People in need will benefit from the programs developed or expanded upon by six AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers who are ending a year of service at North Hills Community Outreach this summer. One of the six signed on for a second year.

Young people serving with Volunteers in Service to America postpone careers and further education to serve a nonprofit organization or local government agency for a year. They receive health care and a poverty-level living allowance.

Living at the poverty level shocks the system, said Reuven Dashevsky, 24, of Massachusetts.

"It forces people to realize the existence of a greater context. There are larger problems facing society than just the individual obstacles I face," he said. Mr. Dashevsky will end his stint as volunteer coordinator next month.

A 2009 graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a major in Middle Eastern studies and a minor in political science, he improved interoffice communication for placing volunteers. More than 120 new volunteers were recruited, along with five new civic groups. The other five volunteers were Katie Cowling, Laurie Clapper, Marta Spangler, Jeff Bengel and Devin Belzer, who will stay for another year.

Jennifer Drayton, staff team leader for community outreach, said VISTA was different from other AmeriCorps programs in that members "fly solo" instead of traveling as a group.

"It's unique we have more than one VISTA," she said. She said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009 provided funding that enabled VISTA to place more volunteers. She was hired by the community outreach in 2008 after a year as a VISTA volunteer.

"The VISTAs are not there to replace paid staff. Their mission is to help alleviate the causes of poverty, build the capacity of ... the organization, improve methods and get more volunteers," Ms. Drayton said.

Ms. Cowling, 23, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, worked on food projects, which resulted in $154,929 worth of food donations, eight new groups to sponsor food drives and increased donations of items such as coats and school supplies by $166,540, far exceeding her goal of $30,000. She left the area at the end of June and now works in Baltimore.

Mr. Bengel, Ms. Clapper and Ms. Belzer served as volunteer coach coordinators in the North Boroughs, Hampton and Millvale offices, respectively. Fifteen volunteer coaches were recruited to educate clients in financial literacy and offer employment help.

Mr. Bengel, 23, of Erie, graduated last year from Harvard with a degree in government and a minor in economics. He will begin law school at New York University next month.

Ms. Clapper, 26, a native of Lansdale, Pa., graduated from Gettysburg College in 2006. She and her husband moved to Pittsburgh last year for him to study at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

"I will be staying in the Pittsburgh area and continuing to pursue opportunities to serve in a nonprofit or a church," she said.

With their departure, Ms. Belzer will handle all three offices.

She comes from Florida and is a graduate of Florida State University, majoring in women's studies and sociology. She said VISTA workers qualify for programs such as food stamps and receive an education award of $4,700 for student loans or future education, or they can choose a flat $1,200 bonus. She plans to pursue Gay and Lesbian Studies and eventually will pursue a doctorate in gender identity history.

Ms. Spangler, 24, of Gettysburg, trained volunteers to work with seniors in the Faith in Action program, which serves seniors and adults with physical disabilities. She helped to recruit 45 volunteer drivers and dispatchers for the Free Rides for Seniors bus, which increased ridership to more than 700 people. She majored in English literature and religious studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

Summing up his sentiments, Mr. Dashevsky said,

"The most significant aspect of my VISTA year is the power of service. ... Working with the outreach has shown me the power of a community coming together, recognizing the existence of social problems and laboring together toward a better vision of the future."

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