§ 4953 — Selection And Assignment Of Volunteers

(a) The Director, on the receipt of applications by public or nonprofit private organizations to receive volunteers under this part, may assign volunteers selected under subsection (b) to work in appropriate projects and programs sponsored by such organizations, including work— (1) in meeting the health, education, welfare, or related needs of Indians living on reservations or Federal trust lands, of migratory and seasonal farmworkers and their families, and of residents of the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands; (2) in the care and rehabilitation of mentally ill, developmentally disabled, and other individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with severe disabilities; (3) in addressing the problems of the homeless, unemployed individuals, and low-income youths; (4) in addressing the special needs connected with alcohol and drug abuse through prevention, education, rehabilitation, treatment, and related activities, consistent with the purpose of this part; (5) in addressing significant health care problems, including mental illness, chronic and life-threatening illnesses, and health care for homeless individuals (especially homeless children) through prevention, treatment, and community-based care activities; (6) in connection with programs or activities authorized, supported, or of a character eligible for assistance under this chapter or the Community Service Block Grant Act [42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.], titles VIII and X of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2991 et seq., 2996 et seq.], the Head Start Act [42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.], the Community Economic Development Act of 1981 [42 U.S.C. 9801 et seq.], or other similar Acts, in furtherance of the purpose of this subchapter; (7) in strengthening, supplementing, and expanding efforts to address the problem of illiteracy throughout the United States; (8) in assisting with the reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated youth and adults into society, including providing training and counseling in education, employment, and life skills; (9) in developing and carrying out financial literacy, financial planning, budgeting, saving, and reputable credit accessibility programs in low-income communities, including those programs that educate individuals about financing home ownership and higher education; (10) in initiating and supporting before-school and after-school programs, serving children in low-income communities, that may engage participants in mentoring, tutoring, life skills and study skills programs, service-learning, physical, nutrition, and health education programs, and other activities addressing the needs of the children; (11) in establishing and supporting community economic development initiatives, with a priority on work on such initiatives in rural areas and the other areas where such initiatives are needed most; (12) in assisting veterans and their family members through establishing or augmenting programs that assist such persons with access to legal assistance, health care (including mental health care), employment counseling or training, education counseling or training, affordable housing, and other support services; and (13) in addressing the health and wellness of individuals in low-income communities and individuals in underserved communities, including programs to increase access to preventive services, insurance, and health services. (1) The Director shall establish placement procedures that involve sponsoring organizations and that offer opportunities for both local and national placement of volunteers for service under this part. (A) The Director shall establish and maintain within the national headquarters of the Corporation (or any successor entity of such agency) a volunteer placement office which shall be responsible for all functions related to the recruitment and placement of volunteers under this part. Such functions and activities shall be carried out in coordination or in conjunction with recruitment and placement activities carried out under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 [42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.]. (B) Such volunteer placement office shall develop, operate, and maintain a current and comprehensive database that provides information— (i) to individuals, with respect to specific opportunities for service as a volunteer with approved projects or programs to which no volunteer has been assigned; and (ii) to approved projects or programs, with respect to the availability of individuals whose applications for service as a volunteer have been approved and who are awaiting an assignment with a specific project or program. (C) The Director shall assign or hire as necessary, such additional national, regional, and State personnel to carry out the functions described in this subsection and subsection (c) as may be necessary to ensure that such functions are carried out in a timely and effective manner. The Director shall give priority in the hiring of such additional personnel to individuals who have formerly served as volunteers under this part and to individuals who have specialized experience in the recruitment and management of volunteers. (3) the most appropriate assignment for each such volunteer. The Director shall approve the application of each individual who applies in conformance with this subsection and who, on the basis of the information provided in the application, is determined by the Director to be qualified to serve as a volunteer under this part. (4) and that an individual making such request is informed of the manner in which such application is required to be submitted. A completed application may be submitted by any interested individual to, and shall be accepted by, any office of the Corporation. (A) The Director shall provide for the assignment of each applicant approved as a volunteer under this part to a project or program that is, to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with the abilities, experiences, and preferences of such applicant that are set forth in the application described in paragraph (4) and the needs and preferences of projects or programs approved for the assignment of such volunteers. (B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Director shall utilize the database established under paragraph (2)(B). (C) A sponsoring organization of VISTA may recruit volunteers for service under this part. The Director shall give a locally recruited volunteer priority for placement in the sponsoring organization of VISTA that recruited such volunteer. (D) A volunteer under this part shall not be assigned to any project or program without the express approval and consent of such project or program. (E) If an applicant under this part who is recruited locally becomes unavailable for service prior to the commencement of service, the recipient of the project grant or contract that was designated to receive the services of such applicant may replace such applicant with another qualified applicant approved by the Director. (F) If feasible and appropriate, low-income community volunteers shall be given the option of serving in the home communities of such volunteers in teams with nationally recruited specialist volunteers. The Director shall attempt to assign such volunteers to serve in the home or nearby communities of such volunteers and shall make national efforts to attract other individuals to serve in the VISTA program. The Director shall also, in the assignment of volunteers under this subparagraph, recognize that community-identified needs that cannot be met in the local area and the individual desires of VISTA volunteers in regard to the service in various geographical areas of the United States should be taken into consideration. (1) The Director, in conjunction with the personnel described in subsection (b)(2)(C), shall engage in public awareness and recruitment activities. Such activities may include— (A) public service announcements through the Internet and related technologies, radio, television, and the print media; (B) advertising through the Internet and related technologies, print media, direct mail, and other means; (C) disseminating information about opportunities for service as a volunteer under this part to relevant entities including institutions of higher education and other educational institutions (including libraries), professional associations, community-based agencies, youth service and volunteer organizations, business organizations, labor unions, senior citizens organizations, State or local offices of economic development, State employment security agencies, employment offices, and other institutions and organizations from or through which potential volunteers may be recruited; (D) disseminating such information through presentations made personally by employees of the Corporation or other designees of the Director, to students and faculty at institutions of higher education and to other entities described in subparagraph (C), including presentations made at the facilities, conventions, or other meetings of such entities; (E) publicizing the student loan deferment and forgiveness opportunities available to VISTA volunteers under parts B and E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq., 1087aa et seq.] and including such information in all applications and recruitment materials; (F) publicizing national service educational awards available under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 [42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.]; (G) providing, on request, technical assistance with the recruitment of volunteers under this part to programs and projects receiving assistance under this part; and (H) maintaining and publicizing a national toll-free telephone number through which individuals may obtain information about opportunities for service as a volunteer under this part and request and receive an application for such service. (2) In designing and implementing the activities authorized under this section, the Director shall seek to involve individuals who have formerly served as volunteers under this part to assist in the dissemination of information concerning the program established under this part. The Director may reimburse the costs incurred by such former volunteers for such participation, including expenses incurred for travel. (3) The Director shall consult with the Director of the Peace Corps to coordinate the recruitment and public awareness activities carried out under this subsection with those of the Peace Corps and to develop joint procedures and activities for the recruitment of volunteers to serve under this part. (d) The Director shall provide each low-income community volunteer with an individual plan for job advancement or for transition to a situation leading to gainful employment. Whenever feasible, such efforts shall be coordinated with an appropriate local workforce development board established under section 3122 of title 29. (e) The Director may provide or arrange for educational and vocational counseling of volunteers and recent former volunteers under this part to (1) encourage them to use, in the national interest, the skills and experience which they have derived from their training and service, particularly working in combating poverty as members of the helping professions, and (2) promote the development of appropriate opportunities for the use of such skills and experience, and the placement therein of such volunteers. (f) Except as provided in subsection (e), the assignment of volunteers under this section shall be on such terms and conditions (including restrictions on political activities that appropriately recognize the special status of volunteers living among the persons or groups served by programs to which they have been assigned) as the Director may determine, including work assignments in their own or nearby communities. (g) Volunteers under this part shall not be assigned to work in a program or project in any community unless the application for such program or project contains evidence of local support and has been submitted to the Governor or other chief executive officer of the State concerned. In the event of a timely request in writing, supported by a statement of reasons, by the Governor or other chief executive officer of the State concerned, the Director shall terminate a program or proj­ect or the assignment of a volunteer to a program or project not later than 30 days after the date such request is received by the Director, or at such later date as is agreed upon by the Director and such Governor or other chief executive officer. (h) The Director is encouraged to enter into agreements with other Federal agencies to use VISTA volunteers in furtherance of program objectives that are consistent with the purposes described in section 4951 of this title. (i) The Director may enter into agreements under which public and private nonprofit organizations, with sufficient financial capacity and size, pay for all or a portion of the costs of supporting the service of volunteers under this part.