I Imported My Blank
I love service. I was raised to love service and was taught that paying it forward was the right thing to do. When I graduated from college in 2008, the economy was terrible, and I couldn’t get hired anywhere. To fill in the gap between college and a job, I started looking for service opportunities in my community to help me gain experience.
During my search, I stumbled across what I thought was just a regular volunteer opportunity helping a Boys & Girls Club design and implement their Family PLUS program. I applied for the position, and that’s when I found out about AmeriCorps*VISTA.
After two terms of service, I had built a sustainable program from the ground up and provided services to approximately one-third of our active membership. I did all of this by utilizing my education, "people skills," and passion to help the children and families in my community.
When I began my next job search, I applied to do a term of service with approximately 12 different AmeriCorps programs far from my native home of Oregon. After being interviewed for four of them, I had a tough decision to make and chose NYC Civic Corps.
My sister also has the service bug, and she was selected to serve on an AmeriCorps team in Vermont. So, we took a cross country road trip through 14 states and provinces to move to the great unknown. When I arrived in NYC, I was dropped off in Harlem at a female only hostel, and I instantly fell in love with what became my new home.
Since I began NYC Civic Corps, I have been able to use my passion to serve and engage our community in service in all five boroughs. Whether it is working planting trees with MillionTreesNYC or being a Family Learning Volunteer with Computers for Youth, I have been able to leverage my assets to help this city.
At TimeBanksNYC, my Civic Corps Host Site, I am fortunate enough to work with community partners and individuals that serve all of NYC to build a large network of neighbors helping neighbors. Through our volunteer engagement activities, we are able to help people connect with organizations and individuals they might not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. I look forward to finding and engaging new members of the community on a daily basis. Doing so leaves me feeling as though I am making a difference in NYC, one member at a time.
Passion for service is my blank, I imported my blank from Oregon, and I use my blank for good.
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