The City of St. Helens has stepped up to support the efforts of the St. Helens Economic Development Corporation

(SHEDCO) to develop a Main Street program. Main Street programs have helped many communities to re-establish a sense of place and revitalize historic commercial districts. The city council has committed $7,500 to the year-long project that has a total budget estimate between $20,000 and $25,000. Through a partnership with the Americorps Vista Program, the city will hire a Main Street Coordinator for one year. The Main Street Coordinator will likely be someone with a four-year degree in public administration, land use or urban planning, landscape architecture or a closely related field who is interested in gaining work experience in this field through the Americorps Vista program. In addition to developing the Main Street program, the coordinator will also be responsible for procuring additional resources to fund the 12-month project.

The Americorps volunteer will develop various policies, programs and procedures related to the implementation and long-term sustainability of the St. Helens Main Street Program. They will establish a good rapport with the community to facilitate and assist in membership, volunteer and fundraising development efforts. They will develop a communications plan and act as the program's spokesperson. They will help to develop and recommending the program's policies and procedures, designing and implementing marketing plans, maintaining organizational records, developing grant and fundraising protocols, recruiting and training volunteer staff, conducting and presenting research, and monitoring the progress in meeting annual budget requirements. This is a temporary position and will run from August 2011 through August 2012.Benefits include a living allowance, an education award or stipend upon successful completion of the project, health care, a relocation allowance, training and professional development opportunities.

About Main Street
Main Street is a national movement that has spanned three decades and taken root in more than 2,000 communities - a movement that has spurred $49 billion in reinvestment in traditional commercial districts, galvanized thousands of volunteers, and changed the way governments, planners, and developers view preservation. Over the past 30 years, the National Trust Main Street Center has overseen the development of a national network of coordinating programs that today includes 37 statewide programs, seven citywide programs, and two regional programs. These coordinating programs help cities, towns, and villages revitalize their downtown and neighborhood business districts. Coordinating program staff help build the capacity of local Main Street programs, expand the network of Main Street communities, provide resources and technical assistance, and work with the National Trust Main Street Center to explore new solutions to revitalization challenges and respond to emerging trends throughout the nation.

About VISTA
VISTA is a national service program specifically designed to eliminate poverty by working with individuals and low income neighborhoods to make positive changes for the community. Through AmeriCorps* VISTA, ordinary people provide extraordinary service in more than 1,200 projects nationwide. VISTA projects typically focus on program development, resource development and volunteer coordination/management and other indirect service opportunities that expand the capacity of an organization to serve its constituency. In just one year of service, a VISTA can make a lasting mark on the success of an organization. As part of a partnership between Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the Oregon Asset Building Corps (OABC) is comprised of 12-16 AmeriCorps*VISTA members per year, who work to develop the capacity of the OMEN affiliate host site organization at which they are placed. VISTA projects are often those projects that organizations have been envisioning for some time but need a person with energy and drive to get them started. The most important aspect of these projects is that they increase the capacity of the host organization in a way that is sustainable for years beyond the VISTA term of service. To learn more about the Oregon Microenterprise Network OMEN and the VISTA Volunteer program, contact Valerie Plummer at
valerie@oregonmicrobiz.org or visit www.oregon-microbiz.org.
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Amber Dennis, Principal
Dandelion Communications
GOOD IDEAS FOR GOOD ENDEAVORS
Serving as Public Relations Director for:
- City of St. Helens
- Columbia County Tourism
dandelioncommunications@comcast.net
503.804.0087