THE MISSION OF AMERICORPS ST. LOUIS IS TO ENHANCE THE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND LIFE-LONG ETHIC OF THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE; TO RESPOND TO CRITICAL UNMET NEEDS IN THE AREAS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION; TO LEVERAGE THE SERVICE OF VOLUNTEERS; AND, TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF OUR PARTNERING AGENCIES AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. THE PROPOSED VISTA PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE DISASTER SERVICES FOCUS AREA. THE VISTA PROJECT SEEKS TO REDUCE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF DISASTER FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES IN MISSOURI AND EXPECTS TO BENEFIT 500 LOW-INCOME OR AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS PER PROJECT YEAR. THREE VISTA MEMBERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT BY PERFORMING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DEVELOPING AND LEVERAGING RESOURCES TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF AMERICORPS ST. LOUIS, EXPANDING THE REACH OF AMERICORPS ST. LOUIS BY EDUCATING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES IN MISSOURI ABOUT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND MITIGATION, AND BY CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SYSTEMS TO RESPOND TO THE HOMELESS DISASTER IN ST. LOUIS OVER THE COURSE OF 3 YEARS.