During AmeriCorps Week, THN thanks the following four THN AmeriCorps VISTA members and recognizes their hard work to end poverty across Texas and New Mexico. Over the past year, THN VISTA members have served over 9,120 hours, recruited 84 volunteers, raised over $55,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, and enriched their community in outreach and capacity building.

Alexis Stockton, Partnership Development VISTA, analyzes and develops service provider relationships and collaborations with other sectors, including education, healthcare, legal, and the foster care systems. Her work helps improve policies and processes to support students experiencing homelessness, hospital patients, people re-entering the community after incarceration and youth exiting foster care, among others. 

In her third year of service, Sabrina Fields is taking on a new role as the Landlord Engagement Coordinator in Longview, Texas. Sabrina’s service focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty by creating relationships and educating landlords on the voucher program to increase housing opportunities and ultimately reduce the number of unhoused individuals in Longview.

As THN VISTA Timebank Coordinator at Doña Ana Communities United (DACU) in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Patricia Mendoza focuses on extending the reach of DACU’s timebank, a resource through which volunteers from all walks of life exchange no-cost services.

Lynn Luther, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Research and Development, assists the HMIS team in developing procedures for database maintenance, creating materials for specific funding sources, and providing support to the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) Data committee.

Thank you, THN VISTA members, for your service and commitment to improving the lives of others!