About

The Golden Heart City of Fairbanks, Alaska has benefited from the influence of VISTAs for many years. The program has had several homes, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough. As of 2019, the program is hosted by the City of Fairbanks and housed in City Hall.

The following are just a few examples of the many successful achievements resulting from VISTA work in Fairbanks:

Fairbanks Youth Advocates' The Door youth shelter was opened in 2014.
Access Alaska's Pre-Employment Transition Services Program was established in 2017.
Fairbanks Housing & Homeless Coalition's Rapid Rehousing Program was launched in 2019.
FNSB Public Library's Community Assessment Survey was conducted in 2018.
The Boys & Girls Club's Teen Center was opened in 2018.
The Fairbanks Soil & Water Conservation District received a USDA grant for $375,000 in 2020 to implement a community-led hydroponics farm.

Our VISTAs engage in a year of full-time service to strengthen organizations that eliminate or alleviate poverty through the mobilization of community volunteers and resources. They build capacity, strengthen communities, and develop their own careers while focusing on the national issues of poverty, inequity, homelessness and lack of access to education.

For more information about the national impact of AmeriCorps VISTA, check out this video!