Most Epic Christmas Ever

More pictures from Christmas can be found here.

For lack of a better word, my Christmas was “Legen...wait for it...DARY!”

If you only read one of my blog entries, let it be this one.

I was extremely blessed to spend Christmas at the boys’ home and can’t wait for you to hear about it. I was asked to write about the experience on the “AmeriCorps VISTAs in the Piedmont” blog and you can read about it here.

Enjoy!

(This is an abbreviated version so if you want to hear more, I would love to share!)

Christmas in Sparkle City

As I sit here drinking hot chocolate, I think about Christmases of the past. 

Many historically well-known events include Washington crossing the Delaware in 1776 and the Christmas Truce of 1914 between the Germans, French, and Scottish troops that inspired the film Joyeaux Noel. Additionally To Kill A Mockingbird debuted in 1962 and Harry Potter returned to Godric’s Hollow with Hermione on Christmas Eve in 1997.

All of this being said, apart from the birth of Jesus, December the 25^th is pretty much an ordinary day. And perhaps more so for restaurant workers, newspaper deliverers, athletes, the media, sales associates, the military, and police and fire personnel. For them and others, Christmas really is just like any other day at work. So, as you go eat at Denny’s or Hardees, grab last minute items from Publix or Toys R Us, read the paper, watch the game or news, or as the fire department arrives because you forgot about the ham in the oven, thank those who are away from their families this holiday season so you can celebrate with yours.

So what am I doing this Christmas?

After church tonight I will head to work. I will be organizing gifts and stockings, loading them in the car, and delivering them to cabins and dorm at the boys’ home after the boys are asleep, where the staff will put them under the tree. In short, I get to be Santa Claus.

When morning comes, I will try to be in three places at once in order to capture the boys’ excitement in film form. Plus I am helping prepare breakfast. But more importantly, I am spending this family-oriented holiday with boys who do not have one.

Click here to see some of the Chrismtas pics at the boys’ home.

So, as you celebrate this holiday season, a few things to ponder:

·         Think about the gifts you receive and give and what occurred to enable such to happen.

□ For the boys at the boys’ home, they will have gifts because of a diligent staff, and benevolent churches and individuals.

·         Think about those who are working today so you don’t have to.

·         Value those around you.

May the joy of this season be yours now and always.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Spartanburg!

Blessings,

Nicole

“He became like us so we could strive to become more like Him.”

90-day Review

Cabin at the boys' home

Has it really been 90 days already?!

It has been full of so many new experiences, triumphs, and disappointments.

To be totally honest, around day 90, I was feeling a little bit cynical and disillusioned. Most of the first 90 days were spent learning how the boys’ home worked and finding my way around Spartanburg. By the third month though, I am so deep in my organization and its needs, I feel as though nine more months is not near enough time to fulfill them. There is so much to do that I can’t possibly make a dent.

Then I think about how I was before all of this: just graduated from college and never having lived anywhere but home or school. I was still adult-like because I owned my car and making payments on it. Now, three months later, I am living 7 hours away from home, working a 9 to 5 job, applying for grad schools, and paying for rent, electricity, cable, water, and groceries. (I think it has taken by body this long to get adjusted to sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day.)

 Even if I accomplished absolutely nothing a work, I had grown as a person as a result of this experience. And luckily, I have accomplished things at work. Marketing, fundraising, and organizing volunteers might not be the dramatic impact I want to make for these boys now, but you can’t change things overnight. I feel like I am more capable to help my organization today than I was three months ago and that gives me hope for the next 9 months.

Enjoy these random pictures from the last 90 days:
























" You wanna be great? Then have the courage to fail big and stick around. Make them wonder why you're still smiling." -Elizabethtown

Ferdinand! (The lizard who resides in my office).
He greeted me  when I returned from Thanksgiving.

For those of you wondering: No, I never got my food stamps. I’m exploring my options.

Here is a local news story about the United Way’s Gift In-Kind Center where non-profits like the boys’ home and poor Vistas (J) can get toiletries among other things: http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/dec/01/walmart-returns-help-provide-for-needy-ar-2784812/

Home for the Holidays

Before I headed back home to Alabama for Thanksgiving, I was given the privilege of helping with Feed the Community. It is an organization in Spartanburg that supplies Thanksgiving meals to those who need them. The week before Thanksgiving, a local church opens up its phone lines for people to call in their orders and the meals are delivered on Thanksgiving. The phone lines were staffed by volunteers at United Way and the other VISTAs serving in the area, including myself. (Link to story about this: http://vistasinthepiedmont.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/feed-the-community/) 

I enjoyed the opportunity to connect with community members, mostly lower income, that I do not normally have the chance. It was inspiring to hear their gratitude or the kindness of those calling in meals for others. The orders spanned across Spartanburg County—from trailer parks, homes, apartments, campgrounds, and motels (where the “invisible” homeless reside).

I would encourage you this holiday season to connect with such populations as well. There are so many opportunities during the holidays to serve “undesirable” populations. It might just change your outlook on your community.

Next, I wanted to share about a tough decision that I made. I have decided that this will be my first Christmas to spend away from home and my family. I have been working to get Christmas gifts at the boys’ home and would like to see the boys open them on Christmas morning. Also, I think this is a rare opportunity spend the holiday with those who don’t have anyone with whom to celebrate.

I hope that during this holiday season you are able to treasure what really matters. 

I Spy Little Eyes

A gift for you the week before Thanksgiving: a game.

Below is a picture of part of my desk. Let’s play a game of “I-Spy.” See if you can find something that doesn’t belong.

(I didn’t know I was doing this, otherwise I would’ve cleaned my desk. So there might be multiple things that don’t belong  ;] )

We’ll zoom in a bit and look closer. How about now?

Give up? I have officially been a VISTA in Spartanburg 92 days. I thought I had met most everyone at my worksite by now. However, today I met Ferdinand.

Yes he is a small green gecko. Part of me hopes he has a British accent like in the Geico commercials. The other part hopes he just doesn’t scurry into my mouth like in the new Parent Trap.

As if working at a boys’ home isn’t exciting enough, now I have another distraction. While I’m writing this, he is slinking carefully around the cups. Looks like I’m going to have to share my desk… J

It's November already?

No, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about you. At least not yet.

Things have been super-crazy busy at work with all of the kids on sugar highs from Halloween candy. Wait—you don’t actually know exactly what I do at work yet. Maybe I should start from the beginning.

What do I do at work? My VISTA assignment description has me involved in 4 facets at the boys’ home. First is Accreditation. They would like to be on the road to accreditation. So I attended a workshop on Measuring Outcomes and I researched similar programs in SC and NC. However, through political decisions beyond our control (*cough* Gov. Haley), the path to accreditation has been temporarily put on hold to focus on more pressing issues.

The second thing I have been involved in is marketing. I have been creating and updating our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube pages, and United Way’s “Get Connected”. I attended Wofford’s College Fair (very weird to be on the other side), made three videos for our YouTube page, and updated a brochure. Along with Marketing, I’ve been involved in Fundraising. We applied and were accepting into the “Google for Non-Profits” program, we’ve been working on our annual mass marketing letter, and I’m currently planning our Holiday Open House featuring our brand-new vocational center on campus.

Lastly, I’m involved in recruiting and training volunteers and mentors. We have some very supportive churches and groups in the area that come out and help us with maintenance and hang out with our boys. Two groups brought Halloween goodies for the boys (hence the sugar highs). I’ve created and been tracking volunteer involvement via a database. And I finally finished the craziness that was the boys’ Christmas Lists. Yes, groups are already asking for them. I know it must have been difficult for my parents to keep up with what my sister and I wanted and delegating the lists to grandparents. Try multiplying that by multiple churches and 30 kids. At least now I know more about video games J

By the way, here is the link to a nifty article on the VISTA blog. It is an interview with yours truly J

http://vistasinthepiedmont.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/vista-interviews-nicole-williams/

Month Two Update

My drive to work (Cue Elizabethtown soundtrack)

So I’ve been in SC now for about two months so I guess it is time for a reflection.

Before this, I thought that the degree of Southern-ness was directly proportion to one’s longitude; however, SC dispels this. SC is not less Southern because it is more north than AL. By my interactions, it is almost just as Southern. If I didn’t know any better, I could be in AL or TN right now. 

In fact, I drive thirty minutes to and from work on some incredibly country roads. In addition to the breath-taking views of foliage and farm houses, I see a vast amount of wildlife. More than I would like—because some of it is crosses the path in front of my vehicle. It is almost as though I’ve been admitted into a petting zoo: cows, horses, goats, dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, groundhogs, chickens, hawks, crows, wild turkeys, and yes, even deer. I have not hit anything yet (thank goodness) but am being more careful in the spots the animals frequent. Especially since I learned that SC is a high risk state for hitting a deer with the likelihood being 1 in 140. (AL is medium risk at 1 in 163). http://www.statefarm.com/aboutus/_pressreleases/2011/october/3/us-deer-collisions-fall.asp

I have finally been able to find my way downtown without my GPS. I consider this a big accomplishment. But a goal remains: I have yet to see a Palmetto tree. For a state that prides itself on a particular tree, you think it would be more prolific. Everything from banks, caterers, restaurants, organizations, etc all have Palmetto in the name. I guess I could just find a palm tree, I’ve heard they are similar…

So goal for the next two months: find a Palmetto in the Palmetto State.

"Folk Lure"

The International Festival in Spartanburg

 I feel like the only word to describe the last few weeks is this: International

One weekend, we participated in the Greek Festival at a Greek Orthodox Church. It included dancing, gifts, and food. If I didn’t already love Greek food, any event that includes spanakopita and baklava is great in my book. Overall, it made me want to watch “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” terribly.

There was actually a wedding in the gazebo as we went by

Then the five people that work in my office and myself went on a staff retreat to the lake house of the boys’ psychologist. We were in Lake Lure, NC for less than 24 hours, but it was fun to get to know co-workers outside the office. And the psychologist was super nice and took us out on the boat to restaurants accessible by boat, though out on the water it was freezing cold! It was a much needed break from the office for sure.

*Fun fact: Lake Lure, NC is where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed.

Yet another pic of Lake Lure

The next weekend was Spartanburg’s International Festival which again included gifts, dancing, and food; but also a parade of all of the countries represented. And my “food” I meant at least two dozen booths of cuisine ranging from Jamaica, Germany, Mexican, etc. I had Falafel from Jerusalem and (as if I didn’t get enough before) baklava. After we had had our fill of the event (which attracted 14,000+ people), the other VISTAs and I watched football. For 8 hours. After watching USC getting beat by Auburn (insert comment that illustrates I am neither distraught nor thrilled by this), we watched the Nebraska/ Wisconsin game. I can honestly say that I think that was the most football I have ever watched, including the fact that I went to every game in high school and home games in college. It's still the South alright J

Update about Food Stamps

For those that believe that it is easy to attain public assistance, I can personally tell you—it is not.

I am not yet receiving public assistance.

It has been one month and two days since I filed my application.

Here is what the process looks like:

9/9- I faxed my complete application with AmeriCorps letter.

9/12 – My case worker called me on my cell at 3:50pm. Since I was at work and had no service, I did not receive the call. I returned his call the next day and left a message with my work number.

9/13-- He called my office at 6:30pm, so I missed the call. I returned his call the next day and again left a message.

9/14-  I received a notice in the mail stating that there had been too many days elapse on my file and that it would be closed if I did not contact my case worker. I called the number he gave me at least once a day and left an additional message after I received the notice in the mail.

9/26 -- I finally received another call before I got to work and promptly returned the call. He answered and I completed the phone interview then.

Actually, when I called him back to complete the phone interview he informed me that my case had been denied but that he would refile my application for me; however my benefits would only be retroactive to the date of reapplication (9/26) and not (9/9) date of original application. This means I am loosing an entire month of benefits. He ensured me that “this is no one’s fault; it’s just one of those things that happens.” I will be honest; short of me stalking this man, I believe I did all I could on my part.

During that same conversation, he asked me to fax him an electric bill and copy of my lease, however, the number he gave me had a full memory and could not receive faxes. I called and he gave me another number. This one too had a full memory. I thought perhaps that it was our fax machine, but other faxes went through fine. I called him for an email address or something and never heard back. So, that week, I faxed the information about twice a day to both numbers with no success.

Finally, 10/5 I mailed the info to his office with a copy of every denied fax coversheet. As of today, I have not heard anything.

Though I am getting frustrated, I’m staying professional and understanding since I am familiar with the type and quantity that my caseworker has to deal with. My VISTA leader is involved in getting this taken care of with United Way’s contacts in DSS.

I am not sharing this with you to rant or to tell you how mess up our system is. I just want to share my experience so as to inform others who may not have experiences with social services what this is like.

I will keep you updated about any developments. 

Adventures in Sparkle City

For as small a town as Spartanburg is, they have a fairly decent amount of amenities. There is a brewery, medical district, 5 colleges, art galleries, nightlife, parks, and shopping. There is a large emphasis on family-friendly activities, biking, and the arts.

Six or so of the VISTAs plus my roommate and me have tried to get involved in Spartanburg activities. We went to the Farmer’s Market (one of two they host every week) and attended various evening activities downtown during our first week here. Let me just say that we are all about some free food and festivities. J We went to the monthly Art Stroll through art galleries one night and made a meal of the vast amounts of finger foods at each location. The next night was the one year anniversary of the bookstore/coffee shop/ cupcake bakery downtown and again made a meal off the food offerings, while being introduced to various community people (affectionately known as “Spartanburgers”).

Labor Day weekend we traveled about an hour to Hendersonville, NC for the Apple Festival. We saw the Blue Ridge Mountains during our trek.  Downtown, about a mile stretch of road was blocked off for the vast number of vendors, most of which were selling food. The first several blocks contained your typical fair staples-- turkey legs, funnel cakes, etc, but no apples. But further down the road, there were nothing but apple vendors selling their special types by the bushel—honeycrisp, gala, etc. If there was a type of apple that is able to be harvested in early Sept, it was there. We taste-tested some at one table and bought apple pie ice cream and others bought spicy apple smoothies. A good time was had by all at the Apple Festival.

On Labor Day, my roommate and I were determined to finally find a couch. At our second Goodwill of the day, we bought 3 dining room chairs and at the third, we finally found our couch. We called one of the other VISTAs to transport it in her truck. Of course, it was pouring rain. It took all three of us girls to move the couch into our apartment inch by inch through the rain. That was when we discovered that the couch wouldn’t fit through the door. After maneuvering the couch through the mud, we managed to finally get it inside.

After we started pulling the couch off the truck and realized it was super heavy

3 hours + 3 Goodwill stores + $76 + 3 female super VISTAs=

Sore muscles, 2 cute skirts for work, and a complete living room of 3 chairs and a comfy green couch with cup holders

Success J

Poverty

A little lesson…

At PSO we talked about two types of poverty: situational and generational. Situational refers to short-term loss of income such as unemployment, chronic illness, disability, or other circumstances; while generational poverty to poverty that affects two or more generations. In addition, Absolute poverty is defined as the deprivation of basic human needs while Relative poverty depends on the other members of society. Many people in impoverished communities do not consider themselves absolutely poor only relatively— “We’re doing better than the Smiths…”

Orshansky's Poverty Threshold

The US government measures poverty using Orshansky’s Poverty Threshold and has since the 1960s. During the 1950s, studies indicated that families spent 1/3 of their income on food. Today, however, other costs have taken more of the proportion including rent/housing needs. Other problems with the measure of poverty include the definition of income. It excludes noncash government transfers (like earned income tax credit, food stamps, Medicaid, and other assistance) and therefore overstates poverty. In addition, the definition of expenses excludes income taxes, work-related expenses, and out-of-pocket medical expenses; therefore understating poverty. Lesson finished J

You make how much?! 

The 2011 poverty guidelines from the Dept. of Health & Human Resources indicate that an individual living in one of the 48 contiguous states can live off $10,890 a year. For VISTA, I will be given a $10,296 stipend for the year (858/month). Part of the VISTA experience is poverty immersion. They help us budget and encourage us to get food stamps. The United Way and our VISTA leader(s) have been doing a great job of taking care of us. We are able to shop at United Way’s Gifts In Kind center. Very basically, items returned to Wal-Mart or taken off the shelf for any reason can be sent here for non-profits to acquire. We can get needed toiletries, home furnishings, etc in exchange for two volunteer hours there.

Being a sociologist, I am super pumped about applying for SNAP (food stamps). In fact, I’m pretty excited about living in poverty as well. This is the first (and hopefully last) time that I will be able to experience what I have been learning about in college, and perhaps I will be more able to empathize with those whose lifestyles are such. In addition, my hope is that through my practices with poverty this year, YOU will have a greater understanding of it as well.

On Friday August 26, I faxed my SNAP application to the Dept. of Social Services office. It was simpler than I expected it to be. However, I thought it should have been more thorough, but perhaps that’s what the interview is for.

September 16— My DSS caseworker called me on my cell phone at work once and I have returned his call multiple times and left messages.

(The previous paragraph is for reference for those of you who are interested in social services. It’s not as easy as we make it seem. It’s definitely not a hand out).

Check back to see when I get food stamps.

How goes the work?

My first day at work (8/15) was great. Since I had already been there and met people, I was not anxious at all—just ready to get started. I got settled into my desk and started learning my way around. I was also told a shortcut to work that will shave 5 mins off my 30 min commute. My co-workers are so sweet and entertaining, and I know I will love working with them.

The boys home is on 50 acres of land that was once the location of a vacation hotel for congressman. It was known for the spring that could cure many ailments. Later I got to see what remains of the spring from a well in a covered gazebo and the historic chapel and old store on the hill. There are numerous bike trails throughout. The cabins where the boys live are immaculate—they are only a few years old and look like log cabin vacation condos in Gatlinburg. There is a gym, recreation field, classrooms for students that attend school on campus (most attend public schools), and they are renovating a space to turn into a shop/garage to teach the boys vocational skills.

Lunch is supplied in the cafeteria where the boys eat. The chef also lets me grab breakfast and dinner whenever too. For lunch, we mostly have chicken or fried bologna sandwiches with French fries or chips, but we’ve had lasagna, hamburger steak and mashed potatoes and green beans, and Wade’s fried chicken and French fries. So much for eating healthier and being a vegetarian once I got to Spartanburg… but having meals provided during the week saves me a ton on groceries.

I have gotten to meet a few of the residents, but most have already started school so they are gone most of the day. I’ve never considered myself a “9 to 5” worker because I get bored easily, but since I love what I’m doing, it’s not so bad.

On Tuesday, Aug 30^th, the Executive Director, Dir of Residential Services, and myself attended a conference at the Dept. of Juvenile Justice facility in Columbia. It was about tracking outcomes to get the most ideal statistics about your program. I look forward to using what I learned there to help track statistics for Glenn Springs, that can be passed along to DSS to gain more referrals. Currently, I’m also working on the volunteer and mentoring programs, fundraising, and doing preparation for accreditation. I love it J

On-Site Orientation: Spartanburg

The SC Welcome Center with the notorious palmetto. 

Notice the “Children Welcome”- in the state or in the welcome center?  

      After PSO was over, my wonderful parents 0:-] drove to ATL with what I will need for the next year tightly packed into the van. I met them at The Varsity for lunch and then we made our way to SC. It is about a 3 hour drive from ATL. We stopped at the SC visitor’s center and got reams of pamphlets on the area. We went to my apartment and unloaded everything. I had already met my roommate during PSO. We met the first night at the dessert table (it was meant to be… J) . She is from Minnesota and is working with an organization that encourages an active lifestyle. That night my parents, roommate, and I ate at Wade’s- an authentically Southern restaurant. It was recommended in a magazine and is a staple of Spartanburg. I didn’t realize how much I had missed sweet tea while at PSO (who knew the hotel would only serve that iced tea crap).

The next day, my parents and I visited the Boys Home for a tour. It was so surreal going to this place and meeting these people with whom I had only encountered on the phone. After so many months preparing for it, researching it on the Internet, and being trained for it; it was finally nice to see that it does actually exist.

On Monday, the other 12 VISTAs in the Spartanburg area and I had our Orientation to the area led by our VISTA leaders. They gave us tips on what to do, where to shop, and other valuable info. The meeting was held at the United Way office, which is located in the Denny Corporate headquarters. It looks strangely out of place because it is 17 stories tall—the tallest building by far in downtown. We also went on a walking tour. We learned about the history of the area and where it is headed. I was accustomed to the historical sites marked in AL, mainly from the Civil War; but was surprised to learn that there are a number of historical sites from the Revolutionary War close by. In the square, there is a statue of Daniel Morgan, the leader at the Battle of Cowpens—the turning point in the Revolutionary War. Apparently erecting that statue in 1881 is the first time the original 13 colonies had agreed on anything since the Civil War.

The Daniel Morgan Statue 

Next, we talked about how we were feeling about this experience thus far. Some were nervous, anxious, etc. I was ready. I had the same outlook I’d had during PSO: let’s stop talking about poverty and actually do something about it. Then, we went on a field trip the Gifts In Kind Center (see POVERTY) and were given training there. Aterwards, we receive a welcome basket filled with candles, lotions, and smell-good stuff from Bridgewater Candle Co. The candles were Votivo brand—the ones that Oprah uses.

The CEO of United Way locally also introduced us to the area. He stated that the city’s biggest shortfalls were teen pregnancy, early childhood literacy, financial stability, and low educational attainment. From what I have noticed thus far, there seems to be a large gap between the rich and poor. The poverty rate was 17 percent and in 2006, 37 percent of Spartanburg County babies were born to single mothers.

Looks like we have a big job ahead of us. 

Pre-Service Orientation: Atlanta

“People may not remember the words you said, but they’ll remember how you made them feel.”

Marriott Marquis from the pool

  

           

PSO took place Aug 8-11 in Atlanta at the Marriott Marquis. I have never been in that hotel before and once I was in, I didn’t want to leave. The hotel is gorgeous. There were two-hundred other VISTAs there for orientation as well. There are multiple locations for your PSO depending upon your start date, so we had people from all over-- from Hawaii, Washington, to Maine Florida, West Virginia, you name it. We participated in group sessions at night and smaller groups of 24 or so people during the day.

Looking up from the Atrium level

And then there was the food. The hotel staff spoiled us with delicious all-you-can-eat Food Network-worthy fares everywhere you looked. Plus, the desserts—I’m talking tarts, cheesecakes, tiramisu, and chocolate-dipped cannolis. You could have made a meal off of dessert alone. We also had breaks in between meals during our small group sessions where they had fruit, veggies, Starbucks coffee, hot tea, and ice cream. It was because of all of the food that I took advantage of the fitness center later at night. On one such occasion, I decided that I would walk up the stairs to my room on the 24^th floor for an extra workout. I made it to the 12^th floor before I couldn’t take anymore and crawled to the elevator.

My terribly-blurry pic of the filming set

On my way back from the fitness center on the third night, I decided to check out the top floor as it seemed everyone else already had. I got into the elevator to go to the 47^th floor and a woman with a headset and radio stepped in behind me. After having spent an entire night in the B’ham airport to be extras on a movie with Roberts and the Katies in college, I know what a film crew member looks like. I decided to play dumb and ask her if she was here for PSO and she replied no, that they were filming a TV show in ATL. I asked if she was allowed to tell me which one. She replied casually “Necessary Roughness. You know, on USA. We’re actually filming on the 45^th floor right now.”  Needless to say, my journey to the 47^th floor included taking pictures of the 45^th floor and texting everyone like crazy J

Anyway, the first night we learned about the history of VISTA. It was started in 1965 by Kennedy as a means to eliminate poverty domestically. Some of the popular programs that came about because of AmeriCorps include Head Start and neighborhood watch. VISTA’s goals include an anti-poverty focus, community empowerment, capacity building, and sustainable solutions.

The next day, we spent all day talking about poverty. I usually would have been really excited about this; however, it was a repeat from the semester in college where I took a class on poverty. In addition, we had to go around and talk about what we thought about poverty. I guess I am too accustomed to being around sociologists but I was surprised by the number of people that knew nothing about it. By the end of the day, not only were we all well-versed in poverty, but we were trained to combat it as well.

The third and last day there, we went in depth about of job assignments, community entry, and how to generate volunteers and resources. On the last day, we took the oath and were sworn is as VISTAs. The best part about PSO was not the training but the networking; getting to meet people from all over that have the same heart to serve people as you-- getting to hear their stories, where they are serving and what led them to that passion.  And okay, the food was a close second. J

View of ATL from my window taken too early in the morning…

Why Vista?

I had always wanted to do something like Peace Corps. I really just like helping people in need. And, to be totally honest, I had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated college. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any options—the problem was that I had too many.

So, it was last semester of senior year that I decided I would be going to grad school to get a Master’s in Social Work (MSW), but the thought of going directly after undergrad was exhausting. I was ready for a break, so I decided to take a gap year (not to mention it was too late for grad in the fall). But what would I do? I looked into Peace Corps, but it’s a two-year program and I am also more interested in serving domestically.

That’s when I found AmeriCorps. I knew some people who have served with them and thought I would do some research. I discovered that the VISTA program was more along the lines of what I wanted to be doing and began exploring opportunities. The stipend was minimal, but the education award after a year of service looked very attractive. After filling out the intense application, I applied for 5 programs over the course of my last semester. Most of them included working with youth. After a several weeks, I was contacted by several organizations; one of them was the Boys Home. After a few phone interviews and some anxious time of waiting, I was finally hired by the Boys Home in July.

For more information about AmeriCorps programs, check out the RESOURCES section.