Tag Archives: Volunteer

It’s AmeriCorps Week!*

*Like many similar celebratory weeks, this pretty much means nothing except that someone somewhere made this sweet graphic that I can now place on my blog for cyber celebration. Oh well, it’s still nice =)

When I started my term as an AmeriCorps VISTA last August, I never anticipated that my year of service would overlap with such political drama. In February, the House passed H.R. 1 which called for massive spending cuts including the elimination of the Corporation for National & Community Service – the agency that runs AmeriCorps. Also, as many of you know, the media has been buzzing about a government shutdown all week. This makes me nervous for many reasons, but mostly because a government shutdown would mean that my (already modest) living stipend would be frozen…

Myself (middle, right) and some fellow AmeriCorps*VISTAs at the MLK Day of Service in Winston-Salem, NC

Before I go any further, I want to make something thing very clear about this blog post. This is not a rant, opinion piece  or a ‘call to arms’. In fact, it’s not allowed to be any of those things. As an Americorps VISTA I am bound by the Hatch Act and am not allowed to participate in certain partisan activities or campaigning under my title – including publicly agreeing with  or publicly opposing the matter outlined above. I know, I know…the whole thing is rather ironic (especially since my program is on the chopping block), but generally I see the value of this legal restraint. After all, as a national volunteer I work for all tax payers no matter who you voted for or what you believe. It’s my job to serve you, not alienate you. I’m on board with that.

One thing I CAN do is explain the volunteers’ collective silence. Because of the conditions explained above, you won’t (or at least shouldn’t) see any opinionated blog posts by a current AmeriCorps member or read a quote from them in the paper about these topics. If this had been happening a year ago while I was still in undergrad, I might have stumbled across a related newspaper article and wondered why no one was asking the volunteers directly what they thought about their jeopardized position. After all, in cases like this – whether it’s with teachers’ salaries or local programs – one can generally expect a defensive quote from the threatened demographic. For better or for worse, this expectation does not apply here. While AmeriCorps alumni can participate in politics and publicly rally on this issue, those presently impacted are waiting and watching as the drama over our futures and our program unfolds. Like I said, I see the benefits of this political restraint, but that doesn’t make silence any easier.

I love you, America! Do you love me back?

Though I can’t tell you explicitly what I think, I CAN tell you more about myself and what I do. Also, if you’re interested, feel free to read my first “Volunteer” post I wrote for this site. I’ll let you formulate your own opinion based on your fiscal leanings and political beliefs.

As an AmeriCorps VISTA (VISTA = Volunteer in Service to America), I am a capacity-building force. This means I do more indirect service than direct, hands-on volunteering (though we all still find time to do that as well). This past year I’ve been stationed with a non-profit in North Carolina where I help with formulating sustainable funding strategies for our local projects nationwide. Most VISTAs work behind the scenes and, in fact, raise money (as in millions – we’re not kidding around), create partnerships and recruit/engage local volunteers. Our work is about stability and sustainability meaning we don’t just move to a random place and serve until the clock runs out. The goal isn’t just to own or start a successful project; it’s to create ripple effects in the community that outlive your presence there.

I know some people are shocked that the government would even think about cutting a program like AmeriCorps. I also know other people who, considering the dire economic climate, see cutting AmeriCorps has an unfortunate but needed reality. Whatever your opinion might be, don’t be afraid to vocalize it. Do it for those of us that can’t.

“Volunteer” is my day-to-day identity. It’s how I introduce myself to strangers when I shake their hands and it’s the label I wear proudly on my chest here in North Carolina. From time to time I might write about more frivolous labels on this blog, but I take this one very seriously and my hope is that you do too.

Do you have your tickets, America? Tickets to the -

At your service, Nation. I am one of your bright-eyed, optimistic young volunteers recruited and distributed around the country for capacity building and community engagement purposes. I live on a stipend, relocated somewhere random, and feel mildly overwhelmed half the time.  That’s normal, right?  I live in what Joceline dreamily calls “The Real World,” but for the time being I’ve taken on a slightly unrealistic, temporary position within it.

It’s about time I wrote about this label. Everyone else on this blog has covered their basic/professional “introduction handles.” Lori is a student teacher, Lauren is an editor and Joceline is an aspiring people doctor (but fifty bucks says she’ll switch to trees before I’m finished typing this post). The draft of this post has existed for weeks now, lonely and unfinished. I’ve gone through several versions – some ranting and others idealistically poetic depending on my mood. Here’s to  hoping that I finally got it right…

When I moved to North Carolina in August, I did so with the most cliché, dreamy attitude possible. I was like an adult version of Dora the Explorer* starting my life journey. I was working with a non-profit I love, helping people, and building up some lasting tell-my-grandchildren type experiences. Now, after almost five months of service under by belt, I still hold fast to much of that hope, but I’ve also curved my naïveté with some valuable lessons.

For instance, I’m currently [attempting] to adjust the way I measure success. Before this year I was your typical structured, type-A overachiever whose chief responsibility was to do my best academically.  I was fine with that arrangement. After all, when you fall short in school, you know exactly how to fix it. There were specific outcomes and expectations there; my environment was  predictable with clear indicators of reward and failure. This is NOT how my volunteer experience is panning out to be. As time passes, I’m learning to stomach uncertainty. I have to live with the fact that I’m not always going to witness the positive or negative outcomes of my own work. I honestly see this a good thing – challenging and out of character, but good for me. One cannot be in school forever (though some have tried) and, as far as I know, Life doesn’t hand out report cards.

The real enemy of the volunteer is the dreaded “What-if”?  When I get frustrated or I feel powerless, I have moments when I daydream about my other postgrad options – some safer and more lucrative than the one I ultimately chose. Despite the retrospective cold feet, I don’t have regrets. While I’m young, free to roam and have no family of my own, I might as well take some chances. At what other point in my life can I nonsensically opt to work for nothing in X location just because?

It’s also a relief to stop operating in the “me” bubble. I’m 100% certain that being a student for eighteen years in a row messes with your head. I’m trying not to sound righteous or preachy as I type this, but I’m relieved to have a schedule that doesn’t revolve around my own agenda/development anymore.  Frankly, it’s as suffocating as it is skewed. I’m grateful for the gap year and I’d recommend it to everyone – whether you want to pursue service during it or not.Take a breath between degrees, people. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

All in all, I’m liking my gig. In many ways, it’s not what I expected but in other ways it’s better. I hope you enjoyed my overdue “introduction handle.” I’ll keep you posted on my ever exciting volunteer lifestyle.**

* Though I am not Spanish or 2-D, Dora and I have forged an odd association that I cannot shake.  She was my low maintenance Halloween costume of 2009 (all I needed was a backpack) and was my graduation balloon of choice in 2010 (so famous, the local paper mentioned it). The gag has only strengthened over time to the point where two people sent me Dora-themed cards for my 22nd Birthday. I’m contemplating getting a pet monkey.

**By “ever exciting,” I mean my extensive knowledge of strange off brands, expertise in free online resources, and the fact that I get to meet new and interesting people all the time.