Stewards VISTA: Grow Ohio Valley-AmeriCorps

Position Title: Stewards VISTA: Grow Ohio Valley-AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements, East

Site Location: Wheeling, WV

City, State or Full Address: 1006 Grandview St, Wheeling, WV 26003

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 04/07/25
• End Date: 04/06/26
• Must serve a 365-day (1 year) service term
• Living Allowance: $68.39/day ($24,962.35/year)

PLEASE APPLY USING THIS LINK: My AmeriCorps - Home Page

Purpose:

Grow Ohio Valley is an AmeriCorps Program dedicated to increasing the availability and access to locally grown food while educating the community about healthy eating and gardening. The program is designed to serve the residents of Wheeling, West Virginia, particularly those living in underserved neighborhoods and food deserts. Grow Ohio Valley operates four urban farm sites and the Public Market, which promotes healthy food access through initiatives like the SNAP Stretch program, benefiting individuals with limited access to fresh produce. The guiding principles of the program include community empowerment, sustainable agriculture, education, and promoting health equity.

As an AmeriCorps VISTA with Grow Ohio Valley, the member will support the organization’s mission by assisting with urban farming activities, leading educational programs on healthy food literacy, and helping expand community access to local food sources. This role connects directly with Grow Ohio Valley's core goals of fostering a local food system and promoting health and wellness, while also supporting the organization's outreach and community engagement efforts.

Description of Duties:

• Research and find funding opportunities to help support the Incubator Farm Program.
• Develop and write down processes and agreements needed to get the program started.
• Work with the Farm Manager to figure out the land and tools needed for the program.
• Assist in planning and preparing the land for farming, including making sure it’s ready for use by new farmers.
• Help create educational materials to teach new farmers about sustainable farming and running a farm business.
• Build connections with local farmers and agricultural experts to support the program.
• Help recruit new farmers and producers to join the program.
• Plan and organize workshops and training sessions to teach new farmers essential skills.
• Track the progress of the program and provide updates to the team and supporters.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 years of age
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
• Has completed some college
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time (35-40 hours) from 4/07/25 to 4/06/26, but exact schedules may vary.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award* of $7,395.00
  • or choice of cash stipend of ~$1,800.00
• Living Allowance of $68.39 per day, disbursed every 2 weeks
• Relocation Allowance ($750) if Eligible
• Healthcare Coverage* if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage* if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• Training and Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 support)
• Non-Competitive Eligibility* (NCE) status upon successful completion of the term
• Networking and Mentorship

• For more information regarding the Segal Education Award, check out this link as well as alternative uses for the award here.

• For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare

• For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit https://americorpschildcare.com/

• For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/trust/help/member_portal/non_competitive_eligibility_overview.htm

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed their required year of service; the member has satisfactorily completed assignments; and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets, accomplishment tracking, and quarterly reporting.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

For VISTA-related information, contact Addie Gilkerson at agilkerson@conservationlegacy.org

For site-related information, contact Chloe Lefchak at volunteer@growov.org

PLEASE APPLY USING THIS LINK: My AmeriCorps - Home Page

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.