March 13-19 was AmeriCorps Week, so we sat down with our two AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers to reflect on their first six months of service at ACC.

Q: Tell us about your decision to become an Americorps VISTA volunteer- serving a one-year term at a non-profit organization.

Nicholas:

“My decision to become an Americorps VISTA volunteer was driven by a need to engage in something tangible after graduating; at times, college felt very distanced and disengaged from many real-world struggles we would learn about in the classroom. My hope in joining as a Vista was to engage in something tangible, where I could really see the direct results of not only my work, but the work of my organization. And I certainly did get that!”

Annaliese:

“I grew up in a rural community, so growing up, I saw a wide variety of needs. There was an emphasis on community and serving your community. Both my parents were teachers and did Peace Corps out of college, so both of these things definitely had a big impact on me.

I studied International Relations and Arabic at Carleton College, with the hope of working with refugees after graduation. When I graduated, the pandemic was still in full surge, so Peace Corps or other international service opportunities weren’t an option. I started thinking about doing something local instead. I really wanted to work with underserved populations- somewhere where I could support in a meaningful way. I loved the idea of being able to see behind the scenes, which is why Americorps VISTA appealed to me.”

Q: What do you enjoy most about your specific VISTA position?

Nicholas:

"I love Community Engagement because it is the perfect blend of program development and evaluation (non-direct service) and working with our refugee populations (direct service). This type of work lets you see the organization from multiple perspectives, which I find valuable in further trying to analyze the ways in which we can improve certain programs and services. Working with community members also helps keep you on your toes and enables you to see the ways in which your actions and work can directly impact others."

Annaliese:

"We started our VISTA term right as the evacuations in Afghanistan were happening, so all of a sudden, ACC needed to figure out a new program: temporary housing. I was able to learn from many knowledgeable staff at ACC about best practices for permanent housing and see how we could modify those practices. I also researched other housing host programs across the U.S., getting ideas from their volunteer resources and training materials. I was able to make changes along the way after seeing what worked and what didn't. Getting to see this program through, from the idea phase to execution and ongoing progress, has been cool for me.

It's also been really fun getting to meet so many of the families and so many volunteers as well. I get to see the way in which our refugee families and volunteers positively impact each other. The families I've known for a few months, I now see them stepping up to help out other newly arrived refugee families."

Q: What has been the most challenging part of your position?

Nicholas:

“The most challenging aspect of the position is that you often don't have enough time to get everything you need to get done! While this was difficult to navigate at first, being focused on the exact time I spent during the day helped me become more efficient and task-oriented, which has been useful in navigating weekly goals and objectives each day.”

Annaliese:

“We really never got to see normal refugee resettlement since the time we started our service was also the time that staff were adjusting to new processes in preparation for receiving the Afghan evacuees. There was a never-ending flow of work. That was the hardest part- the sheer number of arrivals, sometimes multiple per day. I think everyone was feeling it. There’s a lot of support at ACC from other staff members which helps a lot. I’m happy that I could fill a gap during these months.”

Q: What are you most excited for during the next half of your service?

Nicholas:

“I am super excited to be doing some extended research and program evaluation of the First Friends and Co-Sponsorship programs! This will be an amazing opportunity to engage with our community on a personal level, while discovering how we can best serve our community members.”

Annaliese:

“I’m excited to transition away from the temporary housing program and move into developing other programs. I’ve heard such amazing things about the We Made This program- so I’m really excited that I get to be a part of bringing that program back post-pandemic. It’s really exciting to start over with something new at ACC. Hopefully by the time my VISTA term is over, I’m able to leave the next person with a solid foundation.”

Join us in thanking the AmeriCorps volunteers who are making a HUGE difference in communities across the U.S. !