Why Do a Year of

Service?

Not only is a year of VISTA service a wonderful way to give back, it is an excellent way to gain “real world” experience.

For those who are coming straight out of college as well as those who are looking to transition from another field into the non-profit world, choices are often limited to entry-level positions with minimal responsibility and few opportunities to shine. As an AmeriCorps*VISTA with our project, you will have ample opportunities to develop your professional skills, build your resume, and exercise your creative initiative.

Because we believe success is inevitable when people are operating within their strengths and interests, our members’ jobs are not only tailored to the needs of the communities in which they serve, but also to their individual skills and passions. From volunteer coordinators, to funds developers, to community builders and public affairs specialists, our members are filling an array of important roles and enjoying the work they do.

Finally, we ensure that, in addition to having matured both personally and professionally, each VISTA Member walks away from his or her year having gained a wealth of resources and contacts and a clearer idea of how to best apply his or her strengths and interests toward a career in the non-profit world. We want to be your springboard into a life of service .

A Year in Liberty

by Colin Reynolds, VISTA Member, 2007-2008

Early fall 2005 was like any other year for myself, a fun-loving, mildly ambitious, and thoroughly unprepared college junior at the College of William & Mary. There were the studies, the parties, and everything else that comes with college, yet there was something else, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There is one thing my post-Cold War newsworthy devoid generation has grown to fear: observing a crowd of contemporaries watching TV en masse. This reminds us of when we first gained knowledge of 9-11, the Washington D.C. beltway sniper, and Virginia Tech shootings, yet on this occasion it was not caused by confused or angry humans but Mother Nature in the form of a storm. Watching the events unfold live on TV I felt an urge to assist, to do anything to help my fellow Americans, but I had class later that day.

Flash forward to the spring of 2007 and we find a college senior about to venture out into the world, seemingly prepared to face any obstacle and challenge thanks to the experience and knowledge gained through four years of liberal arts education and a foolproof knowledge of the various nuances of international politics. But, according to mom and dad, I had to get a job, something that would satisfy the lofty expectations of my family. After contemplating the usual Mid-Atlantic route for a graduate, moving to Washington D.C. to engage in 'college-lite', a lifestyle involving all the fun of college but with money and without the classes, I remembered how I had felt during the 2005 storms, that need and drive to help.

I decided then that I would engage in altruistic service in the gulf-coast. I would come to Texas. In compiling a list of options I ran across AmeriCorps which is basically Peace Corps in America, and I learned of an AmeriCorps*VISTA position in Liberty County, Texas, sponsored by Montgomery County United Way and the Texas Conference of Churches. The position placed me in charge of the Liberty County Long Term Recovery Committee, a resident-based, volunteer Rita-relief organization. I immediately applied and got down here as fast as I could. In August of 2007, I began my year of service.

I first found that there were hundreds of families in Liberty County that still had not recovered from the storm, which had hit two years before (now going on 3). Furthermore, I was shocked that none of the residents seemed to be aware of the ongoing plight faced by their neighbors. Yet now, after months of meetings, learning, listening, and working with my fine volunteers, the Committee is in a great position to help. As we've maneuvered into our niche of assisting families who have no where else to turn, the Committee, led by Chairman Jeff Day, Pastor of Kenefick Southern Baptist, and Lead Case Manager Glennda Hardin, has been able to solidify its role as the primary liaison between state, local, federal relief actors and the community.

This year we have really started to make exciting progress. In February we were granted $10,000 by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. This funding provided the financial backing we need as well as the reputation of a vetted organization that is reputable and responsible. Furthermore, in early March we completed our first project. With the volunteer backing of Kenefick Southern Baptist Church, we were able to assist a deserving family with house repairs. The capacity of the Committee is expanding, and we are seeing progress.

To continue strengthening the Committee and our ability to help, we are now working to obtain a higher profile in the community though outreach and additional projects. We are exploring ways to leverage supplies and funding, including organizing quid pro quo relationships, where any funds or donations would be met with the increased visibility and recognition of the contributing business or organization.

When my time here is over I will remember a number of things in addition to all of the peculiar idiosyncrasies of East Texas. I will remember the families that we helped, the members of the Committee, and the overall hospitable nature of its residents. I could not have predicted that my path would take me from Williamsburg, Virginia to Liberty, Texas, but I feel that in my short time here I have been able to help this community, which has been so welcoming to a me - a person who came here, hat in hand, to work for the greater good..