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Greetings VISTA Voice Readers!
Welcome to our.... early-spring edition? It's that time of year again when nature begins to shake off the cold chill of winter and spring begins ... albeit a little earlier than usual. The beginning of spring also means that this academic semester is close to halfway over, which leads to two things; first, the Summer Associate VISTA recruitment process is underway! Second, like many of the tulips beginning to bud, so too are the ideas of post service-year thoughts beginning to bloom in the minds of current VISTAs. In this issue we bring you several "Life after VISTA" stories. We begin by following up with the adventures of some OCC VISTA Alums who are working to fight poverty around the world. We then move on to Hiram College where Gillian Halusker has met with great success in making the programs she has worked with completely sustainable. Finally, Coral Breuer introduces us to a grassroots based initiative devoted to carrying on the work of one of our former VISTAs in the Newark area. ~~Volume 7, Issue 4 |
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VISTA Alums Abroad
by Samantha Schulz, Ohio State University at Newark | |
So, what are your plans for next year? Every AmeriCorps VISTA faces this same question around this time of year and their answers vary. Past VISTAs have answered this question in a multitude of different ways. Both Caitlin Lambert and Jessica Reading answered the question by following their passions and working abroad.
Caitlin Lambert: Rwanda
Caitlin Lambert was an OCC AmeriCorps VISTA at Lorain Community College from 2009-2010, focusing on issues pertaining to food security. Upon finishing her year of service, Caitlin moved to Rwanda in September of 2010. She had always been interested in Africa, visiting Ghana in the summer of 2008 and writing a case study on the genocide in Rwanda for her college capstone project.
 | | Caitlin in scenic Rwanda |
"I knew after my VISTA year that I wanted to move to Rwanda to learn more about the country I studied and I immediately fell in love."
Upon arriving in Rwanda, Caitlin volunteered full-time for a year as the Career Development Assistant for Generation Rwanda- an organization that offers university scholarships and career-development preparation to socially vulnerable youth in the area. Now she is the lead researcher for African Rights which works to publicize and spur change in genocide justice. At the same time, she is also the in-country manager for Rwanda Gift for Life, a partnering organization to African Rights that supports genocide survivors (www.rwandagiftforlife.org). Caitlin explains that there are definite challenges, but "ultimately, the positives of living in Rwanda outweigh the challenges."
Caitlin hopes that the work she is doing in Rwanda will help her when she moves on to law school to study human rights and poverty law.
Jessica Reading: Guatemala
Jessica Reading worked from August 2009 to August 2010 as the AmeriCorps VISTA at Miami University Hamilton, where she learned the importance of community and of building relationships. Having a strong connection to the Latin American community in Hamilton and a background in business and social entrepreneurship, she moved to Guatemala in October 2010.
Jessica works for Community Enterprise Solutions (www.cesolutions.org), a non-profit with the mission of implementing MicroConsignment (small business opportunities aimed primarily at women in developing nations). Her organization works alongside a sustainable social business called Soluciones Comunitarias whose "mission is to bring access to health-related goods into rural areas of Guatemala, while also providing an economic opportunity for women and men in these communities." She is contracted to work in Guatemala through August 2012.
Describing her experience, Jessica says, "I continue to learn more and more each day about myself, about others, and about our responsibility to do our best to create civic leaders among ourselves and in each community we are a part of." She is inspired by the Guatemalan individuals who live life with determination and passion, despite the hardships and obstacles they face every day. To learn more about Jessica's experience in Guatemala, you can read her blog at http://jessicareading.wordpress.com/. |
Passing the Torch to Student Leaders;
A Lesson in Sustainable Leadership
by Wendy Pfrenger, Kent State University | |
Gillian Halusker's work at Hiram College has combined a commitment to sustainability with a strong eye for growth opportunities. The primary focus of Gillian's VISTA service has been the oversight of three tutoring programs staffed by Hiram College undergraduate volunteers and student workers. These programs, sited at Garfield Elementary, the King Kennedy Center, and the Renaissance Family Center serve a total of 35-40 students a month ranging in age from preschool to sixth grade.
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Students working with the King Kennedy Center. From left to right, are Anna Borkan, Ariana Iacoboni, and Jordan McCartney |
Maintaining a stable, quality tutoring program can be a challenge, as undergraduates often lack transportation, time management skills, and training. Gillian says the key to establishing a sustainable program has been using Hiram Service Leaders, student workers who are available to transport other student volunteers and serve as reliable, experienced tutoring staff.
The other piece of the puzzle, of course, can be ensuring that tutoring services are used. Advertising through flyers and personal contact with teaching staff in the schools has been particularly effective in increasing the number of students coming in for assistance. "Earlier this year we were seeing maybe one or two students a day in the Renaissance Center, but at this point we're seeing sometimes ten new faces a day coming in and then returning on a regular basis" Gillian observes. A fun group game at the end of the one-to-one tutoring sessions conducted at Garfield Elementary also keeps students coming back.
Ongoing professional development sessions twice a month help Gillian monitor the professional needs of her volunteer staff and create opportunities for communication between volunteers and service leaders working for various non-profits. Although many of the students tutor, others build capacity for community organizations working on other issues, so Gillian's training sessions must speak to shared needs, for example flexible professional communication skills.
As Hiram Service Leaders have taken on greater responsibility, Gillian has been able to see a path forward for her successful completion of service. Gillian says that it has been satisfying "seeing students move out of their comfort zone and start to understand a community that they'd had difficulty relating to before." Her own plans for next year include pursuing a Master's Degree in Theology with the knowledge that Hiram College's community engagement will continue in the capable hands of student leaders. |
Sustainable Change at the Grassroots Level
by Corallina Breuer, Ohio Campus Compact VISTA |
VISTAs are agents of change, but we can only be so by working in tandem with community partners. It is important to recognize these partnerships and highlight organizations that have moved beyond VISTA and built capacity to sustain and thrive. A shining example of this can be found in Newark, OH with the Licking County Bridges Out of Poverty (BOP) initiative*.
Madelynn May and Fatina Evans are key players in the leadership team that is re-writing program curriculum, developing means of greater support for Getting Ahead* participants and graduates, and they have built a foundation for their own economic stability. It is important to note that they are graduates of BOP's Getting Ahead program and have been trained facilitators for the past few years. They know the program inside and out and have brought to their role a drive to empower themselves and others. As Evans said, "If I can't be the one [to make it out of poverty], I at least want to witness it in my lifetime."
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Madelynn May shares a story of how her life was positively impacted by BOP concepts at a 5K fundraiser event
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The significance of having these particular women as a part of the leadership team is described by Judith Allee, former BOP director; "They get why people are so stuck. They're able to bring a reality to the challenges." They also know what helps people get unstuck. It starts with the Getting Ahead curriculum, which they are re-writing to include a strengthened focus on civic engagement and more engaging lessons. They're focusing on including more media, bringing in speakers, and using Licking County data and statistics. "Things are more hands-on, people are more engaged in the community. There is a higher social responsibility written into the new book," said May.
May wants to bring in a chef to talk about "healthy meals on the cheap that kids eat" and also plans to have the next GA class help start a "taxables pantry," a pantry that will stock nonfood items not offered at a food pantry such as toilet paper, shampoo, and other household items.
Evans' goal is to create an apprentice program for GA grads in which they would research small businesses and then apprentice to local owners to learn the trade so they will have the hands-on experience to become entrepreneurs and the connections to be successful.
May and Evans have both experienced poverty and still struggle to make ends meet, but they believe in the transformative power of education and are dedicated to this initiative. They are women to keep an eye on in the next few years because we foresee great ideas coming out of Licking County.
*Getting Ahead (GA) is a 15-session program that examines the impact that poverty has on individuals, families, and their communities. It was originally created by aha! Process.
* Bridges Out of Poverty (BOP) is a book and an approach that helps employers, community organizations, social-service agencies, and individuals address poverty in a comprehensive way. People from all economic classes come together to improve job retention rates, build resources, improve outcomes, and support those who are moving out of poverty.
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Have a story or program you would like highlighted? A suggestion? Want to see a new feature added to the newsletter? Need more information on one of the articles? Feel free to contact us here
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Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA
631 N. Pearl Street
Granville, Ohio 43023
740-587-8571
www.ohiocampuscompact.org
   
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Program Stats
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How are Ohio Campus Compact VISTAs making a difference in their communities? Below are just a few of the accomplishments from January & February of 2012
-Volunteer Totals-
Students: 1,572
Hours: 8,391
Community Members: 317
Hours: 974
Baby Boomers: 64
Hours: 171
-Funds Raised-
Program Funds Raised (via grants, scholarships, awards, etc.): $59,538
In-kind Program Donations: $31,658
Community
-Engagement-
Disadvantaged Youth engaged: 2,868
Community Meals Served: 674
K-12 Students in College Access Programs: 4,832
Veteran
Students Served: 2,602 |
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VISTA Voice Editorial Staff:
Nick Weber, Editor
Contributors:
Samantha Schulz
Wendy Pfrenger
Coral Breuer
Tara Purvis
Susan King | |
| Job Opportunities
Executive Director
Utah Campus Compact
Program Coordinator
Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service Learning
Social Security Administration
Seeks VISTA alumni applicants for positions in Northern Ohio.
Regional Coordinator Impact Alabama
Impact Alabama - Birmingham, AL
Service-Learning Facilitator
Civic Education Project Nationwide, AK
Peace First AmeriCorps Member
Peace First - Boston, New York or LA, MA
| | Campaign Coordinator
Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges
Veggie Van Manager
Local Matters
Executive Director
The Toledo Rotary Club
Watershed Council Coordinator
Ohio Environmental Council
Sustainable Technology Research Fellow
Oberlin College
Case Foundation
Communications Coordinator
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Ohio Campus Compact VISTAs work with college campuses and in communities to alleviate poverty. VISTAs serve in the poorest areas of their communities to tackle poverty-related problems such as hunger and homelessness, financial literacy, veteran student services, public health and college access. |
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