Monday, September 22, 2014

Meet Zachariah, Our new student at CCSR!

Zachariah McCallister is one of the Wichita State students working at the Center for Community Support and Research this semester. A senior studying social work from Wichita. He graduated from Southeast High School with a focus on math, science and music.

“A near-death experience and an extended recovery caused many changes in my life and I found a new path for myself in the field of social work,” said McCallister. “Many of my life experiences have shown that people can get trapped in challenging situations because of circumstances they cannot control. I want to be an advocate who helps others discover ways to get the resources they need in order to have the quality of life everyone deserves. I decided that becoming a social worker would be the best path for me to succeed, and I have been excited every step of the way.”


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

CCSR Selected for VISTA Intermediary Sponsor to Address Poverty in Kansas


Public Health Initiatives VISTA Fellows Austin Burke, BS
The Center for Community Support and Research (CCSR) was recently selected by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to serve Kansas as an AmeriCorps VISTA Intermediary Sponsor. AmeriCorps VISTA is a national and community service program administered by the CNCS placing volunteers in poverty-fighting organizations across the United States.  Through this award, CCSR will create WSU VISTA Fellows connecting them with nonprofits, government, and public health serving agencies statewide. This project is an innovative way to connect WSU with community organizations that address poverty.

Through the VISTA Fellows Project, WSU graduates will engage in one year of hands-on service in their community while applying knowledge, expertise and skills they learned during their educational experience. “It’s a way to put their degree to use while giving back to their community,” said Teresa Strausz, MSOD, LMSW, CCSR Community Engagement and Learning Coordinator. WSU VISTA Fellows help build capacity of nonprofits and other organizations whose missions and/or services impact those who are economically disadvantaged.

The inaugural group of VISTA Fellows arrived in Kansas on July 18 serving Peace Connections/Circles of Hope in Harvey County, Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County, Rainbows United, Inc. and CCSR’s Public Health Initiatives team. You can find these Fellows engaged in a variety of activities including program development, marketing/communications, fund development/grant writing, and volunteer management. 

Scott Wituk, CCSR’s Executive Director said, “We are honored to be selected by CNCS to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA Intermediary Sponsor.  This is a great opportunity for recent WSU graduates to apply what they have learned through their WSU coursework. I think they will learn a lot more through this applied experience and it will also position them to be more engaged citizens for the rest of their lives.  I also know we have a lot of hard, challenging work in front of us, but are hopeful that in a few years, dozens of WSU VISTA Fellows will be actively engaged in addressing poverty throughout Kansas.”

WSU VISTA Fellows serve 40 hours per week for one year, receiving an educational stipend in addition to a modest living allowance. CCSR accepts applications anytime from organizations interested in hosting VISTA Fellows as well as students or graduates interested in serving as a WSU VISTA Fellow.  

More information is provided online at www.wichita.edu/CCSR/AmericorpsVISTA. For the application process or to discuss VISTA contact Teresa Strausz at teresa.strausz@wichita.edu or 316-978-6778.