AmeriCorps Exit Survey: Excerpts from Yours Truly

My time with AmeriCorps is rapidly coming to a close, and it's time to evaluate the year and what I've accomplished. Here are some of my responses to the online survey that CNCS (the Corporation for National and Community Service) sends out to all exiting AmeriCorps*VISTAs.

"My organization applied for a VISTA with a fabulous work plan, but I never got to do most of it. Some of the reason was funding, but it was also just that the organization always tried to write what they thought CNCS wanted to hear rather than what was practical or fair for a VISTA to do. I was put in 'charge' of a lot of things that I really had no authority over whatsoever."

"A lot of the job titles handed out to VISTAs are meaningless and bear little relation to what they actually do. My case is no exception. This isn't the way it has to be, but so many organizations claim to have big things for VISTAs to do that never pan out for one reason or another. And quite frankly, part of this CNCS's bull, if you'll forgive me. There are special key words and phrases they want to hear, and if they hear those words and check off items on their lists, they can very easily ignore what's actually going in the sponsoring organization."

"If CNCS weren't so hopelessly buried under a pile of dense forms and meaningless corporate jargon, they'd have more time to make sure their VISTAs aren't being misused. Like most government organizations, CNCS is an impassable bureaucracy almost entirely out of touch with the people it serves."

I doubt this will make much of a difference to anyone at the state office, but at least I can say I tried.