I had the experience of talking to a friend of mine about being an AmeriCorps VISTA and what it meant this morning. This was not the first time I've been asked to relate my experience to someone that was interested in applying for it. I've attached that text below to see if anyone else can garner something from it.
Some edits were made to adjust from the personal nature of the e-mail, but most has been maintained.
-AML
~~~
I am, of course, very happy to answer any and all of your questions honestly.
I want you to know that overall, I thoroughly enjoy my position and VISTA itself, with certain qualifications. It may not seem like it from a few of the stories, but it's very true.
...Living on the stipend/housing allowance is tough...This is difficult, but necessary, and the wave hasn't begun yet. I also would not have been able to live without food stamps/SNAP, and the health 'coverage' that you get covers only prescriptions and emergencies--nothing else. So it really is living in a version of poverty.
The stipend is not considered "income" by the federal government (though you are taxed on it by both federal and eventually state taxes). You are not considered "employed" in terms of being able to collect unemployment afterwards (but you are also barred from holding other employment). You are a seemingly 'special' entity, and this has interesting consequences.
A typical paycheck is $XXX every two weeks (it was about $XXX a paycheck, but a tax exemption that was passed with the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009 expired on Dec. 31 of last year, effectively making AmeriCorps members the only population to experience a 'tax increase'). Calculated out, this is something like $4.87/hour. Yes, below minimum wage. (And I appreciate and earn every cent!)
And yes, that means that it's less than double a gallon of gas.
Upon entering college, I never thought I'd be on food stamps, I never though I'd be making less than minimum wage, and I never thought I'd have less than $10 in my bank account for any period of time. All have happened,though the last one was only for 2 days before my food stamps kicked in and before I got a paycheck. I did not go hungry, as I had food in my pantry, and had a full tank of gas, but staring at just over a $3 balance in the bank is a bit surreal. It's a bit scary and overwhelming at times. But it's only, essentially, momentary.
However, saying all of this, I guarantee you that your experience will be different in most ways, though not all. If you are eligible for food stamps, do it. It took me overcoming my pride to do it, and I lasted a few months not doing it, but when I applied for them (on my 23rd birthday), I felt a lot more knowledgeable on how the "other" half lives--because I became part of them (there really isn't an 'other' as I've learned. People's status shouldn't determine who they associate with). I was, however, the only white person applying for assistance that day, and got more strange looks than I'd care to mention (I was dressed for work that day. I can honestly say that I felt out of place). But I can honestly say that I don't believe in any government program like I believe in food stamps. I went from living on canned soup to eating fresh vegetables again. I have actual evidence of my blood pressure dropping from the level it was at during the height of my non-food stamps days. Sure, it gets a bad wrap, but it's the best government program there is, in my opinion. And it's the only way to go through VISTA.
So, as to the idea of if you should do it, or not, I'd say definitely consider it, but consider what's going on as well. I will never look at someone in poverty in this country the same again. This has informed my beliefs about everything entirely.
Even though I'm making less than someone at McDonald's, I'm still in such a privileged position. First, my education allows me advantages that others in "my tax bracket" can't have. Additionally, I know that I have my family to support me financially and emotionally, and they have (I literally could not have afforded car insurance during this experience, nor could I have traveled to see them or my girlfriend without all of their supports and gifts).
And I also know that it will be ending June 19th of this year. I'm out of the cycle of poverty on that exact date. After this experience, I will be moving back home for a few months, taking a vacation sponsored by my parents' dollars, and living rent-free at home. So while I've had an enriching experience, it's never really been "all the way." It's similar to Barbara Ehrenrich's "Nickel and Dimed", though with marked differences. I have never gone hungry, and I live with two roommates with stable jobs (they are also VISTAs) in a safe neighborhood on Indy's northwest side. So I am not in real poverty, but at times it has certainly felt like that.
I don't mean to be so preachy, but this experience has been life-changing. No doubt. I've hated it at times, broken down a couple of times, but it has been completely worth it. I would strongly suggest it. But it is not easy--though I know fully well that you are more than capable to handle it. It's just that there is a lot more to consider about taking this job than I originally thought. That's why I'm happy to answer any questions.
I'm sorry that this was so long. But I feel like you should hear more about this sort of story than just what the brochures and job descriptions say.
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