Impact Spotlight: Harvest VISTA
Harvest VISTA
Our Harvest VISTA program embeds AmeriCorps Volunteers across Washington State. At their host sites, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers provide critical support for gleaning, produce recovery, and food systems programming. Over the last year, seven AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers have helped distribute approximately 45,648 pounds of food to local food systems. But the impact of this work goes beyond pounds of food; it also includes strong support for community engagement activities. Last year, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers recruited 274 new volunteers, coordinated with 389 returning volunteers, and supported over 1,400 hours of volunteer service.
The numbers alone don’t tell the full story. Meet Grace, the Food Rescue Program Coordinator VISTA with FISH Community Food Bank in Ellensburg. Last year, Grace expanded FISH’s food systems programming through three key initiatives. First, through weekly collections of surplus produce at Ellensburg Farmers Market, Grace helped recover 4,473 pounds of fresh produce, bringing in more than 40 types of fresh fruits and vegetables for FISH clients. Grace also designed and launched the Backyard Gleaning Program, which recovered 2,412 pounds of locally grown, nutritious fruit. These new initiatives complemented Grace’s work revitalizing FISH’s grocery rescue program. She recovered 767 pounds of food and strengthened local business partnerships through these efforts.
Harvest VISTA Summer Associates
In addition to the year-long AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers, the summer associate program returned after a 3-year hiatus. Eleven summer associates built their leadership skills and strengthened capacity with eight hunger relief organizations, including Kitsap Conservation District, Hopelink, and Vashon Maury Community Food Bank. Megan Moore, Food Program Manager at Hopelink, contextualized the impact of these summer positions best by saying:
The Harvest VISTA Summer Associates played a huge role in the success of Hopelink’s Harvest Program this season. Because of their hard work, independence, and willingness to jump in wherever needed, we harvested more produce, worked with a new farm partner, and even hosted multiple gleans in a single day. None of that would have been possible without their behind-the-scenes support setting up equipment, communicating with farm partners, and completing the data tracking and reporting after each glean.
Building a Legacy
Overall, the program’s impact is impressive. To date, HAH’s AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers have helped gather over 7.5 million pounds of fresh produce, recruit and manage over 45,000 volunteers, build capacity at 68 host sites, and support over 100,000 volunteer hours. Despite recent challenges like last year’s government shutdown, budget cuts, and the cancellation of federal grant funding, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteers continue to show up for the communities they serve, steadfast in their dedication to building sustainable food systems across our state. In turn, these dedicated folks are building deep knowledge and broad skill sets. These skills will empower them to meet future food systems challenges head-on. They will lead innovation by applying this work in their local communities.