AmeriCorps
VISTA Project
The AmeriCorps VISTA People First Self-Advocacy Project
addresses the prevalence of poverty for people with
disabilities. Much of the employment and independent living
advancements for people with disabilities in our country
has been due to the efforts of self-advocates. VISTA
members in this project work to organize People First
self-advocacy chapters throughout Nevada, sustain a
statewide People First organization, represent the view of
people with developmental disabilities on city, county and
regional boards/committees, educate other people with
disabilities about self-advocacy and bring information
about community resources to people with disabilities. This
is the fifth year of our project and we currently have five
VISTA members.
Our VISTA members have helped establish five People First
chapters throughout Nevada (Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City,
Elko, Fallon). After establishing these chapters, they
joined together to organize a statewide People First
organization with officers and representatives from each of
the five People First chapters. Our statewide organization
has joined SABE (Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered), the
umbrella organization of all of the People First groups
nationwide.
The VISTA members:
- Bring
information and resources to people with developmental
disabilities about services, employment, housing, and
transportation
- Represent the
views of the disability community to local/regional
committees and boards
- Develop
resources for income generation
- Educate
people with developmental disabilities and community
members about the issues facing people with
disabilities
- Educate the
disability community about the opportunities for national
and community service
In addition, VISTA members are currently working to produce
Nevada’s second People First Self-Advocacy statewide
conference in April 2008.
With the above activities, we expect to provide resources
to people with developmental disabilities that will enable
them to more fully realize the American Dream through
better employment, housing and the supports they need to be
successful.
VISTA Members
Cammie Bochman- Elko
I am
currently serving my third year as a VISTA member. I enjoy
being a People First member because I get to meet new
people. I also like being able to travel to meetings in
many new places like Washington DC and Chicago. I have
been married for 10 years and my husband and I have owned
our own home for 7 years. We also have a dog named Ezzie.
When my term as a VISTA member is complete I plan to go
back to my job at Taco Time and go to school to become a
school teacher. In my free time I like to bowl with my
bowling league.
Ken
Horn- Fallon
I am the
President of the Fallon chapter of People First of Nevada.
I enjoy my job as a VISTA member working with People First
because of the friends I’ve made in the local Fallon
chapter and at the conferences I have gone to. I have
also made many a acquaintances in the community. I also
made many new friends in my travels through out the
state of Nevada. I made friends while I was
taking the Partners in Policymaking class. I have found
myself feeling at home with the People First people that I
am working with. If I wasn’t a people first member I
wouldn’t have been able to speak to the senate committee
about the Respectful Language Bill. I have been married for
30 years and in my spare time I enjoy
locomotives.
Tiffany
Hunter- Carson City
I am the
secretary for the Carson City chapter of People First of
Nevada and an AmeriCorps VISTA member. I am currently
serving in my second year. I like going to the People First
meetings to meet new people and because you just never know
what’ll happen there. I feel that VISTA is a worthwhile
cause and enjoy working with all my People First coworkers.
I am serving my second term as a board member on the Nevada
Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. I sit on
the Nevada Governor’s Advisory Committee on Personal
Assistance for Persons with Severe Functional Disabilities.
I attended the Partners in Policy Making class and
graduated in 2007. I currently volunteer at the Lyon County
Animal Shelter in Silver Springs and create and distribute
animal adoption posters throughout the county and as well
as update their website. I received my service dog,
Tristan, from Canine Companions for Independence in Santa
Rosa. Tristan and I have given several presentations about
service animals to the Lions Clubs, Girl Scouts and
elementary schools.
David Kilton-
Las Vegas
I was born
and raised in Omaha, NE and attended South High School. I
have some college background in bookkeeping. I got married
in 1995 and now have two lovely daughters. I moved to Las
Vegas about a year and a half ago where I meet Santa Perez
and became a VISTA member. As a People First member, it is
exciting to do things such as getting the People-First
Language bill passed into a law. It is also exciting to
make a difference in my own life, as a person with a
disability. I enjoy being a VISTA member because it makes
me feel wonderful, when we can make a difference in
someone’s life by guiding people in the right direction
with something they are having trouble with. Hopefully I
can make many more changes in people’s lives during my term
as a VISTA member.
Diane
Rossmann- Reno/Sparks
I am an
Americorp VISTA volunteer as well as the People First
Secretary of the Reno/Sparks chapter. I like working as a
VISTA volunteer because I get to travel to places I’ve
never been before and I get to meet new people. I got to go
to Utah for my training and when I got back I was an
advocate for people with disabilities I also get to be on
boards and other places to stand up for people with
disabilities. I never knew that this kind of job existed. I
am also the secretary for the People first of Nevada
Reno/Sparks chapter. I love being secretary because I get
to take notes and minutes at meetings. As a People First
member, I get to go to the legislature to testify against
stuff and tell the assembly men and women what I think
should happen in the state of Nevada. Working with these
people is a lot of fun and I get to learn about their
disabilities and learn about my own as well. I am a very
hard worker and have been working since I was 16 years old.
In my spare time I enjoy bike riding, listening to music,
horseback riding, going dancing and spending time with my
boyfriend. When I am finished with this job I hope to
become a cosmetologist or a teacher and teach people with
disabilities.
