April. 6, 2012
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food banks will place 165 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates across the state this summer to help fight childhood hunger by boosting participation in programs that provide free meals to children in low-income areas.
Eight summer associates will be working through the AmeriCorps VISTA program in Portsmouth at Shawnee State University. They will help expand the capacity and scale of the Portsmouth Pantry Garden which will be located in the Sciotoville area this summer.
"The AmeriCorps Summer Associate VISTAs will maintain the four-acre garden, recruit and manage volunteers, fundraise and distribute their freshly harvested food and vegetables to local food pantries," said Nikki Karabinis, coordinator for the Center for Community Service at SSU. "In addition, the VISTAs will host two workshops open to the community."
Summer Associates must be 18 years old or older and be able to commit to eight weeks of full-time service from June 4 through July 29. Summer Associates are paid a modest living stipend and receive an end-of-service award (either a cash bonus or money for school) upon completing the eight-week term.
The program is an opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to gain valuable work experience and make a difference in the community.
"We are looking for people with knowledge of vegetable seeds and plants and gardening in general who also have some basic knowledge of how to cook on a budget and how to use as much from a garden as possible when preparing meals," Karabinis said.
Interested individuals can fill out an application online. Applications will be accepted through May 14. More information on the application process is available at www.cashf.org.