Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada hire fundraising coordinator

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada has hired Jon Park of Las Vegas as its AmeriCorps VISTA fundraising coordinator and seeks to fill two additional VISTA positions, volunteer coordinator and program developer.

Park will help oversee the recently launched $25 for 25 Campaign, a fundraising program designed to celebrate the Clubs’ 25th anniversary and help the Clubs achieve long-term financial sustainability. Park will also rotate among various programs at the Clubs to define goals and identify fundraising opportunities.

Park, a retired flight attendant, spent about five years in Henderson working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, first as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, and as an employee, teaching financial literacy as part of their Money Matters program. He also spent time doing fundraising work for a small business development group.

Nick Brancato, resource development director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, said Park’s experience will help bolster fundraising activities and bring awareness to the programs the Clubs provide to youth in Carson City and Carson Valley.

“Jon brings a level of experience and maturity to the position that we are really excited about,” Brancato said. “His education in finance and years of work in the volunteer realm will be integral in building the capacity of our Club to better serve our kids.”

Park said he returned to volunteer work through AmeriCorps after retiring because as a young man entering the workforce, his first job was at a non-profit and he fell in love with the idea of helping communities grow.

“I have always returned to my first love, non-profit volunteer work,” he said. “Especially after working at the Boys & Girls Club in Henderson. I learned a lot I didn’t know, like the number of kids going hungry every day. It was eye-opening.”

Carson City is the smallest community he has volunteered in, he said, but it feels similar to his home in Kauai.

“Fundraising in a small community can have unique challenges and benefits,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know the area and enjoying the peace and quiet that comes with it.”

A domestic counterpart to the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps VISTA serves communities in need by mobilizing resources and strengthening organizations through volunteering. The benefits of committing to a year of service with AmeriCorps VISTA include training, health coverage, childcare assistance if eligible, a living allowance stipend, and the choice of an end of service Education Award or additional stipend.

For more information or to apply for the volunteer coordinator position, visit: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=76754&fromSearch=true. To apply for the program developer position, go to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=76796&fromSearch=true.

To learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA, visit https://bit.ly/2nyMnfN.

For information, contact Nick Brancato at 775-882-8820 or nickb@bgcwn.org.