VIP Volunteers Help Improve Santa Ana Students’ Vision

On November 3^rd, Children’s Health Initiative of Orange County partnered with Kids Vision for Life and Santa Ana Unified School District to host a clinic that will provide free eye exams and glasses to two Santa Ana elementary schools, Walker and Roosevelt, whose students have some of the greatest needs in Orange County.  To prepare for the clinic, two screenings were held over two days to screen 1,550 students for vision imparities.  Throughout September the committee met at both schools preparing for the screenings and the major clinic that will be held at Walker Elementary in November.  After weeks of preparation, and with the help of five doctors and 30 volunteers we identified 275 students who will be returning for eye exams and free glasses. 

The screenings were a whirlwind as students from Kindergarten to 6^th grade came in droves to the library to be screened by our volunteers and doctors.  Volunteers from UC Irvine, CSU Fullerton, West Coast School of Nursing, and Children’s Health Initiative of Orange County worked diligently to see that the vision of all students was assessed.  Two volunteers shared their experience:

“The Kids Vision for Life Event opened my eyes up to how necessary community involvement is and how great of an impact it can have on people’s lives. It was such a fun and rewarding experience, yet at the same time devastating seeing all the children struggling with their vision. I am a senior attending Cal State University, Fullerton studying sociology and psychology, so I am glad I finally can be a part of something that embraces what I’ve been so interested in. It felt wonderful to give back the community and allow myself to open my eyes to issues beyond the scope of my world and what I am used to. I would have never known how great of an impact events like these had on the community if I had not been a part of it myself. I look forward to participating in more events like Kids Vision for Life and continue to make a difference within the community.”  – Amy Hollenbeck, long term CHI OC volunteer.

“I have always enjoyed working and being around children. Their personalities and smiles are contagious. The vision screening at Walker Elementary was rewarding because I know I made an impact in a child’s life. Coming across students that had difficulty reading the letters made me sad because I can imagine how they struggle in their classroom and at home. These events are truly amazing because they make a huge difference.”   –Dulce Navarro, Cal State Fullerton senior and long term CHI OC volunteer.

 

Volunteers left the Screenings sharing stories about adorably tiny Kindergarteners and hysterical sassy 5^th graders.  Each volunteer had dedicated their time to make a difference in the lives students who will undoubtedly never forget the enthusiastic kindness of all the wonderful volunteers.

Great Tips on Position Descriptions from the HandsOn Blog

So you know you have a need for volunteers... but where do you go from here?

Position descriptions are a great place to start when building a volunteer program.  Creating unique position descriptions for each available role you can provide is a great exercise not only in getting ready to recruit volunteers, but in making sure you have a clear idea of what your volunteer will be doing.  Position descriptions are a great way to set clear expectations and avoid those awkward "I-don't-know-what-you-should-be-doing-here" moments.

Earlier this month, the HandsOn Blog featured an article on creating volunteer position descriptions: 6 Tips for Awesome Volunteer Position Descriptions.  From an interesting title to evaluation, this article has some great ideas on the elements that make position descriptions effective.  Go check it out!

From a VIP Fellow: a welcome to the new year of service

Alex (second from right) with fellow VIP AmeriCorps members Sabina Ahuja and
Cody Cibart (left), and supervisor Lauren Serpa (far right).

By Alex Rowan, Local VIP Leader at CalSERVES in Rohnert Park, CA

Becoming a VIP has been an exciting, albeit hectic, journey.  A month ago, I was home in Colorado, packing up my car, ready to move to Philadelphia to begin graduate school.  The prospect of grad school excited me, and I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in a new city.  However, tucked away somewhere in the recesses of my mind, a thought began to emerge which told me that spending the next year in classes accruing a huge amount of debt would ultimately leave me unfulfilled.  It told me that what I needed was to work in a community, and have opportunities to grow through service that grad school just couldn’t provide.

So I applied to AmeriCorps to see if there was something out there for me.  I didn’t think I would actually give up my ideal education no matter what opportunity presented itself.  I felt more like I was tangentially indulging in a never-to-be-pursued dream of committing a year to service that would quickly be passed by.  That is until I found myself sitting in the dining room fiddling with my webcam so that I could interview with Lauren Serpa via Skype.

Dressed in my nicest polo and my most comfortable pajama pants, I logged into Skype and began the interview.  Lauren told me about CalSERVES.  She asked the standard questions about my strengths and weaknesses, all the while offering an overview of what I might be doing as a VIP.  The opportunity seemed interesting, but what really struck me was that even though we were 1,300 miles away, I could feel Lauren’s enthusiasm for the program radiating from the screen in front of me.  I was sold.

I accepted the position, finished packing my car, and headed west!  After a few days driving, I made it to my new home, Santa Rosa, CA.  I should clarify that I mean home in the broadest sense.  I didn’t know anyone in Santa Rosa, I wasn’t exactly sure what I had gotten myself into, and I didn’t have a place to live, save for the couch of a few generous AmeriCorps alums.  The next day was our first training, and so began my year as a VIP Fellow.

Throughout the following week, I received calls from friends, and even my sister, on the east coast who didn’t get the memo that I had moved to California.  They were still intent on visiting me in Philly before school started.  When I told them the news, they were understandably shocked to discover I had seemingly made a wrong turn back in Colorado and ended up on the wrong coast.  I let them know that plans had changed, and that I followed that tangential dream and made it my new reality.

Although I’m still crashing on a couch, with a very modest income, recently on food stamps, and living a life that is the exact opposite of everything I anticipated my life being at UPenn, I couldn’t be more excited about working as a CalSERVES VIP Fellow for the coming year.  The staff have provided unwavering support, my fellow VIPs are amazing individuals who I am excited to work with, and everyone has the same enthusiasm and excitement for service that Lauren showed when I first spoke with her.

And so I welcome my fellow VIPs at all of our partner organizations.  With continuing support and a passion for service, I know this will be an amazing year of growth for all of us, and for the communities that we are here to serve.

Welcome to the new year!

Congratulations to the 2012-13 VIP Fellow crew for making it to the end of the first week of the service term!

This year, our program includes 140 AmeriCorps members serving across 16 California counties.  VIP Fellows will send the upcoming year of service building sustainable volunteer programs at not-for-profit organizations such as food banks, school, women's shelters, libraries, and others that bring services to California's highest-need children and families.

Throughout the year, it is our goal to connect 16,800 volunteers who will give 84,000 hours of service to those most in need in our state.  We are excited to see all the great things we can get done with all of that effort!

Cheers to an inspiring new year!