic Peace Corps, meaning the volunteer work you complete is within the US and not abroad. A Community Fellow works right within his or her own community (hence the name), so there is no relocation or break from school.
Do you have to complete 300 hours at only one location?
Not at all! While you must commit at least half of your hours (150 hours) to your site, the other half can be used for training, fundraising, and other service events in your area.
Does a Community Fellowship look good on a resume? Should I get an internship instead?
It never hurts to get out and experience any organization you're interested in, but being a Community Fellow certainly shines on a resume. Only one person is chosen to work at a site, meaning the group of Community Fellows is smaller than the group of students who hold an internship. Also, volunteer work shows future employers that you are willing to make sacrifices for your community and also shows initiative and motivation based on the number of hours you must commit to the program. However, you should feel a genuine interest toward helping your community before you sign up-- volunteering just because you want a better resume might backfire if you don't truly enjoy your placement.
If you have any other questions, feel free to contact Jayda at fclcvista@gmail.com.
