Amanda Paison is an NLADA AmeriCorps VISTA member serving in the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office. She has been serving in the Santa Maria office since September of 2018 as the Community Partnerships VISTA. In her role she is working to build capacity within the communities of Santa Barbara County and the office in which she serves. Through forming lasting partnerships within the community, Amanda has been able to brainstorm and implement various projects that offer services to clients in Santa Barbara County. Some of these projects include partnering with a local sober living home to provide weekly showers for clients experiencing homelessness and obtaining grant funding for obtaining items for clients basic needs. Amanda is a law school graduate of Valparaiso University and is studying for the California Bar Exam in hopes of becoming a public defender in Santa Barbara County.