New Americorps VISTA member working in Oceana County.

Olivia Mussell

New Americorps VISTA member working in Oceana County. 

OCEANA COUNTY — A local AmeriCorps position was recently filled to continue to confront Oceana’s education challenges and to overcome poverty barriers.

The Community Foundation for Oceana County (CFOC) renewed its partnership with the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) for a fifth time to host an AmeriCorps VISTA member. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve communities through added human capacity in the community economic development work of small nonprofits.

Olivia Mussell of Shelby filled CFOC’s VISTA position in late August. She will graduate from Miami University of Ohio in December with a degree in German and a minor in international business. Olivia is excited to be back in her community and for the learning opportunities ahead. Over the next year, Olivia will work on building the backbone of a Complete Your Degree (CYD) scholarship program and preparing for a foundation capital campaign. The CYD program redefines and reimagines how scholarship assets are used to support the continuing education of young adults.

“We are thrilled to have Olivia join our team and continue to foster these important service opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone,” said foundation CEO Tammy Carey.

The goal of the Complete Your Degree program is to help local adults achieve degrees and credentials to increase household prosperity, while fostering a more vibrant economy and meeting the employment skill gap in Oceana County. CYD will provide competitive needs-based scholarships, which will cover the full cost of tuition at one of our local community colleges, plus additional life needs supports for childcare, transportation, housing and other needs.

By making higher education more accessible for hundreds of area students and adult learners, the goal is to create hope and opportunity for all and help strengthen the future of the community.

To learn more about AmeriCorps or programs, contact current members by calling the foundation at (231) 869-3377. The foundation envisions an Oceana where everyone has access to resources to thrive. It works with donors, advisors, and members of the community for one common goal — “to make our community a stronger, healthier, more vibrant place to live.” It has provided over $8 million in grants and scholarships back to the community since 1989. Learn more at www.oceanafoundation.org.