(Woodstock, VT)—The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission is pleased to have partnered with SerVermont AmeriCorps VISTA to host a volunteer over the next year. The VISTA, Pollaidh Major, joined the TRORC on August 11, 2014. Ms. Major is originally from Westminster, Vermont and has a BA from the George Washington University in International Affairs with a concentration in Development Studies. Prior to her VISTA membership she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer working on community economic development in Uganda from 2012-2014. Ms. Major is eager to apply the skills she gained in community development abroad to aid lower income populations in her home state.
During her time at TRORC, Ms. Major will work to integrate aspects of poverty alleviation into the commission’s programs. As a VISTA member, Ms. Major will serve to create two-way links between people, programs, plans and policies so that the interests of those in need of opportunity are represented. Her areas of impact will include housing, transit, energy efficiency, job skills, and the needs of elderly and disabled. She will begin by working with communities in the TRORC region on increasing the availability of housing for lower income residents.
Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) is a federal volunteer program which has been focused on poverty alleviation since 1965. VISTA members serve a one year term during which they work to enhance the capacity of their host organizations to fight poverty. In 1993 VISTA was incorporated into AmeriCorps in order to integrate the service of its volunteers into AmeriCorps broader volunteer network. Here in Vermont, the VISTA program is administered by SerVermont.
Download the official press release here.