Speech #980122072

Paying VISTAs to direct the volunteers is the best way to use Federal dollars. Since 1965. more than 75.000 men and women from all walks of life and all age groups have dedicated a year or more of their lives to helping those less fortunate. by joining the VISTA program. Nearly 1.800 volunteers have served in Ohio alone and countless Ohioans have served as VISTA volunteers nationwide. all having agreed to serve around the clock for povertylevel allowances in urban neighborhoods. rural communities. on Indian reservations. in migrant fields. in the hollows of Appalachia and in innercity communitiesall striving to improve the lives of our most disadvantaged citizens: the hungry. the homeless. the illiterate. the elderly. and the unemployed. Ohio VISTA volunteers have worked with Clevelands elderly immigrants of many nationalities to help them obtain services and resources to which they are entitled. VISTAs have given support and assistance to the States school lunch and breakfast programs for needy children. VISTA volunteers have created a community cannery in order to meet the nutritional needs of lowincome citizens in Pike County. VISTAs assigned to the Ohio Council of Churches refugee resettlement program have aided in the resettlement of over 2.000 refugees over the past 3 years and successfully assisted in the raising of over $1 million for the project from private sector sources. Additionally. these VISTAs recruited and trained over 11.000 community volunteers to assist in refugee resettlement. VISTA volunteers working with local residents in north Toledo were responsible for raising $200.000 in cash and inkind contributions from the private sector to establish a family health center. the first of its kind in a lowincome north Toledo neighborhood. The VISTA volunteer responsible for this successful venture initially came to Ohio as a nationally recruited volunteer. and upon completion of her year of service was hired as the director of the center.