US Peace Corps/V.I.S.T.A./Americorps ?

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Have any of the Americans here ever been in any of the three organizations referenced above ? Likewise , for similar organizations for non-Yanks !
Ultra-briefly , I have always fantasized about going...An ad in a local newspaper for an upcoming PC event here triggered this...
I had only time to write this , please pardon .

...I had only minutes , even SECONDS , to write this ,before the computer time ran out , but I think I got the details said...Doesn't anyone have anything to say ?
I believe I said the basic things .
Is it the emoticons ?
I thought people liked emoticons .

I was saying that I have thought of applying to the Peace Corps , VISTA , or Americorps , and wondered if anyone had here any any comment - from having been in them , having applied , or otherwise .

...HAS anyone ?????????

I've thought of it.
I don't know how to find out how it really works.

I have friends who joined the Peace Corps...and well, it's not just for anyone. Do you know that service in the Peace Corps
requires advanced college studies? If you have that qualification...have you checked out the website for the Peace Corps...
WWW.PEACECORPS.GOV ???

It is great to serve your country in some capacity like this, but be careful. I joined the military to try to force myself to be a "normal" social person. It was a disaster and I ended up getting kicked out, good social skills are required in VISTA, AMERICORPS, and Peace Corps as well.

...Yes , I think I knew/sensed that about qualifications , essentially either a degree or major " real " skills , anyhow - Irrigation , running a business , whatever - Which I don't have .
However...

...I have a LOT to say about this , and only a few minutes ,now...Aside-wise , how old were you when the Army disaster happened ?
From your age , I presume that you were not DX'd until well past 21 .
Turning back to me...Look , I have wanted a " sent away " VISTA/Americorps thing ( I think the only part of Americorps that takes over-26s and sends them away is VISTA , correct ? ) .
Look , I do tend to see it as a " go dig ditches/paint shacks " and/or " arrange files/set up offices " thing - not a glamor thing .
What would even improve one's " resume " to get it ?
The right volunteer work locally ?
In some cases , perhaps being upfront about Aspieness could help in getting in , in some , I suppose it could hinder...More later !

It says on the Peacecorps website there's a lot of teaching work, planting trees, and building information technology centers.
I dunno if you should mention AS because that might disqualify you.
If you have a teaching certificate that could get you in. You can fill out an application and talk about stuff you do for other people. There's all sorts of ways we volunteer everyday without even realizing it!
Yeah, you could do volunteer work now. I read on the Peacecorp website they do a lot of HIV/AIDS awareness and education so if you volunteered to do some kind of health oriented community service it would look good to them.

Sorry I didn't pay attention to your age in the post. I think it would be great to volunteer for something like VISTA. They would probably work with you if you are up front about your situation. My remarks about being careful applied more to a live-in situation than anything else.

...Well , you mean something like the " dorm-style , in a building " things that some Americorps programs are ? I think those are only for through-26s , as I said , or something like that there .
I have , in the past , seen a fair amount of youinger kids/people in Americorps coats/hoodies , I guess those are for " at-home/in your town " programs , at least mostly .
I do want to " get sent away " for one .
Yes , I know that's not a " dorm/barracks " situation , which I believe is what you're speaking of - more like having to find lodging somewhere .

...Well , again , I believe the PC , as I said , is more " picky " , as regards qualifications , and , I do not have ANY!! !! !! ! degree , not a teaching certificate...
Excuse me , I'm going to get into a ( self- ) depressing digression herein...
I have no college degree , no BA , or anything less , let alone anything more .
I didn't truly have the " going to college " experience , either . And I still want it . t's not like I have any great " adult life " . Maybe I could be " adult " - Foir whatever years remain to me . - after getting " college "ness out of my system .
Anyhow , I have NO!! !! !! !! ! " paperwork .
My teeny amount of going to college...
Well , for one , my papers/proof of existence are messed up in a really complicated way , WHEN I HAVE TRIED (and I have - I am whining/getting myself down , going into this again) to " go back to college " , IT SIMPLY BLOWS UP IN MY FACE .
And , I have TRIED , over and over ........
So , please DO NOT tell me " Oh , just call your counselor , I'm sure s/he'll help you , you know , there was this TV movie I saw ith Whoopi Goldberg , or was it Lynn Redgrave , getting Randy Travis , or was it Johnny Cash , in college..."...
It doen't work that way with me .
My applications/whatever just GO INTO THE CIRCULAR FILE - Or , I guess to-day it would be " Delete " - and nothing happens , I don't even get a firm rejection .
I have tried to do the " Just ask "...I , OBVIOUSLY , DOES NOT WORK ! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!
If I could get some heklp , to make me feel better , and check out the " mechanism/machinery " , and see that it worked , well , with help ( And , I am not speaking of financial help when I speak of " help " now , I am NOT speaking of that ! !! !! !! !! !! ) Maybe , then , with the pathways cleared up and me knowing I'd get a response , I could try it then......But , one person who was going to " help " , instead , delayed for months , then , turned against me , cursing at me and saying he'd call the cops/mental health people on me ...We stopped all contact with each other .
I have TRIED the " Oh , just make a call " thing .
It JUST DOESN'T WORK WITH ME .

In the olden days you could get into a local community college through the back door. Just take a course or two at night to prove that you can do it, then a couple more, and eventually they have to give you a degree. But that was back when tuition was cheap, and perhaps the rules have changed.

I think VISTA would be great. As far as having a college degree, I have one, and I load and unload bags and freight off airplanes! Community college is great because you can work on a certificate program and then move on to an Associates Degree if you wish.

...Well , I can accept that I might have to go to a community college first , in order to get into what I still call " REAL " college ( When I was 18-ish I brought up college to my mother - She said , " Oh , no ! First you have to PROVE you deserve to go away to college ! " , or similar . I was hoping for my teenage fun . ) , just as most of my attempts to get into college by actually applying have a\involved whatever my then-state university was then...So , you can't say that I was " being too ambitious/trying to go above my station " , can you ?????????
I will refer to the " Oh ! !! !! !! Just call the friendly admissions officer and they'll help you..." stir , which DOES NOT WORK for me , believe me , I can tell you upon request , as the " Whoopi " story .
When I had the thing about investigating going back to college that involved the " helper " who turned on m,e that was San Francisco City College that was being spoken of - believe me .