Volunteers end year of service

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Americorps VISTA Program’s founding.

VISTA — Volunteers In Service To America — is often called the domestic Peace Corps and combines federal and local resources to fight poverty in America. 

According to the organization’s website, Americorps VISTA members make yearlong, full-time commitments to serve at nonprofit organizations or public agencies and focus on strengthening those organizations’ administrative and financial capacity to fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development and otherwise assist low-income communities.

In return for their service, members receive modest living allowances, health benefits during their service and may choose an Americorps Education Award or cash stipend upon completion of their term.

The Montana Campus Compact, a higher education service consortium hosted by the University of Montana, places VISTA volunteers across Montana to establish and sustain campus-community partnerships.

Lacy Fiore and Alex Herlich were among nine VISTA members in Montana who completed their year of service on Jan. 23.

Fiore served with the Girl Scouts through Flathead Valley Community College. Herlich served with the Upward Bound program at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo.

Together with their peers, this class volunteered 1,614 hours by serving more than 3,100 disadvantaged youths and 33 veterans in their communities, and succeeded in raising more than $296,400 in cash, grants and in-kind donations, recruited nearly 600 community volunteers and 154 students, and mentored 220 individuals.

For more information about Montana Campus Compact, call 406-243-5177.

The Flathead Food Bank’s Backpack Program has been putting healthy food in the hands of hungry kids for the last four years. 

The program delivers bags of food to local schools to be distributed to those students who may not have access to enough food on weekends. The food bank works with the Montana Food Bank Network to train teachers to identify children in need. 

Pantry volunteers pack the bags at the pantry and they are delivered weekly by Kalispell Regional Medical Center volunteers.

The program is currently serving more than 350 students in 15 schools in the Flathead. 

Thanks to the generosity of the community, the 2014 Toys For Tots drive has made 2015 brighter for 1,740 children in the Flathead Valley.

Marine personnel report that 692 families were helped between the weekends of Dec. 13 and 14 and Dec. 20 and 21.

The Marines send a big thank-you to everyone who worked so hard to make this Christmas special for those in need.

Community editor Carol Marino may be reached at 758-4440 or by email at community@dailyinterlake.com.