VIP Leader Reflections, Part II

2012-2013 VIP Leaders share reflections of their AmeriCorps service, including what they've learned, successes and accomplishments, challenges overcome, and advice to the next group of AmeriCorps members.

When I started as the Lead here at Jewish Family Service, I was literally wide-eyed and fresh-faced. Right out of college, I was given real and tangible responsibility, a position of great potential growth, and a chance to understand the nonprofit world from within. I cannot express my gratitude enough not only to the AmeriCorps program, but also to JFS for taking a chance on me. My responsibilities ranged from volunteer interviewing, placement, and screening. Meanwhile my professional development expanded in leaps and bounds (almost unbeknownst to me!). I got to offer support to my VIP team, participate in JFS events, and get to know my own leadership style and strengths. I have the utmost respect for my coworkers and the fellows of the VIP program here in San Diego.

If you are considering applying to this wonderful program, I would like to take a moment to encourage you to do so. If you are looking for work experience, the VIP program offers its members a chance to get nonprofit experience, work on a team, develop some serious people skills, and provide an invaluable service to the San Diego community. If you are looking to utilize your creativity and ingenuity, the VIP program provides a space for members to build infrastructure—sometimes out of nothing! If you are interested in networking in the field, VIPs not only work side-by-side with the other staff members of their host organization, but also with the many partner organizations within the VIP program. Being an AmeriCorps alum is a prestigious title, but being a VIP alum is a designation I carry closer to my heart and wear with pride.

Margot Schein, VIP Leader at Jewish Family Service of San Diego

This past year as a VIP Leader has been a gift, both personally and professionally.  Professionally, I have honed my experience in leading and facilitating meetings and trainings, learning strategies to engage both fellow VIPs and volunteers alike.  Personally, I overcame the challenge of being both a role model and a friend, learning how to create a balance between the two.  In my second year with the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, I was excited to be the lead on KOREH L.A.’s library restocking event this year, working with the administration of a partner school to manage the donation of over 1,000 brand new books to their school library.  My advice for future VIP Leaders would be just to relax and enjoy your time, because the friendships you make in AmeriCorps will be some you will treasure forever!

Kelsey Larsen, VIP Leader at the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles

Top 5 Things You Should Know About Being in AmeriCorps

5. Do not procrastinate. Even though you have 12-months, do not wait until the end of your term to finish any sustainability projects because anything and everything will come up to distract you.

4. You will have busy and slow days. You should take initiative in different projects in your organization and/or find new volunteer opportunities in the community.

3. Member Development can be fun! This is a chance for you to learn new things as well as have some fun with other AmeriCorps members. 

2. Your cohort can be a great support system. The other AmeriCorps members are probably the only people where you do not have to explain your circumstances (ex. we are the “domestic” Peace Corps).

1. You made a commitment to serve as an AmeriCorps member, and you will get things done for America and your community. There are days that might feel less eventful or meaningful, but remember that each day that you serve is a day that you made a difference.

Jobelle Duka, VIP Leader at HandsOn Central California

As I reflect on my year of service, I can't believe that a year has already come and gone. When I decided to take on the position as the VIP State Leader I immediately felt honored. Having not only the opportunity to be in AmeriCorps, but to also lead, mentor, and coach a coalition of volunteer coordinators seemed both exciting and daunting. 

The one thing I learned from this year of service is that in order to grow, either professionally or personally, individuals must be willing to push themself out of their comfort zone.  Try new things. Take risks. Accept more responsibility. Engage and listen to individuals whom you know nothing about.  These can create profound impacts in not only yourself, but also within the communities you serve.

I want to thank CalSERVES, Lauren and Sara for believing in me and allowing me the chance to take part in the VIP program. This organization will continue to do amazing work throughout California and I’m excited to see the results. 

Lastly, to the next cohort of VIP Fellows I hope your AmeriCorps year pushes you out of your comfort zone, produces positive change, conveys pride, and that you continue to uphold the ideals of service with you for a lifetime. 

Cody Cibart, VIP State Leader at CalSERVES

VIP Leader Reflections, Part I

2012-2013 VIP Leaders share reflections of their AmeriCorps service, including what they've learned, successes and accomplishments, challenges overcome, and advice to the next group of AmeriCorps members.

I think that one of the things I am most proud of from my year as a VIP Leader is the strength and camaraderie of our AmeriCorps team. I have worked hard to provide fun activities for each meeting, celebrate birthdays, plan get-togethers outside of work, and to create a sense of comfort and support. Each AmeriCorps knows that they can talk about their issues, whether it is work related or personal, to both me and their team. I think this has created a strong bond amongst our members, but it has also allowed us to catch and solve issues as they arise and before they are too late. This is the first year that HandsOn Inland Empire has had, that we have not lost a single VIP. While I can’t take all of the credit for that, I do think that the safe haven and open door policy I have created has definitely helped some of the AmeriCorps through their year. My suggestion to future VIP Leaders is to ensure that you are not only managing the AmeriCorps, but that you are also supporting them. This year is not easy. For many it can be a first real job. And with the low pay and stress of the job, it can be tough. But working through it as a team, can give them the support they need to continue their year successfully. 

Erin Weaver, VIP Leader at Inland Empire United Way

As I finish my third term with AmeriCorps and get ready to move onto other areas of life, I am proud of having accomplished many things I set out to do this year, not only professionally, but personally. I wanted to take on the role as leader of a crew to challenge myself to be able to meet deadlines, encourage others and tackle my arch-nemesis: Paperwork.  I can successfully say I have not only accomplished these goals, but have also grown in my abilities to communicate and interact in many challenging situations. If I could impart any advice to an AmeriCorps member, no matter if you are brand-spanking new or an old hand at this: remember to approach every situation with an open heart and a mirror. The open heart allows you to be impacted by those around you, not just impart “wisdom” to those whom you think need to hear it; and the mirror allows for you to see yourself and the ways in which you can grow and change. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of AmeriCorps and this year’s Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County AmeriCorps crew. 

Jennifer Harman, VIP Leader at the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center

HARD WORK!!! Is the first thing I think of when it comes to being a VIP lead. It has been a very fast, busy year for me! I truly have loved every minute of the experience, every conversation filled with laughter and love I’ve been able to give and receive. I’ve made friends in my fellow VIP members that will last me a lifetime of memories. I’ve learned to trust myself more than I ever have before. I’ve learned that it really is the smaller things in life that keep your heart whole. My advice to anyone coming in would be stay committed to the journey you are about to go on, enjoy the relationships you will build in the process, and allow your heart to grow with every experience! Best of Wishes!

Airika Narcisse, VIP Leader at City of Duarte

Today is my last day, and looking back over all of the challenges, successes, failures, relationships, volunteers, team meetings, and everything else that has happened throughout the course of the year, knocks me off my feet a little bit. To see the growth of all of the VIP Fellows serving with CalSERVES, and those serving around the state, is something we should all take a moment to reflect on and be proud of. 

Together we have achieved the goals set out for us at the beginning of the year. We have recruited thousands of volunteers, who have served hundreds of thousands of hours, to support the communities we serve. But perhaps more importantly is the intangible achievement that we see everyday as volunteer managers. We got our organizations to improve their services at the giving hands of volunteers. We got things done for America in the truest sense of the phrase. 

I'm thankful to Sara Sitch and Lauren Serpa  for achieving a vision they had for VIP that provided all of us the opportunity to serve communities throughout California this year. their tireless leadership is an inspiration, and shows how much positive change can happen if you have a vision, determination, and are willing to put in extraordinary effort. 

Alex Rowan, VIP Leader at CalSERVES

Healthy You & Me!

By Julianna Whittaker, VIP Leader at St. Joseph Health 

One of the big success stories from this year has to be our Healthy You & Me event. The whole VIP team here at St. Joseph Health came together and helped plan, from the ground up, a health based, educational, free community wide event! We spent hours of planning with weekly meetings full of prep-work that included finding sponsors, recruiting volunteers, locating a venue, and much more! We recruited volunteers to present topics such as healthy relationships with your partner, biometric health screening (worth over $200!), stress and relaxation tips, how to eat healthy on a budget, tobacco prevention awareness for parents and children, and many more. 

 

Volunteers helping families register.

We spent the weeks prior to the event canvassing neighborhoods, schools and local businesses trying to get the word out about the free services being offered. We talked to current volunteers and asked them to help out with the outreach as well as volunteering for the day of the event. We were able to contact local high-schools which ended up being an amazing resource for recruiting volunteers. The day of the event went smoothly, even though we really didn’t know what to expect given that  it was the first time holding the event! We had plenty of volunteers that showed up on time and ready to help out. Due to the fact that this was our first time holding this event in our community, we didn’t get as much of a response as we had hoped for, however the volunteers turned out to be more than what we expected. They ended up staying after their shifts and turned into participants! We were able to have our classes full, mixed with volunteers as well as community members.

 

After our last session of Zumba, which really got everyone moving, (kids and parents alike!) we had a prizes raffle for those that had turned in evaluation forms. One volunteer in particular really stood out. She had attended the orientation that was planned a few days before the event, and was ready to help out in any way that she could. She was able to pass out lunches to the participants that attend. She also ended up receiving a biometric screening for herself, a yoga session, a Zumba workout, and to top it all off, she won a prize in our raffle. One of our VIP Fellows, Julie McGinty was sitting next to her at the end of the day.  Our volunteer shared with her that this had been the best day she had had in a while. She explained that her situation had been unfortunate lately, but her experience at our event made her feel like things could turn around. She was so overwhelmed with gratitude, that she began to cry.

 

The St. Joseph Health VIP Team.

As a whole team, we didn’t know what to expect going into this event. We planned for just about everything, but at the last minute things can and seem to always change and go a different direction! Being around positive people really made a difference throughout the day. Knowing that you are making a positive impact on a person’s life is a big reason why I believe AmeriCorps VIP works, and why Healthy You and Me will hopefully become a tradition in the future with St. Joseph Health.

Involving Youth in the Community

By Maya Smith, VIP Leader at Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, partner site of the Volunteer Center of the East Bay

The Volunteer Center of the East Bay has been helping non-profits in the East Bay fulfill their volunteer needs since 1955. Its core purpose is to encourage and support local volunteerism to benefit volunteers, nonprofit and public organizations, and society as a whole. In addition to hosting the AmeriCorps VIP program, they also coordinate the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). RSVP connects caring seniors age 55 and older with non-profit agencies that recognize senior volunteers provide invaluable service by sharing their lifetime of skills, talents and knowledge.

VIP Fellows volunteering during Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

While the Volunteer Center of the East Bay focuses on connecting seniors, VIP Fellow Maya Smith is looking to better incorporate youth with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. Although Habitat is a highly recognizable name, most people don’t know that they do a lot more than build houses. Habitat for Humanity’s vision is that “every person should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.” They have realized that building new homes in a blighted neighborhood is a good start but in order for families to truly feel secure, changes need to be made on a macro level. Three years ago, Habitat launched their Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, a program designed to transform neighborhoods using a holistic approach. 

 Local youth joined Habitat on a Saturday to survey the 

neighborhood and help assess community needs.

Habitat coordinates with community residents, non-profits, faith communities, businesses and local governments to create and implement a shared vision of revitalization. Using this model, Habitat has been able to serve significantly more families and work with more volunteers. Neighborhood revitalization has proven to be a great way to involve youth volunteers. Because most of Habitat’s work takes place on a construction site, volunteer opportunities for youth under 16 are limited. Neighborhood revitalization events such as these have provided great opportunities for younger volunteers. Maya hopes to coordinate current Habitat clubs with these neighborhood revitalization events and connect youth from different communities across the territory that Habitat serves.

Habitat led elementary students to build an outdoor reading area next to their school library.

Among their revitalization projects, Habitat has partnered with an elementary school to create an outdoor reading area, cleaned neighborhood roadways as part of the Caltrans adopt-a-road program, and removed over 550 gallons of waste out of a local creek. Together, Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley, neighborhood residents and local partners are changing the face of neighborhoods and enhancing the quality of life for all the families who live there.

Friends Outside Lend a Hand to Those from the Inside

By Emily Farver, VIP Fellow at Friends Outside and Jennifer Harman, VIP Leader at the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz

The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz has 18 programs that empower young people, families, seniors, working professionals, and people with disabilities to be the difference in their community. Each year the Volunteer Center collaborates with over 500 partners, including fellow non-profits and businesses, to ensure our community organizations have the capacity to recruit and welcome new volunteers. AmeriCorps VIP Fellows are partnered through the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County with local non-profits to help develop volunteer programs, bringing resources to children and families within Santa Cruz County.

One of these programs is Friends Outside, where Emily Farver is the VIP Fellow this term.


The re-entry process for our clients is a difficult transition, exacerbated by little to
no support from the community.  Friends Outside acts as an advocate and resource referral service to support individuals who are incarcerated or have recently been released.

Our organization has noted that many post- released clients confront boredom, which is a primary factor that increases their likelihood to get rearrested.  Many clients have a challenging time obtaining employment, figuring out housing, and creating a healthy social network.  Due to these difficulties, Friends Outside needed to expand our programs to provide participants free courses on life skills to integrate into their daily interactions.

The development of the Life Skills Workshops has been most successful by involving staff, volunteers, and our clientele in the process.  As a result, we have built a program that reaches out to individuals in need and is taught solely by volunteers from our community who are professionals in their fields or have a strong passion for the topic. With the addition of this service, we have engaged a whole new set of volunteers into our organization.  Thus far, we have held four classes, from Financial Aid Assistance instructed by an advisor at Cabrillo College to Stress Reduction and Time Management taught by a licensed Social Worker (LMSW).  These classes have had a high rate of client attendance and have been well-received.

Turning A Story Into A Mission

By Teddy Hennes, VIP Fellow at Big Brother Big Sisters of Orange County and Maria Lemus, VIP Leader at OneOC

With volunteer, training, consulting and business services, we help Orange County’s nonprofits become as effective and efficient as they are passionate about their missions.

OneOC’s mission is accelerating nonprofit success.  Our services are fully integrated, and strengthened through partnership with other local service providers. Together, we work to accelerate the success of Orange County nonprofits, enabling them to reach their full potential.  OneOC’s nonprofit partner, Big Brother Big Sisters of Orange County, currently hosts AmeriCorps VIP Fellow, Teddy Hennes as their Community Outreach Coordinator. Here, Teddy shares the impact that a story can make for a nonprofit’s mission:

“Stories are transcendent in their ability to share experiences and provide relatable identities.  We see throughout our daily lives how the act of storytelling supersedes cultures and regions as the primary way to connect us as human beings.  The people we may never meet or speak with understand us through the stories we share and the stories that are shared about us.  As such, there is no greater tool in a recruiter's possession than the expression of his or her organization's volunteer stories.  

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, we feature the stories of our volunteer "Bigs" and mentee "Littles" to motivate the thousands of potential Bigs in our county to become actual Bigs who will create new experiences with their Littles that will be shared with our community and beyond.  That is not to say that hard numbers are unimportant from a recruitment standpoint--they are--but many individuals are not sparked because there are over 125,000 single-parent families in the area who could use our service; they are driven by the tangible impact that our Big of the Year, Richard, has had on Julio and the bond of friendship that has developed throughout their decade-long match.  It is Richard and Julio's story that connects with people in a much more profound way than statistics could solely achieve. 

Every organization has a story to tell about its volunteers, and every volunteer is a microcosm of that story.  In many of your nonprofits, these people are the difference between upholding your mission and not, so engage your potential volunteers with those relatable experiences that inspired the volunteers that came before them.”

Appreciating Your Volunteers

By Kelsey Larsen, VIP Leader at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

As the nonsectarian children’s literacy program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, KOREH L.A. trains volunteer reading partners to work with kindergarten through fifth grade students attending our partner schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.  Our volunteers work one-on-one with children identified by their teachers as “reluctant readers” for one hour per week, helping enhance the students’ reading skills and foster a love of reading.  Four AmeriCorps VIP Fellows (including myself) work together to serve volunteers in different geographic regions of Los Angeles.  KOREH L.A. also has a program supported by a fifth VIP Fellow called the Teen Literacy Corps (TLC), which involves high school students in the process of increasing literacy skills in elementary school children. TLC partners public and private high school classrooms with nearby LAUSD elementary school classrooms, and trains the high school students for one-on-one reading mentorships. 

One of the most important and fun aspects of volunteer management is recognizing and appreciating your volunteers for all the amazing work they have done.  This year alone, KOREH L.A. had over 400 volunteers working with over 600 students in 60 schools, not including our TLC program.  Here’s some creative ways we’ve shown appreciation to volunteers. We hope you can use these tips to celebrate the work of your great partners!

KOREH L.A.’s Volunteer Appreciation Tips:

1. Have a culminating celebration.  Because we work with schools, the school calendar provides an easy structure for the “end” of the year’s volunteering.  However depending on your program, any time could work for this (December, or the end of the day’s events).  This year, KOREH L.A. held an end of year appreciation brunch for all of our KOREH volunteers, where they had a chance to come together as a group, eat some good food, celebrate, and be recognized for their service. Our volunteer brunch was a great sendoff to our 2012-2013 volunteers!

Welcoming volunteers to our Appreciation Brunch

2. Give shout outs!  Be sure to recognize both the individual and the group.  Individual recognition should be as personal as possible and doesn’t need to be expensive – at the brunch, our volunteers received certificates with their name and the name of the school where they volunteered, as well as a handwritten thank-you from the VIP Fellows.  During our Fall Enrichment Seminar, a festive and educational holiday gathering for our volunteers, we highlighted “great stories” volunteers had shared with us about their experiences. We also love to mention volunteers on Facebook and Twitter.   

KOREH L.A. Volunteer Nikki Turbin shares the KOREH L.A. love!

3. Let them share their stories and advice.  Since recognition comes not just from Volunteer Coordinators but from other volunteers, allow volunteers to be heard!  At all of our events, we provide time for volunteers to discuss their experiences with one another.  Often, it’s hard to get them quiet again!  Another way to connect volunteers is by asking volunteers to share their wisdom or experiences on a blog post.  If you have a volunteer who wants to share their expertise at an event, let them!  At her regional volunteer meeting, VIP Fellow Kaitlin Schluter reached out to a volunteer with a background in child development to share some tips with other volunteers, providing them with valuable guidance.   

 

VIP Fellow Kaitlin Schluter leads volunteers in discussion at her regional meeting

4. Give them something they can take away.  Before our volunteer brunch, we reached out to the LAUSD School Board President, who agreed to speak to our volunteers about education.    This year, each of the VIP Fellows also held a regional meeting for their volunteers, where they led a discussion on a topic that volunteers wanted to learn more about and provided them with ideas for new activities to do with their students.  Whether it is a speech from a respected individual on a topic they care about, or some extra resources, our volunteers appreciate the new ideas and information.

5. Recognize loyalty.  Give a special mention to volunteers who have been serving for a long time (In the case of our program, this is multiple years, however it could also mean coming to more than one service day, serving for one month, etc.).  At our brunch, we had volunteers raise their hands or stand up for the number of years they’ve been volunteering with us.  This encourages volunteers just beginning their service to keep coming back!

Volunteer Management

 by Alex Drey-Mulari, AmeriCorps VIP Fellow at THINK Together in Ontario, CA

HandsOn Inland Empire (HOIE) is the volunteer department at Inland Empire United Way. In conjunction with hosting volunteers at the United Way, HOIE manages a website that allows volunteers and non-profits in the area to come to one place to connect. The department also organizes two large-scale school makeovers a year, manages corporate volunteer groups, and trains community members to become Volunteer Leaders. Through the department’s combined knowledge of volunteer programs and management, they are able to successfully support 7 AmeriCorps VIP Fellows. Alex Drey-Mulari is one of the Fellows currently hosted by HOIE. Alex works at THINK Together as a volunteer coordinator and he wrote the following from his experience throughout the year.

Volunteer Management is a huge umbrella term, and there are certainly many ways to approach it. Here at THINK Together, an academic support program in Southern California, we get to oversee all aspects of volunteer management. Over my term of service I had the wonderful opportunity to develop and strengthen many skills related to volunteerism. Here are some of my personal experiences with coordinating volunteers, and I hope that you can gain some insight into what it takes to work with volunteers.

First, always be present in your job, by being energetic and engaged. This does not mean that you need to a social butterfly if you are not that type of person. You should always look happy while doing your job, especially when interacting with current or potential volunteers. Always remember that volunteers are giving their precious time, and they want to feel excited about what they are doing. Your position is key to taking the volunteer’s desire to serve, and making it as enjoyable as possible. Also being energetic is more fun anyway.

Next, I would suggest getting to know your volunteers. This could be in the form of a volunteer interview, included in their volunteer application, or even just asking them questions. Volunteers serve for a myriad of reasons, and it is important to understand why each individual is volunteering. If they want to spend time tutoring children, then do not assign them to spreadsheets. Also, find out what kind of recognition the volunteers like. If they want a standing ovation in front of everyone that’s great, but maybe a hand-made thank you card is more their style. Taking that extra time to be on a first name basis with all of your volunteers really helps keep volunteers around, and again the experience is more fun this way.

The last skill I think that is essential to effective volunteer management, is scheduling of time. Many a time during my service, even today as I am writing this piece, scheduling has been an issue. I had volunteers scheduled to attend orientation to work for our summer programs, and turns out the summer ended before they could even start. Due to this interference I fell behind in other work, and had to scramble around last minute. This is a terrible position to be in, so being on top of everything is much more preferable. Learn what needs your immediate attention, and what other tasks can wait until later. Managing volunteers starts with managing your own time properly, and that is a skill I am continuing to develop.

Alex (on the far right) with VIP Fellows from HOIE.

Sustainability 101

By Maggie Hollingsworth, VIP Fellow at Fresno State Career Services

As a college campus resource, Career Services finished strong; a happy ending to a productive school year. More students have made contact with us to improve their earning potential this year then they have in the past several years, and they know about us thanks to the help of our volunteers, the Career Ambassador Team. The 21st century economic depression, which was due (mainly) to increased energy costs and irresponsible mortgage lending practices, affected the entire nation, and with unemployment rampant, college students felt the brunt of it. Career Ambassadors helped students learn resilience through our mission, “to improve [students’] self-knowledge, career-literacy, job-search preparation, and expanded opportunities to connect to employers”.

Talking to students about how and why they should utilize our services was easy; developing the program was the challenge. And now, the challenge is to sustain the program that I’ve built with the help of Career Services staff, and the feedback of the Career Ambassadors. The process of program sustainability is this:

• Making sure the position description is right;
• Coming up with a recruitment strategy, screening process, and orientation timeline that can be used annually;
• Communicating frequently with the staff member who will soon be managing the program, and adapting it as necessary;
• Finalizing all of the volunteer materials, and organizing it in a hard and digital copy;
• Reviewing volunteer records; confirm they are complete;

The last thing I would recommend to guarantee that the organization's Volunteer Coordinator, and the (returning or new) volunteers can get along without you, is to integrate them as soon as possible, and research an online interface for them to communicate all aspects of the program (calendar, discussion board, to retrieve program forms, etc.) in a simple and organized way. For Fresno State, it’s Orgsync, and it’s amazing. 

Creating Opportunities for High School Volunteers

By Briana Keating, VIP Fellow at Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa

Catholic Charities serves people in need through three program areas: caring for seniors, counseling immigrants, and challenging poverty. As the VIP Fellow and sole member of the Volunteer Department at Catholic Charities, I spend much of my time fielding calls from people, many of whom are youth, interested in volunteering in one of these program areas. One of the challenges I have faced is trying to find a place for high school volunteers to fit. Youth can be great volunteers because of their enthusiasm, desire to help others, and ability to learn new things quickly.  Unfortunately, we do not have enough volunteer opportunities to accommodate every interested youth and we frequently encounter volunteers who just want to fulfill their required volunteer hours then never show up again.

In an attempt to come up with a solution to this challenge, my supervisor and I have developed a new volunteer program at Catholic Charities called the Caritas Corps, set to launch this August. Named for the Latin word for charity, the Caritas Corps will be a youth service corps for high school students. Youth will have the opportunity to volunteer in one of our many programs: from tutoring children at our homeless shelter to building food boxes for the Rural Food Project to making phone calls to seniors living alone.

High school students and community partners joined VIP Fellow, Briana Keating (right) for a presentation and feedback session on the Caritas Corps.

Interested youth will have to go through an application process which includes a written statement of intent and an interview. The hope is that the interview process will help us to pair volunteers with programs that best fit their skills and interests. Volunteers will be asked to make a commitment to one program over the course of the school year, allowing them to make greater impacts and greater connections with staff and the clients we serve. I will also be coordinating monthly service days where teens can volunteer and gain service hours without making a long-term commitment.

The Caritas Corps was developed to provide more than just a volunteer opportunity, but also as a way to encourage and develop social awareness in youth through education and social events. We want to help develop socially minded individuals who will grow up with a passion for service and who will continue to give back to their communities. Additionally, this is a really exciting new program for Catholic Charities as it will allow us to utilize youth volunteers to their full potential and help us to fill a huge need for volunteers in our agency.

Making a difference at the Sonoma County Family YMCA

By Heather Seney, VIP Fellow at the Sonoma County YMCA

As a community-based nonprofit, the Sonoma County Family YMCA is an integral part of the Santa Rosa community. The Y focuses on strengthening the community through programs in youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. When you think of the Y, the first thing that comes to mind may be the Y’s fitness programs. Or perhaps taking swim lessons when you were a kid. And let’s not dance around the fact that you may want to sing that song—you know which one.

But many people, including myself before joining AmeriCorps, may not realize that the Y also has many after school programs. The Y runs nearly 20 after school and childcare programs throughout Sonoma County, each providing enriching experiences for youth during before and after school hours.

With so many different programs, the Y has a diverse selection of volunteer opportunities. I love that the Y’s volunteer program has an opportunity for everyone. If you’re looking to do office or administrative work, the Y has you covered. If you’re looking to work with youth, perfect! You enjoy sports? We have opportunities to coach, assist with an aquatics program, or lead a fitness program. Are you just looking to help out for a couple hours? Volunteer at the Y’s Harvest Run or Healthy Kids Day! I always tell volunteers that if they discover a position isn’t what they expected, it’s okay, the Y has another opportunity that may be a better fit.

When I first arrived at the Y, I expected to find a volunteer program that needed to be developed—that’s why I’m here. But I was surprised to learn there wasn’t a single volunteer in any of the after school programs. I’ve always been an advocate for education, so naturally, I saw a great opportunity for volunteers to offer academic assistance, develop positive relationships with youth, and in general, elevate kids’ experiences at the Y’s after school programs. 

Since August, the Y’s after school programs have benefited from volunteers who have spent hours upon hours helping kids to master math problems, inspiring kids to love reading, and engaging youth in various educational and recreational activities. There were definitely challenges to developing a volunteer corps in the Y’s after school programs, but it’s incredibly gratifying to hear about and see first-hand the impact that volunteers have had this year.

 As the year begins to wind down, I am happy to report that the Y has established a partnership with Sonoma State University (SSU)’s Join Us Making Progress (JUMP) program for next school year. Through the partnership, JUMP will refer SSU volunteers to one of the Y’s highest-need after school programs throughout the year. In addition, the Y is in the process of developing an intern program which will place university and college students in the Y’s after school programs next year, as well.

To all the Y’s volunteers (and the Y staff who help support volunteers)—YOU ROCK!

A Catalyst in the Community

By VIP Leader, Erin Rea and VIP Fellow, Mahriana Collins at Napa County Office of Education

At the Napa County Office of Education one of our partner sites is Catalyst Coalition. Through Catalyst Coalition many programs are run on a daily basis. The two AmeriCorps members we have in prevention work with Mariposa groups: programs empowering young women to make their own smart decisions and giving them the resources and knowledge to resist peer pressure. In addition to Mariposa groups, which happen at the local middle schools one day per week, Catalyst has also been working on an anti-marijuana campaign helping kids to “use your head, not weed” and to “be ahead of the crowd." This effort is just beginning and has already made positive changes. Catalyst also works with gang prevention, tobacco prevention, and alcohol prevention.

Mariposa is an exemplary effort in Napa County towards girl empowerment, as well as underage youth substance abuse awareness and prevention.  Johana Guzman, Catalyst Coalition’s Prevention Coordinator, with the help of AmeriCorps members, has expanded the group from a few dedicated female youth to over 50 girls at the local middle and high schools. Through their participation in activities, programs and events, the Mariposa members have brought attention to vital issues in their community. Last summer, several of the original/founding members were recruited to serve as Mariposa Leaders called the official Mariposa Advisory Council. The Mariposa Peer Volunteer Leaders, high school students,  completed 30-hours of training to run the Mariposa group in middle schools. I (Mahriana) was honored to help several Mariposa Leaders at Napa High School in creating an underage drinking and driving awareness exhibit called “Wasted.” After installing the exhibit on the walls of a common space at their high schools, the girls continued to reach out to their peers during lunch via a Casey’s Pledge awareness table. The exhibit was called ‘Wasted’ not because the lives of innocent victims of underage drinking and driving are wasted, but because drinking and driving is a choice that teens choose to make. The girls wanted to educate their peers about the power that they hold in making that choice, and to give them vital information towards making that decision.

As powerful mentors to their younger peers, the volunteer Leaders address topics that affect young women such as online safety, alcohol and drug abuse and violence prevention. During bi-weekly planning sessions, the Advisory Council members develop agendas based upon important topics to be discussed during their after school sessions. These girls are leaders in their community, inspiring adults to take action around the issues that affect all youth. Furthermore, the Mariposa group members have reached out to members of the community, youth and adults alike, to help sponsor and volunteer during community events aimed at increasing awareness and honoring Prevention Champions!