HandsOn Central California, formally known as the Volunteer Center of Fresno County, Inc., has served the community since 1962. It was founded by a group of community leaders who saw the value of volunteerism as a tool for community change. In 2008, The Volunteer Center became a transformational affiliate of HandsOn Network, and expanded to serve Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties. Our Mission is to INSPIRES, EQUIPS, and MOBILIZES people to take action to serve their communities.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program which focuses on alleviating poverty through housing, health, food security, and education. HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA members work in Fresno elementary schools as Volunteer Coordinators for one year to develop volunteer programs, strategically accessing volunteers into the pipeline of pre-school through 3rd grade classrooms. Literacy by 3rd Grade goals are to:
· Develop sustainable programmatic capacity for Fresno elementary schools to use volunteers
· Improve literacy support for children at risk of not reading at grade level by the third grade
Slater’s Vista Volunteer Coordinator is Elba Scherer