Priscilla Ybarra, a resident of Lonoke, was recently sworn in as a member of AmeriCorps VISTA, the nearly 40-year-old national service program dedicated to helping fight poverty in the United States. Ybarra has been assigned to Pulaski County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) as Outreach Coordinator. She will assist the program in raising awareness about child abuse and neglect in the community and maintain relationships between the organization and local media. Ybarra is originally from Wills Point, Texas and a recent graduate from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.
Ybarra will spend a year as a VISTA member serving for CASA. In exchange for her year of full-time services, she will receive a modest living allowance along with health insurance, training, travel and relocation expenses. When she completes her service, she will receive either a $1,200 stipend or an education award of $4,725 that she can use to help pay for further schooling, vocational training or to pay off qualified student loans.
For 40 years, VISTA has been helping bring communities and individuals out of poverty. Today, nearly 7,000 VISTA members serve in hundreds of nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout the country—working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create business, increase housing opportunities and bridge the digital divide.
An additional VISTA will be added to the Pulaski County CASA team this summer to develop and maintain recruitment efforts. For further information contact Marquita Rogers at (501) 340-6778. Priscilla Ybarra may be reached at pulaskicountycasa@gmail.com for further questions or comments.
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