what you ought to be.

This is the interrelated

structure of reality

“All labor that uplifts

humanity has dignity and

importance and should

be undertaken with

painstaking excellence.”

“Faith is taking the first

step even when you

don’t see the whole

staircase.”

I hope you enjoy this edition

of VYT Voices.

Cara Melbourne

VYT VISTA Leader

Dear Readers,

Since the last edition of VYT

Voices, the Vermont Youth

Tomorrow A*VISTA members

have been building capacity if

their communities to address

the effects of poverty. One

project has been coordinating

and participating in service

projects to honor the legacy of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day. The MLK Day of Service

is the President’s national call

to service initiative which in-

vites Americans from all walks

of life to work together to

provide solutions to our most

pressing national problems.

VYT members coordinated

and participated in the follow-

ing projects:

Members in central Ver-

mont participated in sev-

eral service projects in

Barre, followed by a com-

munity lunch, documen-

tary showing and poetry

workshop.

Members in Chittenden

county participated in

citywide service projects

around Essex Junction and

Burlington, as well as a

community dinner at Es-

sex CHIPS.

Members in Brattleboro

digitized photos for the

Brattleboro Historical

Society.

Members in Bennington

participated in city wide

service projects with the

Bennington Coalition for

the Homeless, the First

Baptist Church, and

Meals on Wheels.

Members serving in South

Burlington prepared a

meal for residents of the

Ronald McDonald House.

Members in White River

Junction made hats to be

distributed at The Haven

(a homeless shelter).

Members in Londonderry

hosted a day of youth ac-

tivities, focusing on civic

engagement and commu-

nity service.

In this issue of VYT Voices,

members were asked to

choose from a set of Dr. King

quotes and discuss how it re-

lates to their service, what

they choose to do on Dr. King

day, their efforts to alleviate

poverty, or how they live their

lives. The quotes they could

choose from are:

“Whatever affects one

directly affects all indi-

rectly. I can never be what

I ought to be until you are

VYT VISTAs Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. with Service

Vermont Youth Tomorrow AmeriCorps VISTA Program Volume 11, Issue 2

VYT Voices Ryan Stratton 2

Lillian Shields 3

Sarah Rice 4

Rachel Mason 5

Molly Humphrey 6

Ali Siegel 6

Emily Bridges 7

Kate Piniewski 7

Casey Willard 8

Anna Finklestein 8

Drew DeVitis 9

Valerie Woodhouse 9

Katherine Trahan 10

Tony Zambito 10

Jahnine Spaulding 11

Alaina Wermers 12

Jenny Montagne 12

Jenna Geery 13

Jenny Peterson 13

Inside this Issue:

Page 2

VYT Voices

"Whatever affects one directly,

affects all indirectly. I can never be

what I ought to be until you are

what you ought to be. This is the

interrelated structure of reality.”

—Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr.

On the Positivity of Kodachrome

Many before Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. have attempted to explain

the “interrelated structure of real-

ity” through a variety of medi-

ums—in chaos theory, there’s Ed-

ward Lorenz’s “butterfly effect”; in

literature, there’s Henry David

Thoreau’s Walden; in music,

there’s John Cage’s 4’33”. These

are only a few examples. Dr. King

is getting at the same idea, though:

that we are not merely observers,

we are participants, whether we

intend to be or not. His angle of

approach—the social aspect of

cause/effect and interrelation—is

perhaps the most

directly applica-

ble to everyday

life. Because of

the complicated

systems of soci-

ety and power,

everyone is af-

fected by the

actions of every-

one else. Of

course, there is

an entire spec-

trum of effect,

but, especially

en masse, these

actions have

significant and real consequences.

Without context, it’s difficult to

know what Dr. King means ex-

actly by “whatever affects one

directly, affects all indirectly.” I

imagine that he means to empha-

size that even the small things—

attitude, simple gestures, inten-

tion—affect a community. Even

if the action is, say, leaving a

piece of litter on the ground, the

effect can be its contribution to a

general attitude about the inten-

tionality of a community. Per-

haps someone seeing that piece

of litter, among all the other

pieces, will be less inclined to

care for her or his community.

Of course, this is just a negative

example; surely a positive exam-

ple would apply, as well.

This mindset is, generally, what I

try to maintain when I take any

and all action. It affects how I go

about my service as an AmeriCorps

VISTA and what I chose to do during

my Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of

Service. Volunteering at the Brattle-

boro Historical Society by digitizing

old Kodachrome slides was not only

an activity that I enjoyed doing and

used specific skills that I could offer, it

was an opportunity to make these ar-

chives more accessible to the commu-

nity. One of these slides of billboards

in Vermont during World War II had

the potential to do more than provide

historical documentation; seeing it

could interest someone in the histori-

cal context of their community, get

them thinking about the current state

of their community, and generally

create a more positive attitude. Per-

haps this is an aspect of what Dr. King

was getting at.

Ryan Stratton VYT A*VISTA member

serving at In-Sight Photography (Brattleboro, VT)

“I imagine that

he means to

emphasize that

even the small

things—attitude,

simple gestures,

intention—affect

a community.”

Photo taken by Lewis R. Brown and is catalogued at the Brattleboro Historical

Society

Page 3

"Whatever affects one directly, af-

fects all indirectly. I can never be

what I ought to be until you are what

you ought to be. This is the interre-

lated structure of reality."

“You don’t know what it’s like,” he

mumbled under his breath, picking

up his tired Jansport backpack and

tape-repaired Dixie cup off my desk

and walked out the door into the hot

Arizonan sun. Every day my desk

calendar showed an uninterrupted

stream of appointments. Appoint-

ments made for homeless men seek-

ing employment while addressing

their mental health or substance

abuse challenges. Men whom I felt I

could not connect with or counsel

because I had not lived their lives. I

chronicled the experiences had by my

clients that I could not relate to. I be-

gan with “homeless”; I have never

been homeless. I followed

“homelessness”

with nouns like:

“meth-user,”

“Vietnam-

veteran,” “baby-

boomer,”

“man.” The last

differing factor

on my list

stopped both my

tired hand and

rushing brain. I

reviewed my list

further and real-

ized that I could

also never be a

Vietnam veteran or any other equating

factor I had listed.

Recognizing that what I am not, by

birth, gender, education, or experi-

ence is unrelentingly rewarding for

my practice and self. Responding,

“You’re right” to the statement “you

don’t know what it’s like” has given

me the opportunity to be a more ob-

jective listener, to provide more indi-

vidualized service and to advocate

for increased client participation in

policy development.

For the Martin Luther King, Jr.

AmeriCorps Day of Service I worked

with other members of AmeriCorps

VISTA in both the Vermont Youth

Tomorrow and SerVermont organiza-

tions. We made dinner and dessert

for the families staying at the Ronald

McDonald House in Burlington, Ver-

mont while their loved ones receive

medical treatment away from their

hometowns. I too spent many of my

childhood years receiving treatment

for cancerous growths and without

the help of my family my recovery

would have undoubtedly been much

longer and far less endurable. As

with my work with children in foster

care during this AmeriCorps year and

my previous work with homeless men,

I did not know what each family is feel-

ing, experiencing or battling at the

Ronald McDonald House, despite my

own battle with cancer.

It is both the simi-

larities and the

uniqueness of our

experiences and

human beings that

emboldens me to be

deliberate about the

inclusion of foster

youth’s voices in

the Vermont De-

partment for Chil-

dren and Families, Fam-

ily Services Division

policies. Vermont youth are those that

the policy and practice guidance out-

puts will affect. Without their input,

policies will not address the nuances

found only in “knowing what it is like.”

As I have found in my work in Tucson,

Arizona in AmeriCorps VISTA at the

Vermont Department for Children and

Families and even at the Ronald

McDonald House for the Martin Luther

King AmerCorps Day of Service, the

populations I serve may change but the

infinitely crucial driving voice of these

individuals will continue to form my

practice and inform my work. I may

one day carry a tired Jansport backpack

and carry a tape-repaired Dixie cup but

I will still approach my practice with

the internal driving phrase, “I will

never know what it is like to be you, so

tell me.”

VYT and SerVermont members stand in front of the meal the pre-

pared for families at the Ronald McDonald House.

“Responding

“You’re right” to

the statement

“you don’t know

what it’s like”

has given me the

opportunity to be

a more objective

listener…”

Lillian Shields VYT A*VISTA member serving at

Vermont Department for Children and Families, Family Services (Essex, VT)

Volume 11, Issue 2

Page 4

VYT Voices

"“Faith is taking the first step

even when you don't see the whole

staircase."

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I recently read an Audrey

Niffenegger short story about a

Night Bookmobile: a mystical

travelling library that holds, for

each person it visits, a collection

of all the books read by that indi-

vidual over the course of his or

her life. The librarians watch their

patrons’ collections change and

grow as the patrons grow as read-

ers, their materials developing

from Dr. Seuss to Dickens

(inevitably assigned for one class

or another) to Shakespeare or Mi-

lan Kundera or, as the case may

be, Danielle Steel. I envy those

fictional librarians.

At the (very real) Bookmobile

where I serve as a VISTA, I work

mainly with kids between the ages

of birth and eight. The youngest

are mostly interested in chewing

the books their caretakers check

out for them; the oldest have begun

to develop an identity as readers.

They have an idea of what they

like: a beloved series, a favorite

genre. I imagine their personal

Night Bookmobiles filling slowly

up, the collection growing as they

read and faltering when they do

not, the books getting longer as

text takes the place of pictures. I

want there to be a dramatic in-

crease in the stock of books in their

collection during the months that

those kids know me. I want that

surge of reading to continue as they

grow up. But I will never know if

that is the case.

Reading to a child is a simple

thing. It is not a sweeping change

in regulations or the institution of a

new anti-poverty plan. It

is a one-on-one means of

giving children access to

literacy and to a love of

reading; yet, through that,

it gives kids the potential

to succeed educationally

and to transcend poverty.

Research shows that

reading aloud to children

improves their academic per-

formance, but in my year of

service, I will likely not see such

long-term results.

I have to trust in statistics, in my ser-

vice site, and in the kids themselves

that what I do will grow into some-

thing bigger, something that can

change a life. "Faith is taking the first

step,” said Martin Luther King, Jr.,

“even when you don't see the whole

staircase." What I do each day at the

Bookmobile is take the first step.

Believing in the kids that I work with

and in the power of books allows me

to have faith that the work I do will

have a positive impact on my com-

munity and will, even if I never see

the results firsthand, help kids to

thrive educationally by sharing the

magic of reading with them.

Sarah Rice VYT A*VISTA member

serving at the Franklin Grand-Isle Bookmobile (Swanton, VT)

A youth participating in the Bookmobile's

stuffed animal library sleepover.

(Left to Right) Sarah (VYT), Ellen (VYDC

AmeriCorps State), and Katherine (VYT) all

serve at the Bookmobile.

Page 5

"Whatever affects one directly, af-

fects all indirectly. I can never be

what I ought to be until you are

what you ought to be. This is the

interrelated structure of reality."

Milk. You pour it over cereal, you

put it in your coffee, or maybe you

like it straight. Before my Ameri-

Corps VISTA year, I wasn’t mindful

about milk. And then I began to

work with migrant dairy farmers in

Vermont. The first few times I went

to teach English with migrant farm-

workers, I felt a real heaviness after-

ward. I used milk everyday. But I

didn’t think about the people who

were milking cows at 3am forty

min-

utes

from

my

house, when I was asleep. I didn’t

think about the humanness that went

into putting a carton of milk on my

table. Who milked the cows for this

carton? What are their stories? Are

they treated with dignity and respect

in their work? What

are they sacrificing to

support their families?

Maybe I had avoided

really examining the

human stories, because

it was uncomfortable.

The sense of heaviness

I felt after leaving

farms was also shame.

I felt ashamed that I

consumed things without

thinking about the people behind

the labor. Maybe I had thought

about it in a surface, intellectual

way, but not with my heart. I had

studied food justice in college. I

felt like I was “socially conscious”

about food.

But I had

never played

pick-up soc-

cer on Satur-

days with

migrant farm

workers, or

cooked and

shared a

meal to-

gether. I had never sat at a kitchen

table with a migrant youth, and

looked at photos of his home town

on a mountain lake, and listened to

his plans about building a library

there one day. As I build relation-

ships with students, the inequality in

our interconnected human web trou-

bles me more from my heart than

my head. Why is a sixteen year old

milking cows at 3am-11am to sup-

port his family, when another stu-

dent down the road sits in a high

school AP Physics class? Why am I

living in a warm, safe apartment,

when some farm workers an hour

away live without heat or clean,

running water? My experience with

VISTA has pushed me to answer

these hard questions, in order to find

solutions. However, I feel that in

order to alleviate poverty, we have

to begin with embracing both the

beautiful and difficult parts of our

interconnectedness.

Rachel Mason VYT A*VISTA member serving at

UVM Extension-Migrant Education Program (Berlin, VT)

Volunteer and migrant worker youth practicing English.

Volume 11, Issue 2

Molly and Aidan make placemats for Barre’s MLK

Day community lunch

Page 6

Molly Humphrey VYT A*VISTA member

Serving at Vermont Youth Development Committee (Montpelier, VT)

When I think of Dr. King’s quote,

"Whatever affects one directly, affects

all indirectly. I can never be what I

ought to be until you are what you

ought to be. This is the interrelated

structure of reality," I think of my role

as a mother.

Being a mother is the hardest and most

thankless job I know, but on my Na-

tional Day of service, I felt my role as

a mom and a VISTA service member

was especially important. Reading to

my son, Aidan, Martin’s Big Words by

Doreen Rappaport, reminded me of

the importance of service. I want my

son to grow up not just speaking about

the importance of serving others and

of social justice, but also to witness it

and to practice it in his daily life. I feel

that by teaching Aidan to care for the

welfare of others, he will become a

more fulfilled and a more successful

human being. And in turn, I feel

more fulfilled as a mother and a

VISTA member by introducing

someone else to service.

My National Day of Service was a

great opportunity to not only allow

me to serve a community in need,

but also gave me the chance to

spend time showing Aidan the kinds

of values I hope to instill in him. As

a mom, I am always telling Aidan to

be kind, to cooperate with his peers,

and to be helpful, so I am thankful I

got to show him what those values

look like.

Service is not a glamorous job by

any means, but on that day, with

Aidan sitting in lap, I knew I was doing

something to help foster a sense of re-

sponsibility to others in a young person.

Aidan may be too young to understand

who Martin Luther King, Jr. was, but I

know that Dr. King’s legacy of love can

never start too soon.

support helps the whole program be the

best it can be. When I work with the co-

chairs of the Green Mountain College

and Bennington College Local Pro-

grams, I support them directly, and indi-rectly support the rest of the mentors

and their programs. In turn, their success

provides a positive impact on the com-

munities they serve.

Part of what makes DREAM unique is

the sense that the youth, their families,

mentors and staff members come to-

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said

"Whatever affects one directly, affects

all indirectly. I can never be what I

ought to be until you are what you

ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality." Dr. King’s words

resonated with me as I considered my

service with DREAM and my role as

a Program Empowerment VISTA. In

particular, I thought about the word

“community” and how Dr. King’s

statement seems to provide a defini-

tion. A community is a group of inter-

related people, within which, as Dr.

King said, what affects one affects all.

DREAM’s mission is to “build com-

munities of families and college stu-

dents that empower youth from af-

fordable housing neighborhoods to

recognize their options, make in-

formed decisions, and achieve their

dreams.” Each program is its own

community, and the individuals within

that community are interrelated. As a

Program Empowerment VISTA, my

role is to support the mentors, and that

gether to form the DREAM commu-

nity. Parents see our DREAM t-shirts

and know they can trust us. Even as

their mentors graduate, youth remain

a part of the DREAM community. Mentors feel connected to each other

as well as to the mentees and their

families. DREAM is dependent on

each member doing what is expected

of him or her. A Local Program is

successful when mentees can count on

their mentors, when mentors can

count on support from staff, when

each member feels ownership and

sees value in the community’s suc-

cess.

Through my service, I have realized

just how powerful DREAM is and

how successful it can be when every-

one comes together. When the youth,

families, and mentors are all what

they ought to be, DREAM is effective

and accomplishes its mission of build-

ing communities and empowering

youth to dream big.

Ali Siegel VYT A*VISTA member

Serving at the DREAM Program (Bennington, VT)

DREAM VISTA members and staff at a mentor

retreat

VYT Voices

Creating a service project that would

properly commemorate the life of Mar-

tin Luther King, Jr. was no simple en-

deavor. I initially thought large and

wanted an event that would be momen-

tous, life-changing, and newsworthy!

After brainstorming ideas, I acknowl-

edged the immense impact of massive

events, but knew I had to keep it small

– there are few AmeriCorps members

in my area and most were already sanc-

tioned to their own respective events.

So, I set about planning an event that

would be beneficial, yet easily imple-

mented by a small number of people.

The cold grips of winter gave me my

initial idea; winter clothing is a neces-

sity in New England, but I realized that

many in the Upper Valley Community

I serve may be unable to afford even

the basic necessities to keep warm.

Thus, the idea to produce and distrib-

uted a variety of winter hats presented

itself.

With the go ahead from my supervisor,

I enlisted the help of the youth at the

teen center to sew and/or crochet the

hats. Though hesitant at first, the ones

who decided to give it a try came out

feeling accomplished of their product

and educated in a new skill! Over the

course of two weeks, almost 30 hats

were produced – either by crocheting or

sewing. On MLK Day, I posted myself

at The Haven, a non-profit organization

providing food, shelter, clothes, and edu-

cational programming to those in need,

and handed out a majority of the hats to

the Haven’s clients. The rest were do-

nated to the Haven’s clothing collection

and will hopefully go to many more indi-

viduals in the future.

I was initially a bit intimidated when I

compared the scope of my project to the

larger projects of my fellow VISTAs, but

I quickly realized there was merit in

both. Anything I can do, whether it is

earth-

shattering

or micro-

scopic, to

help the

community I serve is

certainly something

of importance.

Though the quantity of hats was small,

the love and care that went into making

each individual one was enormous. I’m

hoping that Martin Luther King, Jr.

might think my idea was pretty rad, he

might even give me a high five, or say

that, "All labor that uplifts humanity

has dignity and importance and should

be undertaken with painstaking excel-

lence." I’d nod in agreement, confident

that my project, in some small way, is

congruent with his words.

Emily Bridges VYT A*VISTA member

serving at The Junction Teen Center (White River Junction, VT)

year.

In a similar, but perhaps more eloquent,

sentence than what I heard growing up

from my dad, Martin Luther King, Jr.

said, “All labor that uplifts humanity

has dignity and importance and should

be undertaken with painstaking excel-

lence.” This quote directly correlates to

the VISTA mission of working with

passion and energy. As AmeriCorps

VISTAs serving through Vermont

Youth Tomorrow we strive to create

positive change in our communities, act

as resources, and support those around

us as best we can. This sometimes in-

cludes the less fulfilling tasks of grant

writing, database management, and

public relations. But then we experi-

ence moments with visible success:

when a teenage girl living in low-

“You could do something right, or you

could do something twice.” This sen-

tence is one I heard repeatedly from my

dad, who I always thought of as some-

what of a perfectionist. But now, as an

old and wise 22-year-old, I now realize

that he may have known what he was

talking

about. His

philoso-

phy of

working

hard and

diligently

at every

daily task

resonates

with me

each day

of my

service

income housing who is accepted to an

acclaimed four-year university or a 10-

year-old boy who shows off the essay

he wrote on why Star Wars is better

than any other book he has ever read.

Each aspect of VISTA service should

be undertaken with the same painstak-

ing excellence.

It is common for those who work in

non-profit and human services fields to

feel disillusioned after a hard day or a

long week, but the little triumphs mat-

ter; every success is a step in the right

direction and every effort counts for

something. So whether individuals lis-

tens to Martin Luther King, Jr. or their

own father, remember the importance

of participating in community service

and civic engagement with persever-

ance, enthusiasm, and dedication.

Kate Piniewski VYT A*VISTA member

serving at the DREAM Program (White River Junction, VT)

Kate and teens at Winter

Adventure Camp

Hats made by The

Junction’s teens for

MLK Day.

Volume 11, Issue 2 Page 7

Page 8

VYT Voices

This past November, I started meditat-

ing. Two months prior to that, I had

moved across the country to begin my

year of service, leaving my partner and

my comfort zone in the Pacific North-

west. I fell in love with Vermont and

the Big Picture community almost im-

mediately, but I soon began to dread

any downtime that would allow me the

chance to reflect on the monumental

changes that had just taken place. At

first, I worked hard to avoid those mo-

ments of silence, but eventually, my

mental health began to suffer and I de-

veloped insomnia.

I had passed by the Burlington Shamb-

hala Center many times on my walks to

and from Church Street. The Shamb-

hala tradition shares many similarities

with other Buddhist paths, with a par-

ticular emphasis on secular practice.

One evening, seeking comfort, I de-

cided to check it out. Up one flight of

stairs, I was greeted by one of the most

aesthetically pleasing and calming envi-

ronments that I have ever experienced. I

sat for one hour and left quietly, and

continue to return each week.

What can I say? I was zen-curious, the

weather was getting colder, and a

VISTA stipend does not cover cogni-

tive behavioral therapy.

When I read the above quote from Mar-

tin Luther King, Jr., the prompt for this

quarter’s newsletter in honor of MLK

Day, I immediately thought of my ex-

perience with meditation and mindful-

ness. This “interrelated structure of re-

ality,” the theory that the boundary be-

tween ourselves as individuals and the

collective whole of humanity is little

more than an illusion, is a fundamental

concept of Buddhism. As Buddhist guru

Pema Chodron wrote, “We work on our-

selves in order to help others, but also

we help others in order to work on our-

selves.”

I see this concept of inter-relativity that

both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pema

Chodron articulated in my work each

day as a VISTA. Why serve? Why dedi-

cate a year (or two) to the alleviation of

poverty? We all suffer the consequences

of inequity. Those of us that have the

ability to work towards

justice should.

Anyway, I have no trou-

ble sleeping these days.

tionship with other beings or phenom-

ena.” In Chinese, Japanese and Chris-

tian traditions, there is the idea of the red

thread of destiny which connects people

in certain situations so that they may

help each other along their path. The

Baha’i tradition holds that “ye are all

leaves of one tree and fruits of one

branch.” I tend to use the metaphor of

the universe as a giant lake; any action

“We are caught in an inescapable

network of mutuality, tied in a single

garment of destiny. Whatever affects

one directly, affects all indirectly. I

can never be what I ought to be until

you are what you ought to be. This

is the interrelated structure of real-

ity.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used the

above quote to support his belief

that strong community is necessary

to establish values and to make pro-

gress. He believed that in order to

create meaningful change and to

reach our potential, we must recog-

nize the inner-connectivity of all hu-

mankind.

Dr. King is not alone in this ideology.

John Donne said “no man is an is-

land.” Buddhist philosophy follows

that “all beings and phenomena exist

or occur only because of their rela-

we take, any words spoken, thoughts

practiced…each one is a drop in the

pond and causes ripples throughout.

There is nothing in this world that oc-

curs, which as King said, does not af-

fect all indirectly.

Life is a beautiful balance of cause and

effect. Where we place our thoughts

and our energy impacts not ourselves

alone. I believe that King is speaking

to this and goes further to indicate that

we can only better ourselves and our

situations through the betterment of the

beings with which we share our exis-

tence. I strive to create positive ripples

through my service as a VISTA;

through sharing wisdom gleaned from

experiences with those whom I encoun-

ter; through practicing mindfulness and

compassion; through developing and

practicing positive thought patterns;

and through actively seeking justice

where there is injustice.

Casey Willard VYT A*VISTA member serving at

Washington County Youth Service Bureau/Boys & Girls Club (Montpelier, VT)

Youth volunteers make placemats for

Barre’s MLK Day community lunch

Anna Finklestein VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Big Picture South Burlington (Burlington, VT)

Page 9

Drew DeVitis VYT A*VISTA member

serving at enVision Montpelier (Montpelier, VT)

and seafood. Though I am a vegetarian

and am troubled by the meat industry,

I knew that we were helping package

protein-dense foods that would be of

valuable sustenance to Vermonters in

need.

While working at the Foodbank, I was

reminded that in my life, I have been

blessed with many opportunities that

others are sadly not privileged to have.

As a result, I feel that I have a certain

responsibility to work for greater jus-

tice and expand the opportunities for

fellow human beings who have been

deprived and marginalized. One of the

reasons I decided to serve as an

AmeriCorps VISTA is for the pro-

gram’s focus on poverty alleviation. I

feel that I am gaining the tools and

resources to work toward building a

more just society in the life I lead after

my AmeriCorps service.

were serving together teaching young ones

the value of giving to others.

Just yesterday, a friend asked how I find

motivation to work in services facing in-

surmountable systemic issues. I told her

that for as long as I could remember, I was

taught to give to other people in whatever

way I could, whether that was doing yard

work for a widow from church, Katrina

relief, or serving dinner once a month at

the local soup kitchen. While in college, I

became incredibly overwhelmed by the

vast injustices in my own community of

Philadelphia, let alone outside of it. How-

ever, my conviction to keep giving and

trying to face the problems seemed logical

rather than hopeless.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said,

"Whatever affects one directly, affects all

indirectly. I can never be what I ought to

When I walked into Brownell Library

in Essex, I thought I interrupted a chil-

dren’s program. Tiny snow boots and

energetic raised hands weren’t quite

what I expected for my MLK volun-

teer day. After taking off my coat, I

realized this wasn’t just a kids pro-

gram, they were families here to do

the same thing I was – give back to the

community.

I could talk about making fleece dog

beds and sorting picture books, but

what made an impact on me this

MLK day was not what I did, it was

whom I served with. Parents off from

work and children out of school out-

numbered the AmeriCorps members

sharing their day to volunteer. Even

though some hands were too small to

use the scissors and disputes over pat-

terned fleece could be heard, families

be until you are what you ought to be.

This is the interrelated structure of

reality." I realize that alone I cannot

change the world, or even the housing

crisis in Burlington, VT. But if we

teach our children to persistently con-

front the lack of food, homes, cloth-

ing, medicine and more, we create

Valerie Woodhouse VYT A*VISTA member serving at

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (Burlington, VT)

Valerie and Jenna sit on dog beds they made

for low income pet owners during MLK Day.

interrelated structure of reality." This pas-

sage highlights Martin Luther King's life-

long commitment to fighting ardently for a

true brotherhood of humankind, where all

people are treated with dignity and equipped

to live a fulfilling life. My service site for

MLK Day, the Vermont Foodbank, operates

under this same basic principle, guided by

its mission “to gather and share quality food

and nurture partnerships so that no one in

Vermont will go hungry.”

In a state abundant with farmers’ markets,

CSAs, and food co-ops, it may be surprising

to some that Vermont ranks as one of the

top 10 hungriest states in the nation. In fact,

more than 1 in 7 households and 1 in 5 chil-

dren in Vermont are food insecure. Worry-

ingly, hunger in the state has been steadily

increasing since 2000. Aware of these un-

settling truths, I was motivated to serve at

the Vermont Foodbank on MLK Day,

knowing that my work would help feed hun-

gry Vermonters. Our specific task was to

mark and sort various cuts of meat, poultry,

Volume 11, Issue 2

In Strength to Love, one of his classic

writings, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

proclaims, "Whatever affects one di-

rectly, affects all indirectly. I can

never be what I ought to be until you

are what you ought to be. This is the

MLK Day of Service at the Vermont

Foodbank in Berlin

Page 10

Tony Zambito VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Willowell (Monkton, VT)

I may not have had Dr. King’s specific

words in mind as I cut paper hearts, drew

stars, and wrote encouraging messages,

but the spirit of his message (at least

what I’ve interpreted it to be) was on my

mind throughout the day and afterward.

While I wouldn’t describe

creating Valentine’s cards as

a “painstaking” process, my

fellow volunteers and I did

find ourselves taking great

care in the creation of our

cards. While it may not have

seemed like much of a task at

the time, in retrospect I’d say

that if by creating any one of

the cards I made on Martin

This past Dr. King Day, a day many

now take for granted as a free day

off, I joined my fellow VYT Ameri-

Corps members in a day of service. I

chose to spend my day volunteering

with several fellow VISTAs at Essex

Chips writing Valentine’s Day letters

to children of service members. On

the surface my day of creating cards

and writing messages to children was

a fairly simple task. However, as

I’ve reflected on my day of service

on Dr. King Day, I’ve found a greater

significance in light of a statement

made by Dr. King: “All labor that

uplifts humanity has dignity and im-

portance and should be undertaken

with painstaking excellence.”

Luther King, Jr. Day brought even the

slightest improvement to someone

else’s life, however briefly, then it was

the most important thing I did all day.

Tony and other VYT members

making cards on MLK Day.

The labor of sorting food should not be

considered easy or mindless. It requires

checking expiration dates, sorting the

items according to the coordinating or-

ganization’s standards, and asking ques-

tions. I wanted to be present in the task

physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Working at the food pantry reminded me

of the hunger that exists

in our communities and

raised my awareness

about the types of food

that are donated. It

served as a reminder

that I should strive to

donate healthy food

even when it is not con-

venient for me.

During my service year,

the Bookmobile has

been developing a rela-

tionship with local

Franklin Grand Isle

County food pantries.

We are collecting

used books in excep-

tional condition and

Teamwork means a lot at

the Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile.

Our organization builds fun and di-

verse literacy programs. So it was

important for all of our site’s Ameri-

Corps members to participate in a

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service

activity where we could work as a

team. The Bookmo-

bile AmeriCorp vol-

unteers - we call

ourselves the Book-

babes - decided to

take advantage of

Essex CHIPS’s fan-

tastic community

service opportunities

and sort food at the

Heavenly Food Pan-

try. I sorted food at

the Vermont Food

Bank for the SerVer-

mont Statewide

Launch service ac-

tivity; I knew it

would be a fun and

important task.

bringing them to the pantries. All the

locations have been very pleased - the

books are going over very well. The

Bookmobile has applied to World

Book Night in order to get 20 new

adult books that we will bring to a

food pantry. Bringing books to food

pantries was my idea and I am pleased

that the Bookmobile has supported me

with this endeavor. Because of this

book drive, I know that somewhere

someone has a book that they can read

to their child when perhaps before they

didn’t.

Martin Luther King Day was a special

day for the Bookmobile team because

combating poverty is a goal at the

heart of our programs.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has

dignity and importance and should be

undertaken with painstaking excel-

lence.” - MLK

Ellen (VYDC AmeriCorps State) and Kathe-

rine (VYT) at the Heavenly Food Pantry on

MLK Day.

VYT Voices

Katherine Trahan VYT A*VISTA member

Serving at the Franklin Grand-Isle Bookmobile (Swanton, VT)

Page 11 Volume 11, Issue 2

Jahnine Spaulding VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Operation: Military Kids (Burlington, VT)

On Monday January 21, all eyes

were on our nation’s capital. It was

time to celebrate another successful

election. Whether or not we agree

with the outcome of the election,

we can agree that exercising our

right to vote, and electing a presi-

dent by peaceful means, and with-

out threat of reprisal, is a signifi-

cant accomplishment. Yesterday

was also a time to remember a

leader who worked to ensure that

all citizens could enjoy these same

rights. As VISTAS we honored

Martin Luther King, Jr., by serv-

ing in communities across the

nation.

Operation: Military Kids staff

teamed with Essex CHIPS to pro-

vide members of the community

with a variety of opportunities

that would improve the commu-

nity in some way. We asked

community members to make

Valentines for the military kids

who have a parent who is, or has

been, deployed. It’s a small ges-

ture to honor the kids who work to

“stay strong and carry on,” during

a time that can sometimes be very

challenging.

People of every age gathered

around long tables covered with

brightly colored papers, a variety

of art supplies, scissors and other

Valentine making necessities.

Adorable toddlers, young profes-

sionals, school aged kids, and vol-

unteers worked together to honor

Military Kids. Even tourists from

a local destination hotel decided to

spend their last afternoon in Ver-

mont with us! It was an eclectic

group.

One of the nicest parts of the ex-

perience (and perhaps one of the

intended purposes) was the conver-

sations that went on around the table.

People who might not normally meet

and learn about each other were doing

just that. A stay-at-home mom talked

with an attorney from a large financial

corporation. A grandmother shared art

tips with one of the Essex CHIPS staff

members. A VISTA related a story of

how her clients were deeply apprecia-

tive of her attempt to make cookies for

them. This same VISTA, who works to

improve the lives of migrant workers

here in Vermont, later joined in a con-

versation with several people-including

a young Army Lieutenant- about immi-

gration. A table of pre-school age kids

diligently colored their hearts and

talked with another CHIPS staff mem-

ber about what she does at the Essex

CHIPS center. Everyone tried some-

thing new, or had a chance to speak

with someone new.

After the event we counted the Valen-

tines to ensure each child got one.

Each card was as unique as a snow-

flake. There were many carefully

worded, kind, and very touching notes

of appreciation and support. These were

tiny gifts of time and effort that the

community members gladly gave to

military children who need to know that

their community appreciates and sup-

ports them.

January 21st was a day warmed by

good conversation, laughter, and eve-

ryone’s desire to be part of an activ-

ity that would benefit others. It was-

n’t a large, high energy project, it

was a quiet chance to show apprecia-

tion for the sacrifices veterans and

their families have made. It was one

of thousands of projects done in

honor of Dr. King. Each project a

single point of light, that illuminated

our connections to one another.

Every person involved affirming

that, as Martin Luther King, Jr.

said, “All labor that uplifts hu-

manity has dignity and importance

and should be undertaken with

painstaking excellence.”

So, what will you do next January

20th? I invite you to join with next

year’s AmeriCorps members in

honoring Reverend King. Take

your place at the table of service

for one afternoon. Work with us,

talk with us, and together we can, as

James Taylor sings…

“…turn our thoughts today

To Martin Luther King

And recognize that there are ties be-

tween us

All men and women

Living on the earth

Ties of hope and love

Sister and brotherhood

That we are bound together

In our desire to see the world become

A place in which our children

Can grow free and strong

We are bound together

By the task that stands before us

And the road that lies ahead”

Volunteers make cards for kids of military

service members.

Page 12

For the Martin Luther King National

Day of Service, I opted to serve along-side the Central Vermont VISTA crew. I

spent my morning at the Vermont Food-

bank’s Barre location. The Vermont

Foodbank accepts, compiles, and distrib-

utes food donations to different food-

shelves across the state. We were

charged with checking and labeling dif-

ferent types of meat and deli items and

then sorting them into boxes for distri-

bution. I hadn’t been expecting to do

such a physical task which caused me to consider the nature of community ser-

vice and personal expectations for

growth and progress.

In volunteer positions,

we often imagine doing

the glamour work of community service. It is

exciting to imagine

being a passionate advocate or inspir-

ing a group of people through skill-building. However, I found it incredi-

bly refreshing to work toward an actual

physical goal and not just an amor-

phous wish to “help people” or “make

a change.”

There seems to be a pervasive belief in our society that manual labor positions

are meant for those unable to excel in

intellectual pursuits. But I would argue

that it is service positions that support

our way of living and make way for

progress. Physical goals go a long way

toward a sense of accomplishment and

can be therapeutic and diverse. There is

real honor in work meant to enhance

societal systems and it requires a great

deal of skill and a commitment to life-

long learning.

Among the four quotes chosen for us,

Dr. King’s idea that “all labor that up-

lifts humanity has dignity and impor-

tance and should be undertaken with

painstaking excellence," seems to speak directly to this idea. It serves to chal-

lenge the opinions that denounce skilled

labor as work reserved for the unskilled.

If we wish to become a more equal soci-

ety, there needs to be a movement to-

wards celebrating the multidimensional

abilities of all of our members. Addi-

tionally, we need to be start supporting

these industries with higher wages and

benefits again, before they are gone for-

ever. Also interesting to note: I was only at the Foodbank for a few hours, not a

week, months, or years. The conclusions

I have drawn about the value of manual

labor is based on an idealist belief, not

my own experience, and might be con-

sidered a “duh” moment for people actu-

ally working in this field.

Jenny Montagne VYT A*VISTA member serving at

Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition

(Burlington, VT)

Alaina Wermers VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Winooski Community Service Department (Winooski, VT)

"Whatever affects one directly, af-

fects all indirectly. I can never be

what I ought to be until you are

what you ought to be. This is the

interrelated structure of reality."

Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr.

When I researched the context of

this quote, I was excited to see

that Dr. King mentions an essay

by John Donne. This essay is the

source of my ‘mantra’ – “No

man is an island , entire of itself.”

One of my fundamental beliefs in

life is that all humans are intercon-

nected; we are not individual islands

unaffected by the outside world.

What each and every one of us does

has an effect on others and vice

versa.

I have taken this belief and put it

into action through my year of ser-

vice in AmeriCorps. I am attempting

to help improve the quality of life of the

people we serve. As Dr. King said, all of

mankind is tied together. I cannot sit by

and let other people suffer while I go on

to reap the benefits of a more privileged

upbringing. I want the people we serve

to have access to everything that I have

had access to so that they have a chance

at success too. If there are more opportu-

nities for people to be successful, society

benefits as well. One example I can

think of is a student of ours who wants

to become a nurse and go back to Soma-

lia. She comes to our tutoring sessions

and receives homework help, which will

help her achieve her dream of helping

people in Somalia. I hope that she con-

tinues to follow her dream and that our

programs have helped her in that pur-

suit.

I have included a portion of the text of

John Donne’s Devotions Upon Emer-

gent Occasions, Devotions XVII ,for

anyone who would like to read it.

No man is an island, entire of itself;

every man is a piece of the continent, a

part of the main; if a clod be washed

away by the sea,

Europe is the less, as well as if a prom-

ontory were, as well as if a manor of thy

friends or thine own were; any man's

death diminishes me, because I am in-

volved in mankind; and, therefore, never

send to know for whom the bell tolls; it

tolls for thee.

John Donne, 1624

Alaina and other volunteers on MLK Day.

VYT Voices

Page 13 Volume 11, Issue 2

Jenna Geery VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Linking Learning to Life (Burlington, VT)

even when you don’t see the whole stair-

case.” Faith is truly believing in what you

do, even when there may not be proof of

results. When performing service to oth-

ers, we take that risk of not knowing how

our actions will impact others. I decided

to commit to a year of serving for Com-

munity Friends Mentoring not because

statistics say that mentoring “works”, but

because I have faith that mentoring will

improve a young individual’s life.

As an AmeriCorps VISTA, I have taken

that first step to serve for an organization

that lifts up humanity. Each day, the small

actions I perform may not directly impact

someone, but these are critical steps in a

staircase that is heading towards a better

We live in a results oriented society.

Testing begins in elementary school

to make sure students are meeting

the required educational standards

and sports teams are evaluated on

how many games they win. While it

is impossible to know the exact out-

come of any action, we can make

certain assumptions about how

something will turn out based on

data and past experiences. However,

sometimes the outcomes are foggy

and the end result is impossible to

see. Should that really deter us from

taking any action at all?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once

said, “Faith is taking the first step

future, one where youth have support

and are valued as a necessary asset in

their community. The time I spend

with my own mentee every week is a

reminder of the words of Dr. King. I

do not know what her staircase looks

like, but I believe she is an important

part of society and I have faith that

she will

grow up

to be an

accom-

plished

woman.

According to Martin Luther King,

“Faith is taking the first step even

when you don’t see the whole stair-

case.” I feel my AmeriCorps

VISTA year is the first step on my

uncertain staircase. In a capacity

building role it is easy to feel dis-

couraged when you do not see the

fruits of your work immediately. As

someone who likes results, doing

indirect service is not something I

was familiar with until this year. In

my interview I remember saying

one of my strengths was I like to

dive right into a role because that is

how I learn. I now see how impor-

tant that is as a program coordinator

at Linking Learning to Life.

Over the last 6 months I have gone

through many ups and downs, orga-

nizing internships for high school

students involves a lot of trust, and

very little control. I vividly remem-

ber my first class at Burlington High

School, I had sweat rolling down

my cheek as I introduced myself to the 6

high school students that I would be or-

ganizing internships for. I was nervous,

uncertain, under-qualified, and naive, but

I was ready to give it my best shot. Over

the next 14 class periods I got to know

the students and developed the skills to

coordinate meaningful internships for

them.

At times, I questioned whether anything

I said to them resonated, or if they even

cared, I constantly have to remind my-

self that they are in the program for a

reason: they want to explore their in-

terests! I was nervous to send them

out into the big bad world as interns,

but after letting go and trusting my

ability to match students to supervi-

sors that would provide them a one of

a kind learning experience, I realized

they did care, they did listen, and they

were able to explore their interests in a

hands on learning environment. Just as

the TIPS (Training Interns & Partner-

ing for Success) students were learn-

ing by doing, I was learning by doing.

I now feel much more qualified and

sure of my position at Linking Learn-

ing to Life. I understand that each

phone call I make, each email I send,

every training material I create has a

purpose, even if it is not clear to me at

the beginning. Moving forward I plan

to continue to take that first step, even

if I do not know where it will lead me.

Student interns at TIPS exhibition night.

Jenny Peterson VYT A*VISTA member

serving at Community Friends Mentoring (Burlington, VT)

Jenny and her mentee.

Page 14

VYT Voices

Vermont Youth Tomorrow A*VISTA Program Professional Development &

Training

As the year continues, members

receive information and learn skills

to help them in their service year

and beyond.

Topics covered in this quarter are

grant writing, professional goal

setting, and managing difficult

conversations.

Members have also explored

different meeting strategies, have had

the opportunity to share stories of

their experience, and participated in

a mid-year reflection art project.

Members discuss what should be included in a grant

proposal.

Markey Read discusses goal setting in the near future and

the far future, and the challenges it presents to different

people.

Members discuss different conflict handling modes.

Page 15 Volume 11, Issue 2

Members participate in a “Table Topic” meeting—moving

from table to table discussing various issues.

VYT member, Jahnine Spaulding, gives an AmeriShare presentation

about military families in Vermont and the impact of deployment

and reintegration.

VYT member and VYDC (Vermont Youth Development Corps

AmeriCorps State Program) members participate in an Open

Space Technology meeting.

Members participate in a mid-year reflection art project.

P.O.Box 627/ 38 Elm St.

Montpelier, VT 05601

Phone: 802-229-9151

Contact Us

Program Director:

M Kadie Schaeffer

vyt.vydc@gmail.com

Assistant Directors:

Meghan Jaird

mjaird@wcysb.org

Jessi Engelke

jengelke@wcysb.org

Callie Frey

cfrey@wcysb.org

AmeriCorps VISTA

Leader

Cara Melbourne

vyt.vistaleader@gmail.com

The Opinions expressed in this newsletter belong to the individual writers and do not necessarily re-flect the views of the site where the VISTA serves, Vermont Youth Tomorrow, the Washington

County Youth Service Bureau, the Boys and Girls Club, SerVermont, or the Corporation for National

and Community Service (CNCS).

Want to learn more? Visit our web site:

https://sites.google.com/site/vermontyouthtomorrowavista/

Find us on social media!

Vermont Youth

Tomorrow

A*VISTA

Program

VYT is sponsored by the Wash-

ington County Youth Service

Bureau/ Boys & Girls Club.

Dr. King Day, 21 January 2013 To commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,

15 VYDC, 25 VYT, 12 other national service members created and imple-

mented 30 service projects, 3 community meals, and 4 reflection activities

in 10 Vermont communities in which 367 community members partici-

pated. Members procured $2,188 in cash and in-kind donations from local

businesses. Some of the wonderful outcomes include—painting the Central

Vermont Community Action Council Food Shelf; making a nice dinner and

cards for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House; 15 youth discussing

the civil rights movement and the impact of Brown v. Board of Educa-

tion; 69 community members participating in a free lunch and documentary

viewing and discussion; 6 individuals made 28 homemade winter hats (sewn or

crocheted) and gave them to clients of The Haven (a homeless shelter and

resource center).