Dylan Davids - Reflecting on Three Years of National Service

In 2016, the Corporation for National and Community Service celebrated a special milestone: one million individuals committing to serve with AmeriCorps since 1994, which is when the program began. I still remember this event vividly, it occurred during my first year of service with an environmental AmeriCorps program in Massachusetts, AmeriCorps Cape Cod. Our cohort was crammed into a basement conference room at the county court to watch a planned ceremony where NASA hosted AmeriCorps members across the country in celebration of the milestone (afterwards we received a very informative, and very scary, presentation on tick safety). While I may not have been that lucky one-millionth member, the experience grounded me in the community of national service, a critically under-advertised option for Americans.

I have to admit, my initial decision to serve in AmeriCorps did not come out of some lofty altruistic aspiration. I had just graduated from college with a degree in a field I did not want to pursue and was looking for something- anything- I could do that aligned with my personal interests. But that initial year of service instilled in me a fierce ethic of service that will now never fade. As AmeriCorps members we are told that we do not work, we serve and that is something that has stuck with me. I do not think I will ever be happy in a career that I just see as work anymore, I need something more. This effect, I think, is one of the most important. By immersing Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community service, it teaches us to aspire to more, to want to fight the problems AmeriCorps members tackle: poverty, environmental degradation, economic inequity, disaster recovery, and so much more. I am definitely not serving for the paycheck!

As an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader serving with Michigan Nonprofit Association, I get to see first-hand all of the awesome work occurring around the state in fighting poverty. VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a little bit older than AmeriCorps. Initially started as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, it predates AmeriCorps by a couple of decades. All VISTA projects must have an anti-poverty focus. MNA’s program accomplishes this through the double lenses of College Access & Success and Workforce Development, placing 30 VISTAs with MNA members throughout the state doing that critical work. VISTAs also do not directly serve clients. Instead, we focus on capacity building, laying the groundwork for nonprofits and schools by constructing volunteer pipelines, writing curricula, finding funding streams, developing sustainable programs, and more. We have a VISTA in the Upper Peninsula serving with the Mackinac Economic Alliance to bring year-round employment opportunities to residents in an area where much of the work is seasonal and tourism-oriented, as well as a VISTA serving with Atlantic Impact, planning experiential learning opportunities and field trips for students in Detroit who may not otherwise have them. These are just two quick snapshots of what our VISTAs are doing for their communities, their support is critical in building programs that provide the necessary support to help people climb out of poverty into sustainable, and fulfilling, work.

My role in all this is as a peer mentor, providing our VISTAs with opportunities for professional development and support in navigating the myriad of situations that arise over the course of a year of service. It was a perfect fit for me. As someone who has had their life completely change through AmeriCorps service, I now have the chance to help others along that path of service and self-discovery.
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Each year over 75,000 Americans commit to AmeriCorps service, some to give back to their community, some as a gap year between high school and college, and others to gain the skills they need to make a career shift, and all are transformed through the experience. I hope that national service continues to grow as an option for everyone in this country, because it truly does has something to offer to everyone. Three years ago I was unsure in life, not confident about my path forward and unsure about where my passion lay. Today, I feel confident and prepared to continue serving my community, in whatever form and place that occurs next for me.