​Hi, everyone! My name is Sandra Anderson, and I am a serving AmeriCorps VISTA at Davenport University as well as the T2C Studio in the Grand Rapids Library. At Davenport, I serve as a Volunteer Coordinator who connects students with their local community so that they can volunteer. At T2C Studio, I serve to support my supervisor there as we work with students to help them with activities that will get them into college and through college.
 
So far this service year has been filled with events and activities that have helped me to get to know my sites. We have partnered with local organizations like Community Rebuilders, Senior Neighbors, Crossroads Prison Ministries, and others to provide volunteers to make their operations run more smoothly. Additionally, T2C Studio had its annual summit where I helped them prepare data to present to their partners.
 
Recently, we also had our annual Make a Difference Day at Davenport University where students were recruited to provide service to local organizations. It was a great experience, and our students had a lot of fun. Coming up, we will be partnering with an organization called the Refugee Education Center to provide them with more resources to support their K-12 student programs like books, games, and office supplies. It excites me to have the opportunity to serve the community in two very impactful but different capacities.
 
I have been able to make great strides towards some of my performance goals, like recruiting volunteers to serve their local community and increasing participation of students pursuing their educational goals by utilizing the T2C Studio to help them to and through college. I am loving my VISTA service, and I’m so glad that I’m serving at the sites I am at. In my service I have grown both professionally and personally in ways I never expected.

“It’s been fifty-five days since patient zero was first exposed to the N1G6 virus. Thirty-four days since Beijing's quarantine broke. Twenty-one days since London fell, thirteen days for New York. Eight days ago the purges stopped. Five days ago the fires finally died out. For three days, we’ve been without food, and two days we’ve managed without ammunition. Yesterday two of them got in, so today, we have to move. Who would’ve guessed the world could fall apart so quickly?”
 
Hi, I’m Andrew Green, a first-year AmeriCorps VISTA serving at Friends In Deed in Ypsilanti, and that was part of a story for a Dungeons & Dragons one-off I’m mulling over. You see, you’ve got to be very careful with what you joke about at Friends In Deed. I jokingly suggested we start an office-wide D&D campaign, and now, somehow, I’m expected to DM a session. Of course, this isn't at all part of my VISTA work. I mean, I’d have a pretty hard time figuring out where this could possibly fit under my VAD. But how can I pass up this golden opportunity to introduce more people to the joys of table-top roleplaying?
 
Now, I don't want to give you the impression that Friends In Deed is all fun and games. That's certainly not the case. It's been working in Washtenaw County for over thirty-five years to help people in crisis and operates three programs: furniture, direct assistance, and Circles—each striving to address a different element of poverty. But that doesn't mean we don't try to fit in some team-building.
 
Anyway, I know you guys didn’t come here to read about all that. You came for the “Tales of an IT Turf War.” Well, unfortunately, I was being just a tad bit dramatic when I wrote that title. You see, part of what I'm doing at Friends In Deed is helping them make decisions to improve their IT infrastructure. Sometimes that involves making recommendations, and sometimes those recommendations run counter to those suggested by their IT support. But has all this triggered an epic clash of egos between their IT and me? No, not at all. At the end of the day, we’re both just trying to do what’s best for Friends In Deed, so there isn’t much room for conflict. I'm sorry to have disappointed you.
 
On a more serious note, I've been learning a lot at Friends In Deed. Every day, I'm amazed by the determination of the staff and volunteers to improve the lives of the people of this community. They're unshakable. If only I could learn to produce even a fraction of their force of will in myself, then maybe Meridith wouldn't have to wait a week after it was due for me to send in my blog entry.

Hello everyone, Amy Fox here, a first-year Pathways to Employment VISTA serving at Motherly Intercession in Flint. I came to AmeriCorps possibly a little different than others. I was job searching and came across an ad on the internet about a position with Motherly Intercession through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Now I had heard of AmeriCorps through various research of JFK’s legacy, had always thought it a wonderful program for young people to start out, but never quite pictured myself a part of such a program (mainly because I thought there was an age limit). My thoughts were that I must be too old, even though I had recently graduated with my bachelor’s in social work. Which brings me back to my title “Finally Serving Motherly Intercession”.
 
During my years at both Mott College and UM-Flint, I had known of Motherly Intercession and had been on my radar for internships. The mission of Motherly Intercession is “to empower children and foster a stronger community by preventing the cycle of inter-generational incarceration.” Being a population often overlooked or dismissed by society because of issues completely out of their control, children of the incarcerated are often left carrying guilt on their shoulders that should not be there in the first place. At Mott, I had Motherly Intercession chosen, but there is a lotto system, and well, needless to say, I was near the bottom and someone else had already chosen that spot. Then comes the time to pick am an internship at UM-Flint. Motherly Intercession was not already chosen, but they felt I was too passionate about the mission and I need to reach outside of my comfort zone. This landed me at Metro Community Development, where I did more mezzo and macro work, gathering survey info, fundraising, and event planning. Little did I know then, though slightly disappointed that I did not get the placement I wanted, that internship was paving the path to my VISTA service I would fall into 2 years later, the summer of 2019.
 
May 2019, exactly 2 years to be exact, I saw an ad for VISTA service at Motherly Intercession! Yes, the place I have been hoping to help for so many years. I applied thinking that I would be disqualified because of age, but I thought what the heck. To my surprise, I was contacted back! It was then explained how VISTAs are not so micro in approach, but macro working behind the scenes to build community, raise funds, support/help create programs to enhance the organization and make it more sustainable. To make things even better, there is not an age limit like I had thought. Ding! That is just what I had done at Metro Community Development- rather than direct contact with clients, my main tasks were in the capacity-building form. Using that knowledge and the networking I had already done helping Catholic Charities put on their annual fundraiser dinner, I was able to hit the ground running for Motherly Intercession’s annual fundraiser- the “Unlock the Future” dinner on November 9, 2019. Since beginning in August, I have already secured over 15 in-kind donations to be used in the silent auction. I have also been active in selling tickets and sponsorship ads for the souvenir book, all of which the proceeds go directly to Motherly Intercession. I have also served alongside a Kettering intern to create a smaller fundraising event at Chipotle’s “Eat for Change” where 33% of the sales during a certain shift will go to Motherly Intercession. Since, I have also signed us up for “Tips Tuesday” at Flint Crepe Company, where the owners match the total amount of tips the servers earn that day to Motherly Intercession. This is set for October 22, 2019, if anyone is interested in coming out to support a great cause.
 
I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. To say that I have felt a bit overwhelmed would be an understatement. I never thought at 44 years old I would be going on field trips or even writing blogs for that matter. I even have jury duty coming up the last week in October, just in time for the big event. All the little things added to it have been a bit frustrating, but as time continues the more it is clicking together. For example, I went with my supervisor to a meeting about writing grants with the Ruth Mott Foundation in mind. Now she did not say “Human-Centered Design” by name, but the facilitator made sure to point out that they must be able to see that the programs that they fund are “for” and “with” the population we serve and not something being done “to” them. We must provide proof that the programs were designed around a need that the community to which we serve has designated as a priority and must be a part of the creation of the program. In other words, our design must be “human-centered”.
 
The more I get used to the multiple demands from different sides, the better I will be able to serve. The more I realize there is a method behind the madness, the more I am embracing it. To sum it up, I am definitely looking forward to what the rest of this first year of service will be like and hope to offer so much more to help such a wonderful organization.

​A warm welcome to everyone who just began their service and to all the Vistas who are continuing to serve. My name is Treya Swords, and I’m serving with Communities in Schools at Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan. Our office is new to this school and this district so each connection we make must be sought out, each bridge newly built. My Communities in Schools team- our overflowing binders held close to our chests- were hopeful that our first day at school would go well.

The beginning of service has felt similar to the first day of school, except no one packed me a lunch. I didn’t know where any of my classes were, I had no idea where my locker was and I’m still looking for how to fulfill all of my credits so I can graduate from my service! This was a great opportunity to empathize with that overwhelming feeling that most of the students are experiencing beginning or continuing their high school years. If you are a person with only really fond memories of high school you are likely in the minority. I am happy to be in a position to ease some of the challenges of the high school years.

I’m at such a different stage of my life than I was last time I was in high school. I’ve lived overseas in Palau (no one knows where it is, don’t feel too bad!) for the last decade and I missed so many things. The Kardashians. Uber. Active shooter trainings being part of the school environment. I’m essentially a new student in a newly evolved paradigm. I can’t look at this high school environment through the lens of my past experiences and have it be in focus. I find myself looking again, with a beginner’s mind, at what it means to be propelled into adulthood after spending just under a quarter of your life in these hallways, classrooms, being supported and guided by the teachers and programs available here. I listen, welcoming the voices of the teachers and students to enlighten me about what it means to part of this community.
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It’s not the same for every student, however, many are facing unseen obstacles—ones that I recall from my own youth. I feel grateful that I have been galvanized by so many difficult life experiences that I’m now in a position where my guidance can serve as knowledge for anyone interested. The students who come to our classroom are facing barriers such as hunger, shelter, and emotional support. They find us though. Even with us being the new kids at school they have begun trickling in, seeking out the resources that they need to succeed. When I think about our program in terms of where we fit into the students’ processes, I think of us like Maslow’s Hierarchy. You may be familiar with this pyramid; it builds from the bottom of the most basic of our needs- the food and shelter and the emotional systems- until it eventually reaches the pinnacle of self-actualization or transcendence. We can help our students build that infrastructure and reach their goals. It’s inspiring to begin understanding how this program being in the school can facilitate this process for students. 

 Hello! My name is Ann Roboski and I am a first-year AmeriCorps VISTA serving with Capital Area College Access Network (CapCAN) in Lansing, Michigan. I am serving at Dansville High School and the Wilson Talent Center as a College and Career Advisor. CapCAN’s mission is, “making completion of post-secondary education an achievable reality for all residents of the capital area….. to increase college and career readiness, participation, and completion.”
 
This past month has kept me quite busy with building connections at my sites, informing students of how I can assist with college applications, filing for FAFSA, scholarships, and frequently telling people, “I am not a high school student.”
 
I am currently planning and coordinating college visits and college fairs for Dansville High School and the Wilson Talent Center. I am also beginning to plan for the month of October which is College Application Month! I am quite excited about the upcoming events and to see the turnout!
 
Although I grew up in the Lansing area, I hadn’t frequented either of the sites that I now serve at much. Dansville High School and the Wilson Talent Center are in more rural areas and it’s been quite interesting to drive by farms and fields to get to my sites every day. Although the sites themselves are in similar locations, they are much different from each other. The Wilson Talent Center offers career and technical education courses for high school juniors and seniors in the Ingham Intermediate School District area. Additionally, the Wilson Talent Center has around 440 seniors. In contrast, Dansville High School is a traditional high school and has around 60 seniors. 
 
In the first few weeks at my sites, I was quite nervous, but as time went on and I became more familiar with the schools, staff, students, and my various tasks, I began to gain confidence and a sense of determination with my assignments. I am really enjoying getting to know the staff and students at Dansville High School and the Wilson Talent Center. There is a great sense of community and a welcoming atmosphere at both sites!

Hello, everyone! My name is June Urdy and I am a second-year AmeriCorps VISTA serving the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM). The mission of Girl Scouts is: “Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place”. As I begin a second year of service, I am excited about the projects I am working on but I am definitely feeling the pressure to exceed last year’s efforts. I also know the pressure is based more on my personal expectations for myself than on external expectations.
 
I am currently completing the final preparation for a college readiness workshop for 6th-8th grade Girl Scouts and their parents scheduled for October 2019 at UM-Flint. Titled, “Planning Your Future”, this will be a dual workshop running in tandem. The parents will learn about college options and preparation and the girls will participate in activities that will help them envision their future after high school. The girls will complete a variety of college-bound and career-based games and activities. Representatives from UM-Flint, Mott Community College and Kettering University will give short presentations for the parents on preparing their daughters for post-secondary options after high school graduation. Representatives from each organization will also staff information tables to answer the parent’s individual questions and to provide copies of enrollment and financial aid forms. In August, I worked with my supervisor to create a brief college readiness webinar for 6th-8th grade Girl Scouts. It will be available to use at the college readiness event and will be shown at Girl Scout events throughout the year.
After completing training on how to use the Genesee Serves volunteer platform created by the United Way of Genesee & Shiawassee Counties, I am now able to share this information with the Girl Scout volunteer support staff. I’m also attending a training on the Youth Genesee Serves grant program. This is a grant program specifically designed to provide money for youth-led service projects. Sharing the materials provided and information will enable staff to maintain the GSSEM listings and utilize the system to connect Girl Scouts with service-learning opportunities and apply for grant money after my service term is completed.  

Planning continues with two local community theater organizations to partner with the Girl Scouts to provide space and technical assistance with one-day workshops for girls to earn the Public Speaking and Theater badges. I am compiling speaking parts for the girls to use in the badge workshops that consist of speeches or essays written by former Girl Scouts, such as Sandra Day O’Conner, Condoleezza Rice, Sally Ride, and Michelle Obama.
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My calendar is filling up with events, the Human-Centered Design class, workshops, networking, and more! I am ready for a very busy, productive service year with an amazing team of VISTAs. Together, we are doing great things.

Hi all, my name is Rita Hockemeyer. I am a second-year VISTA serving with Carson City-Crystal Area Schools in the Pathways to Employment Program. I have to say that starting the second year is much less stressful than the first. All those emails and all those new acronyms are now part of my lingo. Understanding how VISTA fits into MNA and where our paychecks come from helps too. But as we progress into the year I am realizing that there is so much to do and I am only a small piece of the bigger puzzle. Focusing on who we are serving seems to help me stay the course. 
 
For those who don’t know me, I am a retired special ed teacher, former owner of an Adult Foster Care home, owner of a 40-acre farm, part-owner of Pro Foam INC, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and the mother of 6 children. Five years ago I took on the responsibility of raising 2 step-grandchildren and now know what it feels like to be a single parent with a full-time job. Whew! There are many days I wonder if I will make it through but I have a huge support system, an awesome family, and a great church behind me. Being an AmeriCorps VISTA member keeps me positive and helps me to stay up with what is happening in the schools and community activities. Giving me a purpose outside of the home encourages me to do what I can to make our community better and not just get caught up on family matters. 
 
So let me tell you a little about the Carson City-Crystal area. It is located in Montcalm County, mostly rural and very poor. Many of our student’s families are on assistance through the state. All students in the school receive free breakfast and lunch. Agriculture is one of the primary occupations. Many people with higher paying employment have to travel 30-60 minutes to work. In the 20 years that I have lived in this area, I have found it to be full of caring people, helping each other to survive. There is always a need for a new program that teaches skills in vocational areas and money management. There is always a need for someone to help with those programs. I suppose that is why this VISTA job is so important- there are so many needs and so few that can fulfill those needs. 
 
Some of the projects that we have established through this program include a recycling program, a care closet, a partnership with the local teen center, support of the True Success PBIS program, active involvement in the local 4-H program, and leadership training for students at the middle school and high school level. 
 
A Partnership with CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) and Montcalm County 4-H has offered High School students training in leadership and encourages students to have a Youth Voice in the community. This initiative has offered several students opportunities to travel to Washington DC and Dallas, TX for National Youth Leadership Conventions. Students involved in this program have taken an interest in what is happening here at the school with goals being established for change. 
 
Our Care Closet offers our students a safe place to come and get items they might not be able to afford otherwise. School Supplies, grooming articles, personal care products for the young women, clothes, shoes, boots, and coats are items that have been either donated or purchased with funds donated through grants, community, and the student body. The Care Closet even has a number of dresses for prom or homecoming. Men’s dress clothes for interviews or prom are also available. Kids who are shy about coming in can email us for help. The Care Closet has made gift bags for foster kids and helped to sponsor families in need. The Care Closet was so overloaded with donations last spring, that they were able to have a free give away this fall for people in the community. 
 
Recycling has been an ongoing project here at Carson City Schools. Established about 8 years ago by a past VISTA, the program collects and sorts recycling on a weekly basis. Students in the Middle School Leadership classes and the High School Leadership team have taken the responsibility to keep this program moving forward. Plans are being made to create some products out of recycled bottles and paper. The sale of these items can support other community efforts. 
 
The Montcalm Area Teen Center serves about 40-60 students weekly depending on the time of year and their sports involvement. Students meet to discuss personal issues and other needs. This fall the VISTA program will be offering guidance in the way of activities that teach employment and leadership skills. Students have had opportunities to attend summer camp trips, winter retreats, community service projects and weekly support from staff. The CCC School Leadership members have used recycled paper, TP rolls, and candles to create fire starters to sell. The money will go towards activities and supplies needed for the programs at the Teen Center throughout the year. 
 
The encouragement of building character and soft employment skills has been tackled through a school-wide initiative called true success. The program is taught during a short class period at the end of the day. Students are recognized for showing these traits throughout the school year. The VISTA program has supported this program by organizing and executing monthly recognition assemblies. Pictures of students being recognized are posted in local newspapers and around the schools. 
 
A partnership with our local 4-H program has offered students an opportunity to complete projects in many areas of life. Sales of the projects are held at the County Fair, giving kids a chance to start saving for college and other post-secondary options while they are learning new skills. As a VISTA member, I have been involved in the local 4-H club consisting of about 30 members from our school district. I have also sat on the County 4-H Council that is responsible for organizing fundraisers, offering scholarships, organizing trainings and managing the annual 4-H Montcalm County Fair. As a result of this program, almost 500 students have had the opportunity to participate in building their leadership skills, employment skills, and learn about many project areas that could lead to their own career in the future. 
 
These programs are vital to helping our young people here in Carson City have a much better life. Opportunities to become the future leaders of our community are a huge part of what CCC Schools has to offer. It is a privilege to be part of that!!
 
AmeriCorps VISTA members are definitely unique. They have figured out that it is not about the money but about the service. They have learned that serving others can be a way of encouragement to our society. They have discovered that if everyone does a little, something big happens. I can say becoming a VISTA member was one of the better choices of my life. 

Hi, everyone! My name is Kurtis Edwards, and I'm a second-year VISTA serving at Washtenaw Literacy. I wanted to share some advice from my first year of service. 

You will start off feeling scared. Remember to breath and embrace the unknown. Your supervisor, VISTA leader, fellow staff members, and cohort all want you to succeed. No one is rigging the game against you this time around. Anyways, if you embrace the learning curve, you've just taken another step at understanding intimately the life of those you serve. They face countless barriers they cannot see over and have to adapt, cope, make a risk of it all, and weather uncertainty daily — no joke about how hard their life can be.

At first, I struggled to embrace the unknown and wanted to be in control or at least aware. If you fight it, it will win and this year will be hard. I struggled to get to know people, my community, and my place in the scheme of it all. No one trains you on that type of stuff either. A couple of times I got close to complete failure, or so it seemed (I can be my worst enemy sometimes). Once I embraced what I didn't know, and let go of both feeling inferior, and over-compensating with defense, things fell into place. They didn't get easy, but they did get manageable, and at least I understood what was going on. I then become open to learn and grow, and no longer had to feel the pressure of coping with not knowing it all. Most importantly for my self-esteem, it didn't feel like the way a first-date or the first day of school feels every day.
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Things will simmer down, and each week and month that goes by, you will get better and better. Don't get too comfy! Getting too comfortable is just another way of saying you are ready to have your ego smacked in the face. But, the 'job' and daily-grind will become easier to manage. Before you know it, you will be able to manage your programs, the MNA and HCD requirements, and your health and quality of life. Soon, you will be able to take a few moments here and there and think of how to sustain, change, or improve your areas of focus (you know, get at that actual VAD you were assigned). Remember to reach out to your network of support. We’ve got you on this. In all simplicity, I am just saying breathe and have some faith; this will work if you let it.

Hi, everyone! My name is Meridith Murley, and I’m a first-year AmeriCorps VISTA Leader serving with Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA)! I previously served as a VISTA at Alcona Community Schools, and loved being a VISTA so much that I’m back for a second year!

Last year’s service term in Alcona flew by, but we all had the opportunity to present our Human-Centered Design projects at the End of Year Research Symposium. It was fascinating to see the scope and variety of all of the final topics - they ranged from a website to help first-generation college students manage their transition from high school to college to a trauma-informed workplaces training and career fair. This year, we’re stepping it up even more by allowing VISTAs to potentially take on a Human-Centered Design project at their host site! Adding this dimension, in addition to creating more space for prototyping, should make this year’s projects even more viable. Stay tuned!

At the End of Year Research Symposium we also got to have some fun as a cohort, and abstractly painted the state of Michigan at Lansing’s Painting with a Twist! Needless to say, we have quite a few artists in the 2018-2019 cohort (I am not one of them).

As this year’s cohort begins their service year, things have been busy around the MNA office. In addition to onboarding the 28 new VISTAs, Maggie, our Program Manager, and I have been planning for the Orientation that takes place September 5-6 in Detroit. As an added bonus, MNA’s Pathways to Employment AmeriCorps VISTA Program has been awarded the Governor’s Service Award for Outstanding National Service Program! For more information on the Governor’s Service award, click here. We are so excited to include the Governor’s Service Awards as part of our orientation so the entire new cohort can have the opportunity to see how great MNA’s program really is.
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Starting a year of service can be a bit intimidating, but it’s always great to pause and remember the impact that national service has in our state and in our communities. Stepping away from a host site to help support VISTAs this year is a change, but I’m hoping to use the lessons that I learned in my service year to help this year’s cohort of VISTAs succeed. I’m so excited to see all of the work that our new group of VISTAs will achieve throughout the year, and I can’t wait to see the collective impact. Welcome, new VISTAs!

​Hello again, my name is Asmara Wheeler and I am serving as a VISTA at Atlantic Impact in Detroit. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been reflecting a lot on my past year of service. Becoming a VISTA has been a challenging, yet rewarding, experience. The best part of this work is creating meaningful programming and building connections with my students.
 
Since my last blog post, I have been preparing for our summer employment program through Grow Detroit’s Young Talent. My supervisor gave me total control to create and pilot the summer program. I decided students should learn about social media, branding, and marketing as it pertains to nonprofits and small businesses. Within the curriculum I was able to show students career paths in the industry and provide them with transferrable soft/hard skills as they prepare to pursue post-secondary education.
 
Along with the summer program, I have been working with my research team for the Human-Centered Design project. We chose to research the Professional Trades and access to information about them throughout the state of Michigan. Our prototype was a “Traveling Trades Show,” where we would be able to set up an info table at various locations with high foot traffic to share information about the professional trades, as well as contact information, email templates, and more. The project was a success thanks to my team.
 
Being a part of AmeriCorps has helped me grow as a person personally and professionally. I cannot wait to apply what I have learned to my future endeavors.