Twelve Summer Associate Positions Available

The Community Corrections Improvement Association (CCIA) and Central Cedar Rapids Weed and Seed have collaborated to establish a Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) Program in Cedar Rapids.  CCIA is a private foundation under the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.  Central Cedar Rapids Weed and Seed is a strategy which aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in targeted high-crime neighborhoods.  The key elements in the Weed and Seed Strategy include law enforcement, community policing, prevention-intervention-treatment, and neighborhood restoration.  The five Cedar Rapids neighborhoods that encompass the Weed and Seed project include Mound View, Wellington Heights, Oak Hill Jackson, Taylor area, and Northwest area.

Twelve Summer Associate VISTA volunteers have been approved for this project. These positions require a 10 week of service commitment from June 4th through August 12th.

VISTA volunteers are community organizers.  Their work should engage all elements of the community, enabling the community to solve its own problems.  Examples of activities include recruiting and training community volunteers, creative fund raising and grant writing, and public awareness work.  A VISTA project is considered successful when the work continues after VISTA volunteers have left.

If you are interested in finding out more about this service opportunity, please contact Julie Rochford at 319-730-1118, or by email at julie.rochford@iowa.gov.