Madeline Cairney, Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA working at Loras College, recently applied for and was awarded computers from the City of Dubuque. The City of Dubuque will provide the Multicultural Family Center with 20 to 30 computers in 2009, with the possibility to apply again in future years.

The partnership between the City of Dubuque and the Multicultural Center started years ago, but has expanded since Madeline began serving this summer as a VISTA member at Loras College and the Multicultural Center, a project of the ISU Extension. As a VISTA, her job is to see what the community needs, assess what resources are available, and create sustainable projects that benefit the community.

Madeline sought to address a problem identified by the Washington Neighborhood Association, which the Multicultural Center serves, whose residents needed access to computers. High school students will benefit by doing their homework on computers, and adults will be able to develop resumes and search for jobs on the web. The Multicultural Family Center provides computers for these activities, but the hours and location of the Center are not accommodating to many who would benefit from these resources.

The City of Dubuque replaces computers every 4 years as part of their budget cycle; the old computers are typically donated to schools and non-profit agencies. Madeline wrote a proposal seeking that this year computers to be given to residents in the Washington neighborhood. Students from Loras College will begin setting up the computers in January also providing tech support alongside local business and community partners to residents who receive them. Residents who receive computers can attend a basic computer class taught at the Multicultural Family Center once a month.

For over 40 years, AmeriCorps*VISTA has been helping bring communities and individuals out of poverty. Today, nearly 6,000 AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve hundreds of nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout the country — working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, increase housing opportunities, bridge the digital divide and strengthen the capacity of community organizations.

Iowa Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents committed to fostering in students the values and skills of civic engagement. With 83,000 students from 21 different campuses across Iowa, they have contributed over 2.5 million hours of service.

Madeline Cairney was born and raised in Atchison, Kansas and attended Maur Hill-Mount Academy. She went to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and graduated in May 2008 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Politics. While attending Loras College, Madeline was involved with Peace and Justice, College Democrats, Campus Ministry, intramural sports, volunteered in the community, and studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland.