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VIP Program Featured in the Newspaper!

Michelle Child – VISTA at PAL wrote an amazing Op-Ed piece as a part of the AmeriCorps Week Challenge raised by the newly merged NC-SC Corporation for National Service. As you may of seen in the post last week, the United Way VISTA Program won the challenge and we got a pretty cool prize pack – but the community recognition from this story might have been the greatest prize of all.

Below is a snippet of Michelle’s Op-Ed. Check out the full piece here!

Valuable volunteer program tends to fly under the radar

Job titles at nonprofit organizations have always been interesting, in my opinion. Constantly changing to fit grant requirements, often vague, a title can say “I wear too many hats” in one long, ambiguous phrase.

In this way, the title VISTA, or Volunteer In Service To America, isn’t that unusual. However, it is unfortunate that much of the community is unaware of the strong presence of United Way of the Piedmont’s Americorps VISTA program in Spartanburg County.

Each year, 10-15 young adults move to Spartanburg to serve the community as VISTAs. They receive a living allowance equivalent to the poverty rate (just under $11,000 this year) to work full-time positions that would normally earn three times that amount. Through this program, VISTAs are able to gain experience in their field and empathize for the people they serve. Often fresh out of college, they are passionate, hardworking and eager to prove themselves as valuable assets to their employers.

The 90 VISTAs who have served since 2007 have had a $6.4 million impact on our community, coordinated more than 16,000 hours of volunteerism and leveraged nearly $600,000 worth of in-kind goods and services.

As the nonprofit sector of Spartanburg continues to recruit more and more bright-eyed college graduates to serve this community, the need for awareness is increasing. Often described as the “domestic Peace Corps,” Americorps volunteers fight poverty in American communities across the nation.…

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Oh So OSO – A New Year Begins

VISTAs working on activities during On-site Orientation.

Locally, On-site Orientation is the United Way of the Piedmont’s  initial gathering of VISTAs under its grant on their first day of service in Spartanburg. For the Corporation for National Service – On-site Orientation (OSO) refers to a process  – often taking up to a month – of the staff helping orient a VISTA to the community and organization they will be serving.

The United Way of the Piedmont’s VISTA program is unique because the volunteers serve at different sites during the year and are tackling a multitude of issues rather than all serving at one site. Our OSO  helps them understand their role in the larger VISTA community and helps them build an understanding of the VISTA team.

Using the “Know, Want to Know, Learned” activity to tailor the orientation to the specific needs of the VISTAs.

This year OSO served to  identify lingering questions and ways to create a sense of community both socially and professionally.The VISTAs went through an exercise to identify what they know and needed to know after visiting Atlanta for Pre-Service Orientation. VISTAs come to their service year with a range of strengths ranging from massage to public speaking. A common theme running through the responses was a deep understanding of the impact they are able to make throughout their service year and and commitment to fighting poverty in Spartanburg.

In the “need to know column” were questions relating to finances and life in Spartanburg including five questions along the lines of, “How to I apply for foodstamps” . They were also concerned with being successful and fully understanding their specific  roles and responsibilities. By the end of the day, most items had moved to the “learned” category.

Included in this year’s training was a unique activity called life mapping to give the VISTAs – who are just meeting each other- a chance to learn a little bit more about each other. Life maps are a visual represenation of a person’s life to that point – literally a life map. All of the VISTAs this year were born after 1980 – so the group definitely brings a creative energy to Spartanburg.

In addition to the young professional energy – the VISTAs bring a wealth of experiences and backgrounds to the table.

VISTAs begin the tour of downtown Spartanburg near the Daniel Morgan Statue which reads, ” One People. No North. No South. No East. No West. A common Interest. One Country. One Destiny.”

The VISTAs this year come from all over the country – with an almost even split between Northerners and Southerners. Since we had a large number of non-natives, we asked Brad Steinecke from Spartanburg County’s Historical Association take take the VISTAs on a tour of downtown Spartanburg designed to help  natives and newcomers alike  understand how the Upstate became what it is today and downtown’s role in that story.There seemed to be a common theme  in the story of downtown Spartanburg- one of destruction in anticipation of the new- the Field of Dreams story reversed.

After the tour  Chris Steed, the United Way’s CEO, gave the VISTAs an overview of the United Way and more insight into the VISTA program (he was actually the reason Spartanburg has the VISTA program today)!

After we started eating lunch, a few guests-former VISTA – turned local non-profit star, Erica Shanks and the three returning VISTA  rock stars – Claire Bishop, Erin Emory and Kayla Afkinich. They were able to answer specific questions about VISTA life and provide insight about living in Spartanburg

Once everyone joined the clean plate club we dragged ourselves through the post lunch slump and learned more about how the Corporation for National Service tracks our progress and started sketching a plan for the year. At 2:00 we piled into cars to visit and learn more about the United Way’s Gift in Kind Center (more on that later).

Chris Steed gives the VISTAs an overview of the United Way in his uniquely humorous style.

It was a great day and introduction to not only each other, but the wonderful ways Spartanburg could change as a result of VISTA efforts this year.  Next week – we talk about poverty in Spartanburg, the history,  the causes and how VISTAs will suit up for the fight.

In Service,
VL

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The VISTAs Are Here! – A Preview

The VISTAs visited the United Way of the Piedmont for On-site Orientation (OSO) to learn more about the VISTA’s work in Spartanburg.  More about PSO (pre-service orientation) in Atlanta and OSO on Friday!

VISTAs head out for a tour of downtown Spartanburg!

The Fond Farewell
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The Fond Farewell

On August 7th,  the AmeriCorps VISTAs and Summer Associates gathered to say their last official goodbyes and enjoy a tasty lunch at II Samuels restaurant in Spartanburg.  Each person had the opportunity to share a bit about the service year and inform the group about future plans.

In the fall some will return to graduate school, others have accepted staff positions with the organization they served or through connections made at partner organizations. Amazingly, 43% of the out-going VISTA service members will continue their journey with AmeriCorps – three as VISTA leaders.

United Way of the Piedmont’s VISTA members’ ability to find placement after service speaks to the talent of the people the program recruits and the strength of the program itself.  This year as we begin to tell the VISTA story to a broader audience we are proud to have such powerful stories to tell.

To all of the VISTAs that served the Upstate this year, and in years past, we thank you and appreciate all you have done to strengthen the Upstate’s poverty-fighting efforts.   To those who are arriving soon, you will get your own post later this week, but for now, welcome!

Exit Interviews: Elizabeth Mour
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Exit Interviews: Elizabeth Mour

What was your best experience in Spartanburg as a VISTA?

 I have too many to just choose one. From Sunday dinners, to hiking adventures, to celebrating holidays with fellow VISTAs, to dancing experiencing Club Rome, to having my first cookout, to eating free food at volunteering events, I would say this year has been filled with great experiences. I have been fortunate to build a strong relationship with my supervisor, Liberty Canzater. I admire her dedication to The Butterfly Foundation and her efforts to expand services in the community. She is a great role model and someone I aspire to be. In the office, we joke that she is Superwoman, but I’d like to think she really is.

What about the worst?

Ahh the bugs! I can’t stand them. They are huge. But I guess if that’s the only thing I have to complain about, then that’s not at all too bad.

What is your greatest personal or professional achievement this year?

Moving 2,000 miles across the country to a city I have never heard of was a great personal and professional achievement. It was challenging to leave my home- my place of comfort. I missed my family. I missed my friends. And I missed simple things that I took for granted before I left. Through this experience I have learned a lot about myself and expanded my perspective. I’ve learned to appreciate my blessings much more and not dwell on the little things. Professionally, I was challenged to complete tasks I had never done before. I had never written a grant, managed a website, planned a catering event, coordinated a program, or driven a big food truck. In fact, I thought my job was going to be something entirely differently. I was prepared to train volunteers to be life coaches, but I soon found that training volunteers would only be but a small part of my greater responsibilities at The Butterfly Foundation. But it is because of these new experiences I am now much more confident in my work and myself. Now, I am proud to call this Sparkle City my home.

Do you have any words of wisdom for incoming VISTAs?

The other VISTAs have already shared the advice I would say to any of you: prepare yourself to wear many hats, be flexible, get involved, and come with an open mind. I would only add: Remember to have FUN! Spartanburg is a place of hidden treasures. Go find them and take your friends with you. Make new friends, visit new places, and try new food, and share many many laughs. Thanks to Spartanburg, I’m now a lover of sweet iced tea and sundresses. This year may be challenging in many ways, so I advise that you foster strong friendships to keep your chin lifted. Make this year what you want it to be and enjoy the process as you go. And know that you will do great!

 

What will you miss most about Spartanburg/VISTA?

 The people! Never have I been surrounded by like-minded individuals who are just as passionate about serving others. It is empowering and inspiring to meet people from all over the country who have come to commit one year to serve this community. Each person comes with different experiences, different backgrounds, and unique personalities. It has been a joy to meet each VISTA! I will also miss the simplicity of living in Spartanburg as it is so drastically different than my hometown, Los Angeles. I will miss running in to a familiar face as I walk down Main St. or hearing a random “Good Morning” from a stranger with a smile. I will miss all of these subtle quirks that are uniquely southern.

Any future plans?

Yes! I am very excited to be Orange County’s next First Five VISTA Leader. I will be managing 20+ VISTA members in Orange County, CA and surrounding areas all focused on early literacy. Watch out Cali, I’m coming back!

Was being a VISTA worth it?

 Completely! I don’t know if I can fully describe how much this year has meant to me. I have had the opportunity to meet new people and experiences new things; things I know I would have never experienced if I had stayed home.  Living in Spartanburg as an AmeriCorps VISTA has opened a new world I was unaware of before. And I am so thankful for that. I came to Spartanburg as one person, and now as I plan to move back to California, I know that I leave as a different person, a better person.