SERVE TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW. June/July 2017 Update

News In this update we will look at the healthy future focus area

through a story of service and highlights of members serving in

that focus as well as what things to keep in mind as the term

comes to an end, how to write a story of service, and more!

M y name is AnnaJoy and

I am the Vo lunteer

C o o r d i n a t o r a n d

Delivery Supervisor for North

Helpline Emergency Services and

Food Bank in Seat t le w i th

Washington Service Corps. In

add i t i on t o manag ing and

scheduling some 2,500 hours of

volunteer power in order to

distribute over 120,000 pounds

of food every month, I oversee our

home delivery program. We serve

a wide variety of homeless, low-

income, and food insecure

households. North Helpline does

its best to ensure that its clients

have access to adequate food,

housing, and respect.

The home del ivery program

serves elderly and disabled

clients who may not have the

resources or capabilities to be

able to make it to the food bank

i n p e r s o n . O n e o f m y

responsibilities is ensuring that

everyone gets their food packed

and delivered with accuracy. Part

of that job is making sure there is

a volunteer to drive each delivery

route. One afternoon, however,

an unexpected absence placed

the responsibility of delivery on

my agenda for the afternoon.

I had de l ivered be fore and

thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was

excited to do it again. This route

in particular consisted of four

elderly ladies split between two

s en i o r hous ing apar tmen t

bui ldings in North Seatt le .

Lugging an overflowing banana

box filled with fresh vegetables,

fruits, canned goods, dry goods,

meat, and dairy I was greeted by

beaming faces at each new door.

The last door however fairly

beamed itself before anyone even

opened it. This delivery was in

early December and the door had

not forgotten the season. The

entry way was veritably covered

in holiday decorations, lights,

greenery, and ribbon.

Cheery music floated through the

air as I knocked, and a lovely

Filipino grandma met me with

open arms. Welcoming me into

her most festive and holiday

bedecked apartment, she gave me

a big hug. She was kind and

delighted to see me. With broken

English, she thanked me over

and over again and said that she

had something just for me.

She went to her small kitchenette

area and brought out a covered

circular aluminum pan. She had

used the bananas from the last

delivery box we had sent to make

a banana cake for all of us at

N o r t h H e l p l i n e . H e r k i n d

generosity and gratitude, along

with an insatiably joyful spirit

made for a definite happy ending

to the day and an unforgettable

reminder of why service is so

important and how blessed we

are as National Service Members

to be able to do this kind of

service on a day to day basis.

Don’t ever undervalue or forget

why you do what you do and the

good it brings to our fellow

citizens and the country. . . . And

I have to say; the cake was

thoroughly delicious and went

fantastically well with a cup of

hot coffee.

by Washington Service Corps

member AnnaJoy Thompson

Everyone's service term is slowly coming to an end. As the days go by and your next steps in life draw near, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your transition is smooth.

FINISHING UP

All 1,700 hours– To start, make sure you are on track to complete all 1,700 hour by the last day of your term of service (or 900 if you are a half-term member). Being even an hour short can prevent you from receiving your education award. Check out the tracking tool to see where you stand. Exit paperwork– You will complete exit paperwork before the end of your service. This includes a second member evaluation.

MyAmeriCorps.gov– You can log into myamericorps.gov and check to see if you need to complete any forms and a few weeks after your term ends you can access your education award. America Learns– In America Learns you will have one last story of service and training submission to complete. Be sure you have all of your trainings you need. If you do not have all of the required trainings talk with your supervisor or program coordinator to discuss how to complete them. Sustainability binder– Make sure you are leaving a guide behind for the next member taking that position. Not sure what I mean? Check out the May update for an in-depth explanation.

References– As your term comes to an end and you start applying for jobs you are going to need references. If you want to use your supervisor or other staff member make sure you ask them now. Always ask before putting someone down as a reference. Reflection– Take the time to reflect on your term of service. What have you learned? What impact have you made? How will you continue to stay connected with your community?

Join AmeriCorps Alums– Have you joined yet? It is free and easy to join. They offer a lot of great resources and it is a great way to stay connected after your term is over.

Apply to serve again– Are you considering doing another term? Talk to your supervisor or go to our website to see what opportunities are available!

Healthy Futures

M embers serv ing

under the Healthy

Futures focus area

provide health education,

nutrition education, help

individuals access food as well as

mental and physical health

resources needed to live a

healthy life. See what these WSC

members had to say about what

they do:

“A lot of the people who contact

us for services are either parents

or people who frequently have

small children visiting their

home. It can be a challenge to

adjust your home to be safe from

curious kids who like to get into

everything. Many of our clients

are surprised at how in-depth

our visits are. Each session can

take two hours or longer as we

attempt to create the most

complete picture of your home as

possible in such a brief

interaction. Over the course of

the visit we address several

topics including indoor air

quality, potential exposure to

lead and other toxins, water

quality, dust control, good

cleaning habits, mold and

moisture, proper ventilation, and

more.”

~ Sonya Rombough with Thurston

County Public Health

“Alleviating hunger and it’s root

causes, the motto of the Clark

County Food Bank of where I

have served the last 10.5

months. Each day I see fellow

food bankers work towards this

goal for our community. As a

Nutrition Educator AmeriCorps

volunteer serving through the

Washington Service Corps, I’ve

have had an opportunity to be a

part of the solution. As a

Nutrition Educator, I teach

gardening and cooking courses

around Clark County. Through

these classes I’ve seen hope

ignite as participants become

empowered. While hunger affects

individuals, it really is a

community issue.”

~ Chanel Griffin with Clark

County Food Bank

“My position at NAMI Seattle

involves coordinating Support

Link, a help line that connects

those affected by mental illness

with local mental health

resources. In addition, I also help

coordinate and present “Ending

the Silence”, a program that

teaches high school students

important information about

youth mental health. Once a

quarter, I organize a speaker

event to educate the wider

community about various mental

health related topics.”

~Selena Aston with NAOMI

Seattle

“[One] of my responsibilities

include working with families

who have kids with asthma in an

effort to reduce symptoms. Our

program allows us to conduct

two in-home visits, in an effort to

assess improvement in asthma

conditions. Asthma is the most

common chronic disease among

children, and often causes

children and parents to stay

home from school and work.”

~ Theresa Chiappe with American

Lung Association

“Through these

classes I’ve

seen hope

ignite as

participants

become

empowered.”

WSC member

Chanel Griffin

Stories of Service Your stories of service are important! They are a great way to showcase the impact

that you are having on the communities you serve. These stories are real-life

examples of the tremendous effort and commitment you make every day. They are

impactful, and paint a picture of passion and dedication. They are a vital tool in

expressing the importance of AmeriCorps.

WSC shares your stories with the public through its website and social media, in

newsletters and in monthly reports to its grant funders.

Introduce yourself, where you serve, what you do in service, and who you help in service.

Consider starting your story off with a statement that draws the reader in to your story, such as a statistic that is relevant to the population you’re serving and why help is needed.

Tell the reader about a particular person, group of people or

environmental beneficiary that you’ve helped that represents the broader population your position

focuses on. How did their situation or subject knowledge improve/increase from the

help you provided? Include data from your program. This

helps illustrate the overall impact you’re making.

Reflect on how serving in your AmeriCorps position and/or being a

part of national service has impacted you.

1. Intro

2. Hook

5. Reflect

3. Story

4. Data

We need your story.

My name is Ann, and I’m an AmeriCorps tutor

serving at Aurora High School in Seattle through the Washington Service Corps. 15% of the school’s student body are at least one

grade level behind in literacy or math. In my position, I tutor and mentor students who are falling behind in these subjects, helping to get

them on a path to graduate on time. One such student is Mike, who came to my math club to get help in algebra. At that point,

Mike was a grade level behind his classmates, and out of frustration, he had started to skip classes.

I tutored Mike every day, not only helping him in algebra, but also in getting him to open up and be more engaged. Over the course of

many weeks of one‐on‐one sessions, Mike’s grades started to improve, along with his self‐confidence. I’m happy to report he’s now up to

grade level, and has “graduated” out of math club! Mike’s success story is just one example of the

20 students I’ve tutored so far that are back up to grade level, and on track to graduate with their classmates.

My service in AmeriCorps has had a profound impact on me, helping to solidify my decision to become a teacher. I’m looking forward to

what the rest of my term holds for me, and the students I consider myself fortunate to help.

Example What

How to write a good story of service

Spreading the Word About AmeriCorps

Considering another term? Does a career in national service or the non-profit sector sound intriguing to you? Consider serving as the AmeriCorps leader for Washington Service Corps! Many of our past AmeriCorps Leaders have gone

on to successful careers in AmeriCorps program administration and non-profit/government work. If you’ve served in AmeriCorps or VISTA, and want to share your passion for service, this is the position

for you! Read more about the position and apply here.

Speaking up in support of national service

programs is critical, now more than ever. The more voices we can add to the chorus singing its

praises, the better!

As an individual currently serving, how do you do that without lobbying or advocating for funding?

Simply just tell your story!

Why did you join?

Who are you helping? How many?

Why is your service necessary?

If AmeriCorps didn’t exist, who would NOT be helped or what would NOT be

getting done?

How has serving in AmeriCorps

benefitted you?

HOW TO SPREAD THE WORD

Contact Washington State congressional

district representatives and state senators by

email or phone.

Send a “Letter to the Editor” to your local

newspapers informing readers about AmeriCorps and how your service is helping

those in need.

Work with your supervisor to invite local media to service projects as a backdrop to informing

your community about AmeriCorps.

Post on your social media pages about your

experience as an AmeriCorps member.

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Highlight SPECIFICS. How many

children have you tutored as an

AmeriCorps member? How many acres

of natural habitat have you helped

restore?

Share a short story about a particular

person or local area species (e.g. salmon)

you’ve helped through your AmeriCorps

service.

NEED IDEAS?

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS:

“As an AmeriCorps member…”

I’ve tutored [number of] students at risk

of falling behind in school.

I’ve helped restore [number of] acres of wetland habitat to ensure that

endangered native salmon have a place

to spawn.

I’ve trained [number of] people in how to

prepare for a natural disaster.

“Because of AmeriCorps…”

I’ve gained hands-on experience I can use in my career in [teaching, conservation, emergency management,

etc.].

I’ll be the first in my family to go to

college because of the Segal Education

Award.