VYT Voices Fall 2012 Newsletter

to promote effective programs and services. All in the course

of helping to eradicate poverty

throughout Vermont.

I hope you enjoy learning

more about the great service

provided by this year’s VYT

members, and I look forward

to sharing their progress

throughout the year.

Thank you,

Cara Melbourne

VYT A*VISTA Leader

Newsletter Editor

Dear Readers,

I have the greatest privilege to introduce to you the 2012-2013 Vermont Youth Tomorrow AmeriCorps VISTA team. This year we have 27 mem-bers placed at non-profit or-ganizations, municipalities, and state agencies in Vermont com-mitted to fight-ing poverty.

Following the orientation in August, VYT members be-gan building capacity at their organiza-tions and in their communi-ties. They have created pro-grams, re-cruited and managed volunteers, developed resources, and built operational systems.

For this newsletter members

were asked to introduce them-selves, explain what led them to VISTA service, and discuss how their service will promote the VISTA mission and priorities.

In just the first few months as the VYT VISTA Leader, I have had the great pleasure to get to know each member, all of

whom are very diverse in their interests, skills, and passions—

yet all of them are committed to carrying out the VISTA mis-

sion at their various organiza-tions. In the past month I have had the opportunity to visit

most of the VYT members at their organizations (sites). I

have seen first hand their ef-forts and accomplishments, and I am excited to see the ultimate impact they make at the end of their service. I have

been amazed to see what they have been able to accomplish in a few short months. VYT members have played signifi-cant roles in major fundraising

events, coordinated volunteers to complete a project, re-cruited and managed mentors, conducted grant research, and

masterfully used social media

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Valerie

Woodhouse

2

Jenna Geery 2

Kate Piniewski 3

Ryan Stratton 4

Anna Finklestein 5

Casey Willard 6

Emily Bridges 7

Jenny Peterson 7

Sarah Rice 8

Drew Devitis 9

Jahnine

Spaulding

10

Anna Houston 11

Luke Rafferty 11

Tony Zambito 12

Amy

Wargowsky

12

Britt Wedenoja 13

Alaina Wermers 13

Jenny Montagne 14

Rachel Mason 14

Steph Olsen 15

Brian Fullerton 16

Ali Siegel 17

Kyree Wobbrock 17

Lillian Shields 18

Molly Humphry 19

Katherine

Trahan

19

VYT VOICES Vermont Youth Tomorrow AmeriCorps VISTA Program V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 1

P A G E 2

One

evening

in May,

I sat

tongue-

tied at my So-

ciology

supervi-

sor’s

home just outside of Philadelphia. It

was the “Soc Party” that closed out

every semester—we enjoyed hotdogs

and veggie burgers, gag gifts from the

professors, and forced advice from out-

going students. “Seniors, go around and

tell us what you’re doing after gradua-

tion.” My cohorts and friends told

grand stories of at-risk youth programs,

women’s health studies, and Teach for

America positions. When it came to my

turn, I laughed off a story about glorify-

ing a year of living in my car by calling it “a year off to travel.”

I spent a lot of time this summer on

the road, but one destination stuck

out. Peacham, Vermont was my first

stop, letting me explore the Northeast

Kingdom, Montpelier, and Burling-

ton. After living in Philly, all of Ver-

mont, including its “cities,” felt like a scene out of The Andy Griffith

Show. The towns’ commitment to

their neighbors and the earth quickly

threw off my migrant plans. Soon I

was researching job openings in the

area rather than pinpoints to add to

my map. Although I saw a few more

parts of the country, I knew where I’d

be returning to.

When I landed the VYT VISTA posi-

tion at the Vermont Affordable Hous-

ing Coalition, I spent a day in Bur-

lington to feel out the city. Through-

out college, I did a lot of work with

the homeless and low-income fami-

lies of Philadelphia and

Camden, NJ. Walking along the

waterfront and Church St, I could

not tell who I’d be helping in Bur-

lington. Since I started my position

serving low-income renters, I’ve

come to know a different face of

poverty – one just as in need as the

people back home, but even harder to see.

This year, I’ll work with residents in

federally-subsidized housing to help

them organize associations and en-

sure that their housing is safe and

affordable. I’m proud to commit

myself to an organization dedicated

to sustainable housing, one of the

most basic needs in society. Secure housing gives children and families

access to more opportunities, stabil-

ity and shelter, a community to live

in, and the ability to seek out other

needs. The challenges of securing

affordable housing have me rooted,

at least for this year.

Jenna Geery: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Linking Learning to Life (Burlington, VT)

service by my past community

service participation. I partici-

pated in alternative spring break

while at UVM, and quickly real-

ized serving is the best way to get

to know the community you live

in.

This year I hope to grow to know

the city of Burlington in a differ-

ent capacity. Serving at Linking

Learning to Life will give me the

opportunity to connect with busi-

nesses and community leaders

living in the area. I will be in-

volved with the Training Interns

and Partnering for Success (TIPS)

—a program that helps students

explore their interests while build-

ing marketable job skills. I truly

believe in the mission of connect-

ing youth to their futures. I hope to

help students to see the connection

between what they are learning and

what they can do with that knowl-

edge.

I also would like to show Vermonters the opportunities that are available to

them in their own state. I understand

that often when students graduate

from Vermont high schools their first

desire is to move somewhere else.

Through creating and implementing

experiential education opportunities

students will see that they can make a

successful living right here in Ver-

mont. I am excited to be part of the

VYT team and look forward to this

year of service!

Hello Readers! My name is Jenna

Geery, and I am serving as a VYT

VISTA at Linking Learning to Life in

Burlington Vermont. I have spent all

of my 23 years in the green mountain

state, growing up just outside of Rut-

land, Vermont. I migrated north to attend The University of Vermont in

2007 and fell in love with the Cham-

plain Valley. I have a BA in Com-

munication Sciences and Disorders

and hope to go to graduate school for

Speech Language Pathology one day.

I was

in-

spired

to

per-

form

a year

of

The Pumpkin Regatta, a fall event hosted by

Linking Learning to Life and their partners.

Valerie Woodhouse: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (Burlington, VT)

Kate Piniewski : VYT A*VISTA member serving at The DREAM Program, Inc. (White River Junction, VT)

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 1

The DREAM Program led me directly to accepting

an AmeriCorps VISTA position through Vermont

Youth Tomorrow. DREAM is a non-profit mentor-

ing organization that pairs college students with

youth living in affordable housing communities.

Two years ago I was studying abroad in Senegal

when I interviewed, via Skype, for a summer in-

ternship with DREAM through an AmeriCorps

State program. Despite the rocky start of techno-

logical issues, time differences, and an inconsistent

Internet connection, I was offered the position.

After spending my final year of college as a

DREAM mentor I accepted a summer A*VISTA

position as Community Coordinator for the Dart-

mouth College DREAM programs. Not long into

the summer I realized that I had become fully in-

vested in the lives of the youth I was serving, and I

knew I was not yet ready to leave the communities

or the organization. So here I am, six weeks into

my full-year commitment and I am happier as a

post-graduate than I ever could have imagined.

As a VISTA serving in White River Junction, I

live in a Vermont State Housing Authority com-

munity. At first I was hesitant about living in one

of the communities where I am serving , but I now

feel fortunate to experience such a new environ-

ment. Challenges often arise that I am not al-

ways qualified to address and

go beyond my assignment

description, but I wouldn’t

change the mornings drinking

coffee on the porch with my

83-year-old neighbor and

hearing stories from World

War II. I appreciate the four

year-old twin neighbors con-

stantly knocking on my door

and asking to practice yoga

outside. Living in this com-

munity has allowed me to

fully dedicate each week to

the VISTA mission of serv-

ing with passion and compas-

sion.

As a Program Empowerment Director, I

help coordinate +/-50 one-on-one men-

toring matches in three different afford-

able housing communities. Each Friday

all youth in the program go to Dart-

mouth College to meet their mentors.

Every mentor pair spends two hours

fostering a positive relationship in a

healthy environment, I am able to par-

ticipate in many activities and each day

is different for the last. Contrary to

what I believed in college, sitting at a

desk for 6-8 hours is not the worst

thing. The constant communication

with mentors, youth, parents, commu-

nity partners, and fellow staff is re-

warding. The success stories from mentors

and youth thus far are very motivating to

continue fully dedicating myself to a year of

service as an AmeriCorps VISTA with

DREAM.

DREAM mentors and Kate in front of

the DREAM bus (now converted into a

kitchen) at a Camp Work Day

DREAM was founded in

January of 1999 and run

entirely by volunteers from

Dartmouth College (with

support from AmeriCorps)

and served the nearby

Templeton Court Apart-

ments (in White River Junc-tion, VT) until November of

2001, when it became an

independent non-profit or-

ganization.

Today, DREAM supports

over 350 mentoring pairs

spread out over 17 local

programs and 12 colleges

throughout Vermont

P A G E 4

In 2011, I was led to VISTA service

through volunteering at

the In-Sight Photogra-

phy Project while I

earned my BA in Lit-

erature and Photogra-

phy from Marlboro

College. It was only

from talking to the pre-

vious AmeriCorps

VISTA volunteer at In-

Sight that I learned

about the VISTA mis-

sion of alleviating pov-

erty. Through volun-

teering as an instructor

and working part-time

at In-Sight, I decided

that I could apply and

strengthen both the

writing skills and the

interest in photography

that I developed as an

undergraduate by becoming In-

Sight’s VISTA member. Seeing the

impact of my service on my organiza-

tion and the youth participating in our

programming convinced me to stay

on another year in an attempt to

achieve even more for the organiza-

tion.

The In-Sight Photography Project’s

mission is to offer students a

creative voice and outlet, an

opportunity to experience

success, tools for self-

awareness and self-worth,

and encourage them to be-

come actively engaged in

their communities. In-Sight

teaches photography to youth ages 11

-18

through-

out South-

ern Ver-

mont,

regardless

of their

ability to

pay for

classes.

The or-

ganization

runs on a

relatively

small op-

erating

budget,

and the

office

(excluding

the VISTA

member)

consists of only the Director and As-

sistant Director. For being so small,

we manage to serve about 150 stu-

dents directly in our classes and more

through other programming. All of

our programming is free to youth and

their families, though we do ask for

contributions. By offering completely

affordable programming, we are able

to reach students who might not oth-

erwise be able to access this out-of

-school education.

The best example of the purpose

of my service can be seen in the

darkroom, where students develop

their first photographic print. Ana-

log photographic printing seems

almost engineered to elicit an

amazed response in the students;

the print, once immersed into the

developing chemical, takes a pro-

longed pause before suddenly re-

vealing its image. The phenome-

non is hardly like anything that

youth today experience in the

world of digital immediacy. Giv-

ing young people the chance to

slow down and focus on a single

task and constantly encouraging

them to improve their work allows

them the opportunity to focus on

success and artistic expression.

These goals are complementary to

the AmeriCorps VISTA priority of

providing opportunities for youth

to better their personal and social

situations, ultimately fulfilling the

mission of alleviating poverty

The building where In-Sight Photography

is housed.

Ryan Stratton: AmeriCorps VISTA serving at In-Sight Photography (Brattleboro, VT)

“As photographers committed to their medium, the volunteers and staff at

In-Sight know the value of the photographic image and its use of visual

language to help individuals discover themselves. This process of seeing

and discovering helps teach individuals about themselves through a visual language that can then be used to communicate with others. The result is

teens who have greater self-esteem and who are more willing to develop a

viewpoint and present it to others. The medium of photography thus be-

comes a tool for building both self-esteem and communication skills”

Anna Finklestein: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Big Picture South Burlington (Burlington, VT)


-The space to try and fail with-

out judgment or consequence

At fourteen, I found no way to recon-

cile the space in between my needs

and a structure that I saw as limiting,

by its very design, the diverse and rich social experiences, the applica-

tion of knowledge and skill in a real-

world setting, and the room to fail

without major implications that I

needed.

I am now a twenty-two year old col-

lege graduate. I still see no way to

reconcile that “space in between”

without significant educational re-

form.

So, in many ways, it should be of no

surprise that I am serving at Big Pic-

ture South Burlington (BPSB), an

interest-based and individualized pub-

lic high school within the South Bur-lington school district. Drawing from the

20+ years of experience, expertise, and

innovation of The Met School in Rhode

Island, BPSB was created to give students

a place where they could find joy and

meaning and community in their educa-

tion.

Students work one-on-one with faculty,

community mentors, and their family to

create an individualized learning plan that

is comprised of independent projects,

internships, service learning, and travel.

The school graduates students using a

proficiency-based model (rather than Car-

negie Units, or credit hours), which re-

quires that students demonstrate

proficiency in five major domains

including Civic & Social Engage-

ment, Communication, and Problem

Solving & Quantitative Reasoning.

Through my research as an Ameri-

Corps VISTA, I was able to confirm

what most of you probably already

know intuitively. Adults with a high

school diploma are much less likely

to experience poverty than adults

who do not graduate from high

school. Furthermore, low-income students are at much greater risk of

dropping out of school than their

wealthier peers. Thus, by reengaging

youth in their learning, publicly

funded programs like Big Picture

South Burlington have the potential

to positively influence the high

school dropout rate in a significant

way.

I believe that access to alternatives to

traditional schooling should be a

right, not a privilege.

Needless to day, I am loving my year

of service.

I have been passionate about sustainable

and accessible alternatives to traditional

school since I was fourteen years old.

Like many of the students who attend Big

Picture South Burlington, I found high

school to be irrelevant, isolating, and over

-stimulating. If you had asked my mother

to describe her fourteen year old daughter,

she would have said that I was

“disengaged” and “operating in neutral,”

as through she were describing an old car.

How many teenagers do you know who

fit that description?

It was only within the past few years that

I developed the language to articulate just

why high school was so unbearable for me. I have since identified a few key

things that traditional

high school failed to

give me:

-Authentic and

collaborative relation-

ships with many dif-

ferent kinds of people

-A sense of how

my “work” as a stu-

dent connected to the

greater world outside

of the classroom

“Big Picture South Burlington is an innovative school-

within-a-school, currently serving 24 students who have cho-

sen BPSB because they were looking for more meaning in

their high school education. Students work with faculty to

design their own individualized curriculum based on their

passions, skills, and goals. Students learn through intern-

ships, independent projects, workshops, travel, and group

experiences such as our yearly camping and service learning trips.”

P A G E 6

Casey Willard VYT A*VISTA member serving at The Washington County Youth Service Bureau/Boys and Girls Club (Montpelier/Barre, VT)

Hello, I am Casey Leigh, a VISTA vet-

eran (can one call herself a veteran after

only one-ish years of service? And if so,

would she have to no longer be in ser-

vice? The philosophical questions of

life…) with the Vermont Youth Tomor-

row AmeriCorps VISTA program. While

many members of the 2012/2013 VYT

team are launching into their first VISTA

experience, I have opted to serve a sec-

ond year with the Washington County

Youth Service Bureau’s prevention pro-

grams: The Basement Teen Center—a

drop-in center for youth ages 13-18—

and CityScape—an out-of-school

program for 5th-8th grade students of

Barre Middle School.

I hail from the lovely

Carolina mountains. I

hold a bachelor de-

gree in social work

and have aspirations

of obtaining a masters

in something awe-

some at some point. I

first began youth

work as a CIT

(Counselor in Train-

ing) for a day camp

back home. In the

following years I

worked in various

settings including

playing around with

tots at a day care cen-

ter for young mothers taking a GED

course; with 5-13 year olds at a 4-H

camp, and with elementary students

as a school social work intern. I

love writing, reflection, collabora-

tion and community work, self-

expression, and a good challenge.

These attributes, I suppose, are

what led me to youth programs. I

was seeking something more spiri-

tually fulfilling and

something more in line with my

joys and passions than serving

wealthy travelers in a tourist town.

I ended up in the great green moun-

tains because I’d heard three things

about Vermont prior to moving

here: it’s beautiful, full of wacky

people (true-ish), and it was into

the local foods movement. I could

get down with that. So here I am—

gladly!

My roles as a VISTA with the

Basement Teen Center and City-

Scape are multi-faceted. VISTAs

specialize in poverty alleviation,

“capacity building,” and

“sustainability.” Simply stated, I

provide the foundational support

for prevention programs, which

allow them to provide more exten-

sive programming to a larger popu-

lation for a sustainable amount

of time. Among these roles are

creating and enhancing data-

bases so that tracking and evalu-

ating progress may

be done more efficiently; ex-

panding the organization’s vol-

unteer-base and strengthening

the systems to support

volunteers; expanding commu-

nity awareness of and support

for the organization, which often

leads to excellent

program collaborations and a

greater reach; developing more

effective and sus-

tainable re-

sources for pro-

gramming

(money and ma-

terials); and of-

fering a fresh

perspective on

the most relevant

topics for pro-

gramming to en-

sure that we meet

the needs of the

low-income

youth that we

serve.

A youth and Casey at the Shel-

burne Museum’s steam punk

exhibit

Basement Teen Center youth getting ready to play paintball

Cityscape youth at the UVM

Ropes Course

I spent 30 minutes trying to synthesize a

witty, yet appropriate leading sentence for

this newsletter. I could get straight to

business, listing my hometown, hobbies,

alma mater, and reasons for service. Or, I

could start with a tantalizing question to

capture the reader’s interest. I could even WRITE IN ALL CAPS and post taste-

fully Photoshopped high-contrast photos.

I could.

But what I think what I’ll do is tell you

that my name is Emily and that I’m so

very pleased to be here in Vermont. This

beautiful state has provided me with the

setting for what is sure to be an incredible

year, and has already introduced me to a

number of people that I want in my life

forever.

After graduating college I knew two

things: I wanted to work with youth in a

meaningful position, and I wanted an ad-

venture. Serving as a VISTA for The Junction Teen Lifeskills Center has pro-

vided me with both. Snuggled in between

Emily Bridges: VYT A*VISTA member serving at The Junction (White River Junction, VT)

an upholstery shop and a karate studio,

The Junction is an unassuming treasure

in the middle of downtown White River

Junction. For youth ages 15-20, The

Junction provides a substance-free safe

place to play pool, cook dinner, and in-

teract with adults on a personal level. As

a VISTA, I’ll be developing program-

ming to engage the youth in various skill-building activities, raising funds, and

recruiting volunteers. Through all of

Jenny Peterson: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Community Friends Mentoring (Burlington, VT)

VISTA at a mentoring organization. I

am constantly seeking new places and

adventures, so after growing up in Wash-

ington State and attending school in

Minnesota, the natural next step was to

live on the east side of the country. I

studied math in school and as much as I loved solving problems on paper, I really

wanted to work on solving larger issues

that would directly affect the people in

my community. As a VISTA, I am able

to combine problem solving by building

the capacity of an organization with my

desire to help youth.

Community Friends Mentoring creates

and supports one-to-one friendships in

Chittenden County and most of the chil-

dren who are paired with adults in the

area come from low-income households.

During my year at Community Friends

Mentoring, I will help strengthen the

online contact database and continue to

develop the necessary support for main-

“Have you ever been to a modern dance

performance before?” I ask the 11-year-

old girl I am mentoring on my free time.

We are on our third outing and this is the

first community event we have attended

together, a performance by the Trisha

Brown Dance Company at Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. “I’ve never seen

this kind of dance before – it’s kinda

weird,” she remarks during intermission.

Afterwards, we have a discussion about

our interpretations of the pieces and she

comments on the outer space qualities of

one piece and the raw elements of city

life in another. This new experience for

her may not have been possible without

the support of Community Friends Men-

toring, my service site for this year. See-

ing the work I do directly benefiting the

youth in this area has been one of the

most rewarding parts of my time so far.

After college, I never imagined moving

to Vermont to become an AmeriCorps

these activities, I hope to give The Junc-

tion the resources it needs to alter the

trajectory of our youths’ lives. Most

importantly, I hope to be a safe adult

for the youth that come through our

doors – someone they willingly trust

and can look up to when life throws

them a few curveballs.

With the time I’ve spent here so far,

The Junction has hosted a plethora of

events designed to promote involve-

ment in the community and healthy

alternatives. These events include com-

munity service projects, potato harvest-

ing, salsa-making, apple picking/

baking, horror movie marathons, live

music performances, and the chance to

be an extra in a music video! As the year

progresses, I hope to include financial

literacy workshops, writing workshops,

cartoon drawing

seminars, snowboarding, and countless

others. I strongly believe in the mission

of The Junction, and I’m hoping that by the end of the year I have made an im-

pact that helps fulfill that mission.

Emily and a youth paint ceiling tiles at The

Junction

A mentor pair picking apples at

Adam’s Orchard

taining mentoring matches, including

organizing events and writing newsletter

articles. Attending a dance performance

with my “mentee” and laughing together

while making pie is a weekly reminder of

why I am serving as a VISTA for Com-

munity

Friends.


P A G E 8

Sarah Rice: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Franklin-Grand Isle Bookmobile (Swanton, VT)

sing songs, read stories aloud, and

help the kids find books to check

out. There is a particular sort of joy

in matching a child with the perfect

book and in finding avid readers

where you would not expect them.

The Bookmobile helps break the

cycle of the poverty from the roots

up by giving kids the tools to

succeed in school. With increased

literacy, they can pursue better edu-

cational attainment and have

access to a wider range of options

for molding their own futures. Our

presence in the community

inspires a positive image of reading

as fun and accessible rather than

daunting and out of reach. Addition-

ally, our collection contains re-

sources for parents and childcare

providers to help them find the

knowledge to raise healthy, happy

kids. Through our involvement in

afterschool programs, we provide

kids with a safe an educational envi-

ronment once the school day ends. I

have found myself creating curricula

for both gardening and

“grossology” (the science of gross

things): afterschool clubs that make

education fun. And believe me, it’s

pretty darn fun to get a group of ele-

mentary school kids excited about

using science to reach new and

fascinating heights of grossness.

As the year continues, I will be

working toward making the

Bookmobile stronger and more

sustainable as an organization

through developing funding

strategies, planning events, shap-

ing programs, and making our

public relations plan more robust.

I care deeply about the Bookmo-

bile’s mission, and I look forward

to making it even more success-

ful. My favorite part of my ser-

vice, however, will always re-

main recommending books about

female knights to any little girl

who requests something about

princesses. Who knows, maybe

one of those girls will even take

up fencing.

From the time I started reading chapter

books, I was determined to become a

female knight. The process seemed

straightforward: disguise oneself as a

boy, master fencing, develop a star-

crossed love for the prince, save the

prince’s life, face exile when revealed as

female, and then win back the hearts of

the people (and the heart of the prince)

by saving the kingdom. I enrolled in

fencing classes and ignored the fact that

I was dismal at it. My life plans evolved

as my reading level did. By the time I

was reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I

had given up fencing and taken up writ-

ing as a better exercise of my imagina-

tion.

Books have continued to be one of my

deepest loves and a central lens through

which I see the world. As an Ameri-

Corps VISTA at the Franklin Grand Isle

Bookmobile, I help to bring that magic

to kids throughout northern Vermont.

The Bookmobile provides a wide selec-

tion of books to kids who might not oth-

erwise have access to them, cultivating

literacy and imagination. Each year, we

visit about 800 children in rural commu-

nities through stops at childcare provid-

ers and preschools. At each stop, we

The Bookmobile team with “Figgy,” the trusty Bookmobile, still run-

ning strong after 10 years.

One of the young readers at the Bookmobile’s

cake auction, a fundraising event

The Franklin Grand

Isle Bookmobile pro-

motes a lifelong love of

learning and creates community connections

by providing greater

access to books, infor-

mation, activities, and

fun.

Drew DeVitis: VYT A*VISTA member serving at enVision Montpelier (Montpelier, VT)


Like a number of my peers,

as I entered my senior year of college at the University

of Pittsburgh last fall, I had no concrete idea of what I

might do after I would graduate. I harbored a vague

notion of entering graduate school, but wasn’t even sure of what I would want to

study. Fortunately, I sought out the help of a friend who

had recently begun a year term of service as an Ameri-

Corps member, and he highly encouraged me to

apply to a VISTA program.

My desire to serve in a smaller community, com-bined with my fascination

about the process that trans-formed Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-

vaina into a thriving post-industrial city lead me to

serve with enVision Mont-pelier.

The last two months at the City of Montpelier’s Plan-

ning and Community Devel-

opment Department, where

my program is located, have been a whirlwind of

excitement. The commu-nity is in the midst of a

heated discussion about a District Heat plan (no pun

intended) designed make heating more efficient city-wide and lower heating

costs.

Among my duties, I have been responsible for help-

ing facilitate the CAN! (Capital Area Neighbor-

hoods) group, a coalition of neighborhood leaders com-

mitted to disaster prepared-ness, food security, and community building. I have

also served in a similar role for MEAC (Montpelier En-

ergy Advisory Committee), which has set an ambitious

goal to get 200 homes in Montpelier weatherized

each year.

I have also played a central

role with the Central Ver-mont Food Systems

Council, an initiative that stemmed out of Montpe-

lier’s Master Plan revi-sion a few years ago. The Council is concerned

with building a vibrant, sustainable food system

in the region that ensures healthy food for all resi-

dents, especially those who are food insecure.

Related to the Council’s

work, I helped with the fourth annual Growing Local Fest, which was

held at Two Rivers Cen-ter. The proceeds from

this event are supporting the Council’s “Garden in

Every Washington County School” initia-

tive, which is very close to fulfillment. This pro-

ject ensures that healthy, nutritious vegetables are available to school lunch

programs at the local schools in Washington

County, most of which have high percentages of

students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

As a whole, I am quite

delighted to be living in Montpelier and serving

its residents. My posi-tion has given me a unique insight into the

interworking of munici-pal government and mu-

nicipal boards. Having resided in a major city

for the past few year, getting adjusted to a

small town was chal-lenging at first, but I’ve

learned to appreciate the close-knit, rural charm of Montpelier and Ver-

mont as a whole

Montpelier City Hall

P A G E 1 0

Jahnine Spaulding: VYT A*VISTA member serving at University of Vermont Extension/4 H—Operation: Military Kids

I was born into a military family, I raised

a military family, and, through Ameri-

Corps VISTA, I will spend this year us-

ing what I have learned over a lifetime in

support of military families. My dad, a

WWII vet, instilled in me a sense that

being part of a military community was

the coolest thing- ever. Military folk

were adventurous, hardworking, diverse,

and trust-worthy –all values prized in

our family.

We lived within sight (and sound!) of an Air Force base runway, and always par-

ticipated in base life. Although by the

time I was born my dad was no longer

on Active Duty, I experienced a lot

of the typical “ military brat” milestones

– we moved 5 times before I was 8 years

old, my dad (an airline pilot) was absent

frequently and missed many birthdays,

anniversaries, and holidays. I lived over-

seas and learned a second language. My

mother was capable of handling anything

(or so it seemed) when dad was away.

No wonder, when I was a senior in high

school, I choose to study at Norwich

University, 3,000 miles away. It was the

only military academy that accepted

women at the time. At Norwich I met the man with whom I would immerse my-

self, for 27 years, in active duty military

life.

While I still loved many aspects of mili-

tary life, when my children were born

my perspective changed. I was deeply

worried about the effects military life

would have on my kids. As a family we

faced the challenges of 14 moves and 7

deployments with mixed feelings. There

were many times when I was not sure it

was worth the sacrifice for any of us.

Today, when I ask my boys (now grown)

if the opportunities and experiences were

worth the pain, they assure me that it

was. They, too, are proud to be “military

kids.”

In August my husband retired from mili-tary service. We moved to Vermont so

that he could continue serving – he

teaches JROTC at his Alma Mater, Es-

sex High School. I too, chose to continue

serving by joining AmeriCorps. I knew

that my experiences as a teacher, non-

profit manager, and military spouse,

could help other military families. I also

considered my year of service as a time

to really get to know the people and

places of the Green Mountain state-

where my husband was born and I at-

tended college.

I began this year by learning what makes

the military in Vermont incredibly

unique. Per capita, Vermont’s military has deployed more often, and suffered

more casualties than any other state in

the union. Deployments and casualties

affect Vermont children in many ways.

Some of these young people must face

the challenges brought by deployment

and other types of trauma/loss while

descending into poverty due to deploy-

ment, and some will face the challenges

of military life from a place of existing

poverty. While a vast majority of them

successfully navigate their way through

these experiences, this type of trauma

can have lasting effects for some. Opera-

tion: Military Kids (OMK), the program

I serve with, supports all military kids as

they face these challenges.

OMK believes that helping military kids

build connections to one another, and to

the community in which they live, will

provide a source of support for them

during both challenging and happy

times. These connections can help them

cope in healthy ways with the stress they

are experiencing. This is how OMK

works to achieve the VISTA mission of

bringing individuals and communities

out of poverty. OMK supports school

age children as they work to transcend

the challenges of being a military

child, and in some cases, a child

living in poverty.

While OMK has begun to make

inroads in building connections

between military kids and the com-

munity, we recognize that there are challenges ahead. Access to events

is a particular challenge in a rural,

agrarian state. National Guard

families are dispersed throughout

Vermont, often with no more than

3-4 families in a single town or

village. Many families do not have

public transportation options,

which can make transportation to

an event an adventure in logistics,

networking, and time management.

Privacy issues continually chal-

lenge us to find creative way to

“get the word out.” These factors

make location/venue selection for

youth or adult events, and timely

communication about our opportu-nities, a critical challenge. My

“job” will be to build the commu-

nity networks up, work with them

to address the issues described, and

ensure that every military child in

Vermont knows that someone in

their town or village “has their

back.”

Hello dear readers! My name is

Anna and I’m the AmeriCorps

VISTA at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in

Montpelier. My grandmother was born

and raised in Montpelier and much of my

family hails from nearby. I’m from

northwestern Vermont so returning here for a service year is a bit like returning to

my roots - it’s barely 50 miles but a return

nonetheless!

I was drawn to VISTA service because

I’ve had a strong affinity for civic engage-

ment since I was young. Being an Ameri-

Corps member seemed like the perfect

opportunity to continue along that trajec-

tory and obtain experience and skills that can be transferred to graduate school or

the daunting world of social services that

I will most likely settle into. When I dis-

cuss my service with others, it’s often

hard to explain how I’m living and why

I’m serving. All I know is that the re-

wards of AmeriCorps service far out-

weigh the costs. Serving as a VISTA will

be an experience that will enrich and in-

spire the work I do for the rest of my life.

Montpelier is the small, vibrant capital of

Vermont and the library serves the com-

munity through a wide variety of pro-

gramming and events. The library is

deeply valued, as evidenced by the fact that it has the second highest circulation

in the state, the large number of programs,

and program attendees recorded each

year. Serving here is a pleasure and a

privilege. Each day I get to walk into a

warm, cozy environment that provides a

space to build relationships and encour-

age lifelong learning. As an Ameri-

Corps VISTA, I work within the library

to build capacity and sustainability

through program planning and imple-

mentation, fund

development, and outreach work. My

goal is to help the library operate effec-

tively during and after my service. Be-

ing a VISTA also means that my pri-

mary mission is to help alleviate pov-

Luke Rafferty: VYT A*VISTA member serving at enVison Montpelier (Montpelier, VT) many exciting projects my NCCC team

was a part of. After exiting NCCC I had

a clearer vision of my inclination and

ability to give back, and how much I

could gain personally by participating

in national service.

Enter AmeriCorps VISTA. Exploring

my desire for a more office-like setting

than NCCC, while also recognizing

how great my time in AmeriCorps was,

I sought out the VISTA program. As a

VISTA in the City of Montpelier I will

use this year to help the city become a

more resilient community. Despite

being an outwardly quaint and attrac-

tive place, Montpelier has a long way to

go to be more ecologically sustainable,

supportive of its underprivileged popu-

lation, and socially connected. Recog-

nizing the need to continually reinvent

itself, the city began enVision Montpe-

lier. The enVision process focuses on

securing the city's long-term sustain-ability through multiple avenues. By

serving within the city's Planning De-

partment, I will be serving with people

who spend all their time working on

When I graduated college back in 2010, I

thought I knew a lot of things: how to

write, how to think, how to listen thought-

fully, how to articulate myself convinc-

ingly, and what I wanted to do with my-

self. I knew one more thing, one thing

that I remain convinced of two years later; I knew I had to give something back to

the country that provided me so many

advantages. Some people fight crime,

fires, or wars. Some people join non-

profits and confront poverty, inequity, or

violence. Some people enter the govern-

ment and try to improve things as politi-

cians or bureaucrats. I joined Ameri-

Corps NCCC.

Serving in California was one of the most

transformative years of my life. I

unlearned many of my ivory tower preju-

dices and experienced the satisfaction of

hard work and service to my community.

It's not possible to help a migrant worker

family build their own home without feel-ing satisfied with your work. It's simi-

larly impossible be a wilderness fire-

fighter for half a year without being proud

of your contribution. These were two of

erty. The connection

between alleviating

poverty and a public library is simple:

lifelong learning and literacy pull peo-

ple out of poverty. Reading opens up

new worlds, experiences, cultures, and

countries, and builds self-esteem.

Books are just the tip of the iceberg. From public computers to job skills

workshops, the library provides free

and accessible services and opportuni-

ties to all members of the community.

This mission is one that I will nourish

and maintain throughout my service

year.

making Montpelier a better place. Work-

ing within the enVision framework will

give me wide leeway in choosing what

initiatives I want to move forward. This

position will give me the agency to en-

gage with Montpelier's youth, support its

sustainability, and help facilitate pro-

grams that will improve life in the city.

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 1 Anna Houston: VYT A*VISTA

Kellogg-Hubbard Library (Montpelier, VT)

P A G E 1 2

Amy Wargowsky: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Essex CHIPS (Essex Junction, VT)

My path to becoming a VISTA began in

the months approaching my graduation

from St. Bonaventure University. I found

myself confronted with the question of

what path I would take following gradua-

tion. Should I find a job? Should I apply

to graduate school? These seemed like

perfectly acceptable options, but as I

mulled over my future, the one path that

genuinely excited me when I envisioned

myself following it was engaging in ser-vice.

Immediately following my graduation I

traveled to Uganda on a service trip with

a non-profit and student group I had been

involved in throughout college, and had

also traveled to Uganda with the previous

Tony Zambito: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Willowell (Monkton, VT)

summer. During the five weeks I

spent there I definitively decided that

I would pursue service upon my re-

turn home. As I explored possible

service opportunities, it became clear

to me that AmeriCorps VISTA,

which I had been considering as a possibility for several months, was

an especially effective opportunity to

apply the skills, knowledge, and ex-

periences I had gained in college, to

my service.

And so, with a less than reliable

internet connection and supply of

electricity began the process of creat-

ing an application and searching for

and applying to VISTA positions. In

the process I discovered the Willo-

well Foundation, a not-for-profit

organization based on 230 acres in

Monkton, Vermont that provides

programs focused on the arts, envi-

ronment and education. I applied to and accepted the VISTA position

and it has turned out to be a phe-

nomenal opportunity to serve in

meaningful ways that appeal to my

interests and passions.

Through my service I will be helping

to support programs the Willo-

well Foundation provides and

supports such as the Walden Pro-

ject, an outdoor alternative high

school program, and the Keeping

Track Wildlife Monitoring Pro-

gram to provide youth in Addison

County with valuable experiences and unique educational opportuni-

ties. These programs and others

the Willowell Foundation pro-

vides, offer youth in the area the

opportunity to learn and flourish

outside the traditional educational

setting, which may not be well

suited to or be an effective means

of providing education for many

young people. Additionally, the

programs I am supporting at Wil-

lowell are helping to foster a con-

nection between young people

and the natural environment that

surrounds them.

Overall, I’m happy to be helping the Willowell Foundation con-

tinue its mission and continue

serving young people and the

larger community in Addison

County through wonderful pro-

grams and I am looking forward

Hi! I’m Amy Wargowsky, and I’m an

AmeriCorps VISTA (A*VISTA) serv-

ing at Essex CHIPS. I recently gradu-

ated from Capital University in Colum-bus, Ohio with a degree in music and

sociology. After

fours years of

contemplating

what to do with

my life—and

never quite fig-

uring it out—I

decided, with

the help of my academic advi-

sor at Capital,

that AmeriCorps

was the right

direction for

me.

While at Capital, I learned a lot

about music theory, dead classical

composers and social theorists, and

proper piano-playing technique. I also learned a lot about myself, par-

ticularly my passion for social jus-

tice, equality, and helping others,

and my inclination toward idealism.

While my career path is currently

undecided, being in AmeriCorps has

given me the opportunity to pursue

my passions for a year while build-

ing work experience and learning

about the world of non-profit or-ganizations. The A*VISTA mission

of alleviating poverty truly does lie

at the center of my heart (as corny

as that sounds)!

Once accepted into AmeriCorps, I

jumped at the opportunity to move

to the beautiful state of Vermont,

especially since I’ve spent most of

my life in Ohio. At Essex CHIPS,

located in Essex Junction, I am serving as the A*VISTA Volun-

teer/Service-Learning Coordina-

tor. This is a great position for me

because I place so much value on

helping others and creating social

change; now it’s my “job” to re-

cruit youth and adults alike to do

just that-help others and create

positive change! CHIPS has an

amazing staff, and I am enjoying every minute getting to know

them better! I also enjoy working

with kids in our Tween and Teen

Center. Sometimes they’re a bit

crazy, but for the most part it has

been wonderful learning more

about each and every one of them!

Alaina Wermers: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Winooski Community Services Dept. (Winooski, VT)

Britt Wedenoja: A*VISTA member serving at The DREAM Program (Burlington, VT)

P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 1

Around this past May, as the colleges

that I worked with were letting out for

the summer, I started to realize that I

didn’t manage to accomplish nearly as

much as I wanted with my year of

AmeriCorps VISTA service. I remem-

ber starting in September with such

lofty and inflated aspirations; I was going to revolutionize DREAM and

create super mentors that would be

dedicated, well organized, and gener-

ally the best role models you could ever

hope to have. By the time I was in the

swing of things, the year was already

over. I’m looking forward to another

wonderful year of service with the

DREAM Program serving with the

northern Vermont mentoring programs.

I hope with this second year of service I

will be able to put into practice a lot of

the ideas I had when I started volunteer-

ing with DREAM.

The DREAM Program is a wacky and

inspiring organization made up of pas-sionate and dedicated mentors, super

energetic kids, and a very supportive

office. DREAM pairs college student

mentors with kids living in low-income

housing. Our mission is to build com-

munities of families and college stu-

dents that empower children form dis-

advantaged circumstances to recognize

their options, make informed decisions,

and achieve their dreams. Currently

the DREAM Program works with 14

colleges throughout Vermont and the

Boston area, which are paired with 18

different low-income housing

neighborhoods. Typically mentors

meet once a week to plan activities

and then on Fridays they drive to the housing community, pick up the kids,

and bring them back to the college.

DREAM’s unique village mentoring

model synthesizes concepts from one-

on-one mentoring , team building, and

community development programs to

create a comprehensive and empower-

The DREAM Central Office 2012

ing experience for children and their men-

tors. Rather than traditional one-on-one

mentoring structures, all the kids and the

mentors for a supportive community

group.

This year I will be supporting four men-

toring groups in the Burlington area. I am empowering mentors from St. Michael’s

College who are paired with the Franklin

Square housing community, mentors for

the University of Vermont who are paired

with the Riverside and Elm Street housing

communities, and mentors from Cham-

plain College who are paired with the

Birchwood trailer park. As a program

empowerment VISTA, I serve a lot be-

hind the scenes with the mentors and the

co-chairs of the different programs. I sup-

port the mentors and co-chairs by helping

them organize their systems, screen men-

tor applicants, recruit volunteers to help

with their programming, as well as trou-

bleshooting kid and mentor issues among

many other things. I also provide an out-side perspective on their programs, and

help them look at the big picture and push

toward sustainability. As a VISTA, I am

continually encouraging my mentors to

rely less on the DREAM office and the

DREAM office funds and more on their

own problem solving and fundraising. I

am looking forward to another wonderful

year of capacity building with DREAM.

cessful, sustainable programming for

Winoo-

ski

youth.

ticipating in the community. Now as a

VISTA, I feel like I can truly give back

and become a member of the Winooski

community

I will be giving back to Winooski through

grant writing and volunteer coordination

for the Winooski Teen Center. Many of the youth we serve are refugees or New

Americans. They face many challenges

such as being non-native English speakers

that can inhibit their success. It is impor-

tant that we have strong programs to sup-

port these youth so that they may realize

their full potential. I am really looking

forward to this year and to creating suc-

I have lived in Vermont the past four

years as a student at Saint Michael’s

College in Colchester. However, I have

come to realize that while I lived here, I

never really got to know my surrounding

community as much as I could have. So

as I was perusing the AmeriCorps web-

site, I saw the posting for the City of Winooski and immediately applied. This

was my chance to give back to the com-

munity that I lived and worked in for the

past four years. I enjoyed the restaurants

and cafes on the infamous Winooski

circle and I knew that there was a large

refugee population, but I always felt like

I was on the outside and not truly par- Refugee youth at the Winooski

Teen Center.

Rachel Mason: VYT A*VISTA member serving at University of VT Extension —Migrant Education Program (Berlin, VT)

Volunteer Coordinator and A*VISTA

Member. VMEP serves youth, who

have migrated alone or with their

families for agricultural work.

Throughout Vermont, there are young

men and women who work intensive

hours in rural, isolated environments.

Many of them have left school to sup-

port their families, or have repeatedly

disrupted their education to migrate

for work. Isolated on farms and with-

out transportation, there is little access

to education. However, Vermont Mi-

grant Education Program finds a way

to meet our students’ educational

needs. By providing English classes,

tutoring, GED preparation, and other

educational services on the farms, the

migrant youth population is able to

pursue goals that may have seemed

unattainable in the past.

This year, VMEP will be able to create

an even greater impact on migrant

youth’s lives by mobilizing VMEP Vol-

unteers throughout the state. This is the

first year VMEP has a Volunteer Coor-

dinator to build the capacity of the vol-

unteer program. As the VISTA member

and Volunteer Coordinator at VMEP I

am working collaboratively with VMEP

staff to build a strong network of volun-

teers across Vermont. Volunteers will

engage in multiple training sessions, in

order to raise the quality of the educa-

tional services they provide to students.

Without a volunteer program, VMEP is

limited in time and resources to meet the

needs of all the migrant youth students.

However, with a volunteer force, more

migrant youth will have access to educa-

tion in Vermont.

This past

year, I

served

as an

Ameri-

Corps

STATE

member

with

D.C.

Scores at

an after-

school

youth

program in Washington, D.C. After see-

ing how poverty affected the daily lives of

youth in Washington, D.C., I felt that I

wanted to specifically work to alleviate

poverty as a VISTA Member.

This year I am serving with the Vermont

Migrant Education Program (VMEP) as a

P A G E 1 4

When I was completing

my senior year of college

over two years ago, I was

truly stumped about how I would apply

my skills and experience in media arts

with an actual “real world” job. I wasn’t

sure what I wanted from a job experi-

ence, but I knew, deep down, that I wanted to connect people and ideas, and

write about it. After a strange journey

that took me from making smoothies in

Vermont to selling shoes in Seattle, I am

back in Vermont again and serving at

both the Vermont Coalition to End

Homelessness (VCEH) and the Vermont

Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC)

and as the A*VISTA Communications

and Outreach Coordinator.

When I came across the service position,

it seemed like a wonderful opportunity

to combine my interest in social justice

with my experience in journalism. It also

seemed like a way for me to refocus my

goals and do something that held real

worth. I have learned that both the

VCRH and VAHC use outreach and

social media as a means to connect their

housing partners across the state. My

role at the VAHC is to build systems to

better improve communications

between both coalitions and mem-

bers statewide through online out-

reach, newsfeed development, and

member retention initiatives. My

service at VCEH requires me to

consider bigger-picture items, like assisting with projects that assess

homelessness in the state and find

ways to increase access to service

and information.

Both of these coalitions fight pov-

erty through education and raising

awareness of housing insecurity and

homelessness. More than this, both

organizations work on actual initia-

tives meant to publicize the issues and educate the community about

the impact of current federal policy

and funding. In the two months that

I have been serving at both coali-

tions, I have discovered a great deal

about the work of advocacy groups,

housing developers, support net-

works, community land trusts, and

state agencies. I have also gained a

broad understanding

of the complexities of

housing and homelessness in Vermont

I look forward to the rest of my year of

service at the VCEH and VAHC, not

only because I feel like I am regaining a

sense of purpose in my work and my

life, but because I feel like I am actu-

ally working to effect positive change.

As a result of my service, I feel like I

can better recognized what I want and

need for a work experience.

Jenny Montagne: A*VISTA member serving at Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (Burlington, VT)

Jenny, fellow VYT VISTA Valerie,

and their supervisor.

Two Migrant Education Students

enjoying the Vermont snow.

P A G E 1 5 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E

Hubbard Park. I have coordinated

volunteers from Montpelier High

School and with SerVermont to

transplant close to 70 red maples

(Acer rubrum) to the North Branch

Wildlife Area to help shade out Japa-

nese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

that is invading Vermont’s precious

riparian zones on our rivers. I am

looking forward to working with

Montpelier High School to set up

hands on workshops where these

youth can learn about invasive plants

and why they are a threat to our envi-

ronment. Another main goal of mine

for this year is to get the community

gardens organized and functioning to

its fullest! I will be in charge of man-

aging the two community gardens,

that Montpelier Parks has a large part

of running, by obtaining donations

and funding and recruiting volun-

teers. The plan is for these gardens

to serve lower- income residents in

the Montpelier area. After all, every-

one deserves to be able to grow his

or her own healthy, inexpensive

food. This is yet another skill Ster-

ling College has installed in

my values, which I am ex-

cited to use! Volun-

teers are the major

force in getting pro-

jects done here at

Montpelier Parks.

Both the other

AmeriCorps mem-

ber on site and I

work closely with

the Department of

Labor trainees in

order to teach them

skills to take into

career market to

better their chances of getting a

job and build their confidence. I

believe that the youth that come

to us need a positive role model

and for someone to believe in

their success and feel as if I can

be that positive role model. I

would love to see these kids suc-

ceed and achieve the dreams of

obtaining a career that they both

enjoy and have a knack

for. Recently, we held a Game of

Logging Chainsaw safety training

that the youth participated in. It

was great to see these young

adults having fun while learning a

useful skill that they will take

with them forever. I am hoping

some of these skills that are being

taught spark passion into the souls

of Vermont’s youth and use that

spark of passion to strive to make

a difference in their communities

and to better themselves, just like

I am doing by proudly serving as

an AmeriCorps VISTA!

Greetings! I am the AmeriCorps

VISTA serving through Vermont

Youth Tomorrow (VYT) at Montpelier

Parks in Vermont’s beautiful capital. I

have just graduated from Sterling Col-

lege in Craftsbury Common, Vermont

with a degree in Conservation Ecology

and am ready to use my knowledge and

passion for our environment in my year

of service.

My first two months in the parks has

given me the opportunity to exercise a

lot of the skills I have learned during

my time at Sterling College. I have

been focusing a lot on invasive plant

control and management throughout

the North Branch Wildlife Area and

Steph Olsen: VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Montpelier Parks and Recreation (Montpelier, VT)

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps

members volunteer at Hubbard Park

P A G E 1 6

Brian Fullerton: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Essex CHIPS (Essex Junction, VT)

When I started volunteering at an

independent movie theater in

Olympia, Washington, right after

college in 2010, I met a neat

woman who was

moving to Montana

to do a VISTA stint.

She stayed for two

years and came

back to Olympia to

take a state job.

Despite the fact she

was a relatively

recent college

graduate with a well

-paid job that was

relevant to her de-

gree, she told me

she would rather be

back in Montana doing her

VISTA service. She was happier

making $1,000 a month in the

middle of Montana as a VISTA

than she was with a job that was,

by most people’s standards,

“cushy.”

After she explained what she did

for her two years as a VISTA

member, I told her, “I wanna

leave Olympia and do cool stuff.”

She said, “AmeriCorps was a very

positive experience for me. You

should do it.”

So, what led me to be a VISTA,

sending me out from a place I have

spent my entire life to another place

I hadn’t ever thought of outside of

geography quizzes? A woman I

have a crush on told me it would be

a good idea.

The government created and contin-

ues to fund the VISTA program to

help people avoid or get out of pov-

erty. As a periphery goal it gives

people like me an opportunity to

have a “positive experience” while

working in areas we’re good at. This

is a noble thing and I’m happy and

proud to be a part of it.

This year I’ll be managing all of the

outreach for Essex CHIPS so more

people are

aware of what CHIPS is doing so

CHIPS can serve more people with

its Community Wellness initiatives.

I enjoy the work and I like the idea

of everyone in Essex, Essex Junc-

tion, and Westford served by

CHIPS. The more

people who are

aware of what

CHIPS is doing the

more people

CHIPS can help.

That, in a nutshell,

is what I’ll be do-

ing for my year.

Afterwards,

maybe, if I go back

to the Pacific

Northwest. I can

have a cushy,

grown-up

job and think about how I’d rather

be in VISTA helping people avoid

or get out of poverty.

Then maybe I’d have something

else to talk about with this person I

have a crush on.

The mission of Essex CHIPS

is to unite the community in

an environment where peo-

ple are empowered to make

healthy choices through

youth-adult partnerships,

youth leadership, and civic

engagement.

My journey to AmeriCorps started

three and a half years ago when, as a

shy

freshman at Middlebury College, I wan-

dered into the spring semester MiddAc-

tion fair. I was looking for a way to be

more involved in service, and I wanted to work with youth. I saw some people I

knew wearing bright yellow t-shirts and

they called over to me, asking if I wanted

to join DREAM.

I went to a Friday activity with very little

understanding of what DREAM was, or

even what the name stood for (Directing

through Recreation, Education, Adven-

ture, and Mentoring). I met the kids, and

we played capture the flag and drew pic-

tures. I quickly learned that DREAM

involved far more than just the weekly

activities. At its core, DREAM is a men-

toring organization that pairs college stu-

dents with children from affordable hous-

ing communities. However, DREAM also

hosts summer and winter camps, does

special programming for teenagers, and

takes trips as big as kids can dream.

I was a mentor for the rest of my time at Middlebury, and Friday activities became

the highlight of my week. I watched the

program grow, both in size and in the

scope of programming, and the effect

DREAM had on the kids. I became a co-

chair during my senior year, and enjoyed

the opportunity to help the program de-

velop. As graduation drew nearer, I did

not want to leave such an amazing organi-

zation, but I knew I was ready for a new

challenge. I applied to be a Program Em-

powerment VISTA, and now I am part of

the DREAM office!

My role as a the Program Empowerment

Kyree Wobbrock: VYT A*VISTA member serving at The Collaborative (Londonderry, VT)

have spent the last 10 years of my life

volunteering locally and globally. I

spent a summer working at a Filipino

orphanage, and a few weeks in Malaysia

volunteering at a children’s hospital.

This love of serving and making my

world a better place led me to becoming

a VISTA.

This year I’ll be serving in the youth

development sector with The Collabora-

tive. The Collaborative , a non-profit

based out of Londonderry and the sur-

rounding mountain Communities, is a

substance abuse prevention coalition

primarily targeting youth. My year of

service will promote the VISTA mission

of, “building capacity in non-profit or-

ganizations and communities to help

bring individuals and communities out

of poverty,” by providing low cost or

free activities for youth and community

members to participate in.

I’m creating and enacting a mentoring

program matching at-risk youth with

community members, benefiting the

youth, adults, and even the community.

A connected community is a strong

community. Our afterschool program

provides parents with a safe and afford-

Hello! My name is Kyree Wobbrock and I

hail from New Richland, MN. I graduated

in 2010 from Winona State University

with a degree in Sociology and Studio Art.

Winona, MN looks a lot like Vermont and

so it’s relatively been an easy transition to

life in Vermont. As an avid nature enthusi-

ast I love to spend ridiculous amounts of

time outdoors, which is another great thing

about Vermont, and all that it has to offer.

When I’m not outside I enjoy sculpting,

painting, working with clay, or spending

time with my nephew and niece.

This is my first year of service as a

VISTA, but my 2nd year of service

through AmeriCorps. Initially, by the age

of 25 I thought I’d have a career, but two

years out of college found me having spent

one year serving at a great non-profit

called Open Arms of MN through Ameri-

Corps, and the other year waitressing and

working at a group home. Despite being

an extremely social person, I really dis-

liked waitressing, and though I really cared

for the people at the group home, I didn’t

like the hours or the pay scale. One day I

was analyzing my life and decided that I

might as well take a year and do some-

thing I enjoy and give back at the same

time. I’ve always loved to volunteer and

VISTA is to provide

support and training

for the college students and to help

them be effective mentors. DREAM

mentors have an amazing amount of

ownership over the planning and exe-

cution of their weekly programming,

and I offer resources, answer ques-tions, and handle paperwork. I work

with the mentors to ensure that their

programs dream bigger and better.

able place for their children to be while

the parents finish up their workday. When

I’m not getting programs up and running,

I’m working on grant writing and re-

source gathering to keep my organization

funded and supplied. When children have

a safe caring environment to be in, it

makes it easier on the parents to work a

full or longer shift, or in some cases even

a second job like most of the Vermonters

I’ve encountered in southern Vermont.

Parents are really thankful for the year-

round programming we offer, and incen-

tives, such as the Refuse to Use ski, skate,

and ride program, for the youth who com-

mit to being substance free.

P A G E 1 7 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E

Kyree with a

pumpkin

from The

Collabo-rative

commu-

nity gar-

DREAM staff

Ali Siegel: VYT A*VISTA member serving at The DREAM Program (Bennington, VT)

P A G E 1 8

“If you want to help, clean their

bathrooms.” A brilliant professor of

mine in college shared this advice

with me, and it has made an indeli-

ble impression on my choices. This

is my second year of national ser-

vice, a year I never intended to take.

My family has lived in Hartland,

Vermont since its founding and few

members have left the state. I histori-

cally viewed Vermont as a place to

escape from. So de-

termined to flee, in

fact, that I was set on

international service;

I even had a place-

ment and a departure

date. Yet, the thought

of international ser-

vice left me feeling

uncomfortable, as I

would be entering

service as a novice to

my trade and to life

with little to share

besides language

incompetence and

cultural clumsiness. I would

be spending my two years of interna-

tional service learning the language,

customs and beliefs and wouldn’t be

competent enough to be useful until

it was time to leave.

It was at this time that I remembered

the words of my college professor,

“if you want to help, clean their

bathrooms.” Meaning, to serve most

effectively, do so where you know

what it is like to live there or stand

back. If a grassroots organization

abroad is getting on its feet, rather

than coming in and helping with the

planning as an outsider, clean their

bathrooms so that their time can be

spent on developing the organization

their way.

While I decided that international

service was not for me, I still was

not ready to return home to Ver-

mont. I wanted to stay in Arizona

where I was serving or go to Colo-

rado, Alaska, anywhere but Ver-

mont. In talking with one of my

roommates from my previous year of

service, Conor, about the next phase of

my life, he reminded me of what my

professor had shared and asked me, “Is

moving to Colorado or Alaska any dif-

ferent than going to Africa? You don’t

know what it’s like to live there either.”

For me, he was right. I will never be

from Ecuador or Cameroon, Colorado,

or Alaska. I am a Vermonter and I

know what it’s like to live there. I have

experienced the systemic changes made

to children’s health care, academic re-

quirements, and budget cuts because I

lived them.

Visiting the AmeriCorps website illus-

trated for me some of the work I could

be doing in Vermont to change the is-

sues that rattled me growing up, and I

took the invitation. I am currently the

VYT AmeriCorps VISTA member at

the Vermont Department for Children

and Families, Family Services Division

in the Planning, Policy and Perform-

ance Unit.

As the A*VISTA member in this unit, I

collaborate with statewide district di-

rectors, state employees, an policy

makers to create and or update policies

and practice guidance for youth and

families, particularly youth in state

custody (foster care). These polices

and practice guidance are a part of the

Family Services Division Practice

Model, which provides structure to

practice and policy while intentionally

refocusing structural changes to priori-

tize the children and families who

will experience their outcomes.

Current projects I am working on

include, a screening process for

social worker employment selec-

tions, credit report acquisition for

youth in custody, best practice

guidelines for field social work-

ers, and new guidance on engag-

ing fathers. Developing and fi-

nalizing policy and practice guid-

ance, like these, builds capacity

within the Fam-

ily Services

Division by

providing means

to cohesive,

value-driven

service delivery

along with a

system for en-

suring the future

safety, well-

being, and per-

manence of Ver-

mont’s youth.

The mission of

the Corporation for Na-

tional and Community Service

(the agency overseeing

A*VISTA) is to “improve lives,

strengthen communities, and

foster civic engagement through

service and volunteering.” As the

A*VISTA member at the Ver-

mont Department for Children

and Families, Family Services

Division, I am not only improv-

ing lives and strengthening com-

munities, but—as I learned from

my college professor and re-

minded of by roommate,

Conor—I am fittingly, improving

my life and strengthening my

community.

Preview of the Department for Children and Families website

Lillian Shields: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Vermont Department for Children and Families, Family Services Division (Essex, VT)

I’ve

had

many

jobs,

the latest

being

an

Eng-

lish teacher on the Pine Ridge Indian Res-

ervation in South Dakota. It was one of

the most powerful experiences in my life

because I learned more about the things

young people deal with that no one,

young or old, should have to face, like

multiple suicides or witnessing your

grandparents’ murder.

While I love teaching, I’ve come to know

that before a young person can learn, their

basic needs must be met. Why would any-

one want to learn Shakespeare when they’re worried about their friends and

family? And even though I’ve come to

this conclusion through my experience as

a teacher, I’m still learning and still in

awe of the strength and determination

youth display. That’s why I wanted to

serve with the Youth Development Pro-

gram. In this position, I get to help Ver-mont’s youth who are in foster care have

a more positive experience caught up in a

system that doesn’t know them as people.

I serve as the adult partner in the Youth

Development Committee, which

“provides a forum for empowering youth

voice as key change agents in improving

the Vermont Child Welfare System.”

The child welfare system is not something

that I have experience with, but the more I

learn about it, the more motivated I am to

help youth think about how to strengthen

the system. I am inspired by their ability

to discuss issues with the Department for

Children and Families Commissioner and

ask questions about policies affecting

Katherine Trahan: VYT A*VISTA member serving at Franklin-Grand Isle Bookmobile (Swanton, VT)

addressing the needs of the local

community. One area that needs im-

provement is the availability and ac-

cessibility of literature in rural areas

with limited public transportation.

This is the problem that the Bookmo-

bile is designed to help alleviate. It

As a native Vermonter from Franklin

County I remember always wanting to

take a peek inside the FGI Bookmobile

as I watched it drive by. Now, as

an AmeriCorps VISTA, I have the

privilege of serving inside and

behind the scenes of the Bookmo-

bile. Much to my delight, it is ex-

actly what one would expect: a

bus that's full of books. My goal

as a VISTA is to maintain and

create new fundraising strategies

so that the Bookmobile can sustain

and expand its level of outreach.

To put it simply, I want more kids

reading more books.

What drew me to becoming a VISTA

was the chance to volunteer with the

FGI Bookmobile. My ambition was not

just to have a job at the Bookmobile,

but to serve. By giving my time and

skills to support the Bookmobile I am

foster

youth. I

am excited by their ideas to make the

public aware of their experiences that

set them a part from other youth, but

also their desire to show that they’re

just like everyone else, full of mis-

takes and potential.

It’s a joy to help VISTA fulfill its

mission of eradicating poverty.

Through the Youth Development

Program, I encourage youth to take

advantage of the resources available

to them, to become educated, healthy,

and safe. And, with their help, I hope

to become a better teacher by making

more human connections. I also hope

that the more I work with teenagers

and young adults in a variety of set-

tings, the more prepared I’ll be when

my own son reaches that age. Al-

though, I feel like I’m getting to a

slow start in making change, I am

looking forward to looking back on a year of progress.

takes a lot of magic to make this hap-

pen so it is important to keep a positive

attitude.

As a VISTA, I’m hoping to promote

positive attitudes toward reading and

education. During my short service

time I have already encountered sev-

eral children who have told me that

“they don’t like to read,” a statement

that always perplexes me. My goal is

to think of innovative ways to encour-

age students to read and change their

minds about education. The Bookmo-

bile pairs fun with literacy so that

children will have a positive attitude

toward school. Education is power

and that power can help in transcend-

ing poverty. As a VISTA I will support

the Bookmobile so that every time a

child says they don’t like to read, the

team will see it as an opportunity for

change.

V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 1

The Bookmobile at a local fair

Molly Humphrey: VYT A*VISTA member serving with the Youth Development Committee (Montpelier, VT)

P A G E 1 9

Understanding Work-style Preferences

Presenter: Markey Read, Career Networks Consultant

Members learned about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator model, an

assessment designed to measure psychological preferences—how

people perceive the world and make decisions. Members learned

about their own preferences and gained a better understanding of how others approach situations and how to better work with all

types.

VYT provides VISTA members the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive professional development and

skills building training program. Members gather monthly to learn skills relevant to their service and life after

VISTA, reflect on their service experiences, give and receive peer support, strengthen professional and communica-

tion skills, and build their commitment to service.

Throughout their service terms, VYT members help build the capacity and viability of their organizations by creat-

ing curricula, recruiting volunteers, increasing funding and identifying new funding streams, and creating databases

and other sustainable organizational systems. VYT Training and Member Development is designed to help members

develop the skills needed to fulfill VISTA activities and tasks, help them find jobs after completing service, build

esprit de corps, develop community relations and support, and secure resources effective in improving community

conditions that result in ongoing poverty.

Since meeting the 2012-2013 VYT team this past August at the VYT Orientation, we have facilitated raining ses-

sions about leadership styles and work style preferences, the structure of nonprofit organizations, meeting facilita-

tion, positive youth development theory, and volunteer management strategies.

Vermont Youth Tomorrow A*VISTA Program: Professional Development & Training

Member and Supervisor Training

Facilitator: VYT Staff

This training was designed to help facilitate

good communication, professional development,

and a solid foundation for service. It focused on

preferences, perceptions, as well as the impact

that being a supervisor or a supervisee has on

communication. Participants also reviewed the

VISTA Assignment Description (VAD) and

how it supports the VISTA mission, VYT re-

quirements, and each organization’s mission.

Participants examined their leadership styles and

how to best work with those with different

styles, recognized how perceptions affect com-

munication, experienced issues from another

perspective, and brainstormed ideas for imple-

menting their VADs. VYT Members and Supervisors gather together for a workshop

on communication and leadership.

Presenter Markey Read and VYT Members

discuss Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

P A G E 2 0

Structure of Non-Profit Organizations

Presenter: Christine Graham, Consultant to Nonprofit Or-

ganizations and President of

CPG Enterprises, Inc.

Members learned about the legal requirements, structure,

and nature of non-profit organizations.

Meeting Facilitation

Presenter, Nicole Bourassa, Cope &Associates

Through discussion and interactive exercises, participants

learned how to plan effective meetings, create solid agen-

das to drive meetings, and how to employ a minute format

that empowers meeting participants to walk away with an

action plan.

Positive Youth Development

Presenter: Kreig Pinkham, Executive Director at the Wash-

ington County Youth Service Bureau/Boys and Girls Club

Members discussed the various factors that affect adolescent

development (environmental, social, biological). Members

learned how to use positive youth development theory to

improve their interactions with youth and include youth in planning and implementation of programs and services.

Mission Driven Volunteer Management

Presenters: Nicole Bourassa and Kim Steinfield, Cope &

Associates, Inc.

Participants discussed the importance of effective communi-

cation with volunteers, recognition and acknowledgement of

volunteer service, and project management when working

with volunteers. Members gained tips and skills to help them better to increase volunteer effectiveness.

Upcoming Training Topics include:

Goal Setting

Grant Writing

Difficult Conversations

Resource Development

Networking and Resume Building

VYT Members practice planning and running

an effective meeting.


Kreig Pinkham talking about his experi-ence and positive youth development

VYT members Ali, Anna, Sarah, and Brian

Monthly Team Meetings

At VYT team monthly meetings, members share accomplishments and challenges, give and re-

ceive feedback, and participate in discussions about VISTA and VYT requirements. In order to

ensure that all can participate actively in discussions, the team is divided into smaller groups, each

month moving members around so that they get to interact with as many other team members as

possible. Each month, three members develop agendas, including objectives and outcomes, for

each of the small groups. They facilitated discussion on topics important to them, as well as

checking in about accomplishments and challenges.

Vermont Youth Tomorrow, Team Meetings, and AmeriShares P A G E 2 2

AmeriShare Presentations

Members are also given an opportunity to plan and lead an AmeriShare during monthly

trainings. Members gain experience in researching, planning, and facilitating a presentation for

the team on a topic of their choice.

This year, members have facilitated the following:

1] Vermont Trivia

2] Self-Care While Serving

3] Importance of Incorporating the Youth Voice in Decision-making (co-facilitated with a high

school student)

VYT Member Casey Willard shares tips about how to take

care of yourself during your service.

VYT Member Anna Finklestein and Big Picture student John dis-

cuss the importance of youth involvement in youth organizations.


VYT Member Accomplishments for

2011-2012

We are so proud of the accomplishments of the Vermont Youth Tomorrow A*VISTA members (both year-round and summer). During the program year, they accomplished the following:

Procured $522,396 in cash and in-kind donations used to create and improve programs that support low-income

youth and families

Developed 418 new funding streams

Recruited and/or managed 1,281 community volunteers, mentors, and tutors

The volunteers, mentors, and tutors gave 25,382 hours of service to communities, organizations, and youth

11,382 individual youth benefited directly from their service; another 51,233 individual youth benefited indi-

rectly from their service

Created or enhanced 83 economic opportunity activities in which 1342 individual youth benefited

Developed 257 education activities in which 4,432 individual youth benefited

Facilitated 163 environmental stewardship activities in which 1,614 individual youth benefited

Implemented 702 healthy futures activities in which 6,491 individual youth benefited

Managed 234 youth/mentor matches

Created 77 job training programs and activities benefiting 1,011 individuals

Assisted 1,368 individuals with housing and basic needs

Provided nutrition information and programs benefitting 1,576 youth and adults

Developed 296 initiatives that engaged 2,415 individuals

Led 89 service learning projects in which 1,354 of individuals participated

Implemented 28 programs that provided healthy meals for 1,479 individuals

Provided services to 1,338 family members of veterans and active duty troops

Developed 806 public relations tools that will be used to create more awareness of the services, programs, and

initiatives our members help to support.

Created or enhanced 352 operations systems to make services more efficient and effective

Collaborated with 173 community groups

Gave 88 presentations to community groups

Provided capacity-building services to 23 organizations, including 12 where three or more effective volunteer

management practices were implemented

20 organizations reported that the VISTA activities helped make the organization more efficient

20 organizations reported that VISTA activities helped make the organization more effective.

VYT Members Tony, Britt, and Drew

VYT team playing Goblins, Wizards, and Elves

2

01

2

-

2

0

1

3

V

Y

T

T

E

A

M

Vermont Youth Tomorrow

A*VISTA Program

PO Box 627/ 38 Elm St.

Montpelier, VT 05601-0627

Phone: 802-229-9151

Program Director: M Kadie Schaeffer

[email protected]

Assistant Directors: Meghan Jaird

[email protected]

Jessi Engelke

[email protected]

Callie Frey

[email protected]

AmeriCorps VISTA Leader Cara Melbourne

[email protected]

The opinions expressed in these articles in this newsletter belong to the individual writers and do not necessarily re-

flect the views of the site the VISTA serves, Vermont Youth Tomorrow, the Washington County Youth Service Bu-

reau, the Boys and Girls Club, SerVermont, or CNCS.

VYT is sponsored by the

Washington County Youth

Service Bureau/Boys and

Girls Club.

https://www.facebook.com/vermontyouthtomorrow

VYT Voices Fall 2012 Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of VYT Voices Fall 2012 Newsletter