AmeriCorps!
5
by Bessie Wright
Next week is Americorps Week and anyone interested in volunteering in an Americorps event should check out the possibilities listed on this website!
Last Thursday, Rochelle Runge from the Maine Commission for Community Service called me up because she was writing an article about Americorps Week for the Bangor Daily News. She wanted to know some of the volunteer projects going on in the area, any special activities for Americorps Week and about me.
I cannot count the number of times I’ve been asked what being an Americorps member means to me. I’m getting close to the end of my final term with Americorps so I’ve been really thinking about that question. I’ve decided that the better question is, “What does it mean to be an Americorps member?”
The Americorps community is a vast confluence people and organizations;all with different purposes and capacities. There are so many factors that influence how any single term of service will pan out. The member may have an academic and professional background that supports his/her efforts or have no experience whatsoever. The host organization may have a very specific plan or may give minimal guidance to the member. There may be time for the member to develop his/her own program within the program but then maybe not. Many Americorps members form fast friendships with fellow members even though their service terms were in entirely different places while other members form lasting relationships at their host sites; sometimes both. And yes, sometimes things just don’t work out. There is no cookie-cutter resumé for what an Americorps member will experience or for how long.
If I had to give one sentence about what it is like to be an Americorps member it would be this:
Your term is what you make of it.
Situations are never the same, but that’s just the way life is. There’s going to be ups and downs and moments when you simply can’t control what’s going on. Anyone who joins Americorps has decided to use part of their lives for some kind of community service - not relinquish all control. Take charge of your term; if you have a passion for what you’re volunteering about then make it happen! Your host site will support you;they want motivated and happy volunteers.
What have my terms meant to me?
Productivity, Success, Complexity, Stretching My Limits, Learning New Skills and New Ideas, Conservation and Education
I strove for my highest. Good luck!
Bessie Wright is an AmeriCorps member serving with the Maine Conservation Corps.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Well said, Bessie. You’ve really set a nice tone for our AmeriCorps Week features to be included in next week’s guest postings. Stay tuned everyone for some more great AmeriCorps stories from members who have brought success to their term of service!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:41 am
This is a very inspiring blogpost. Well done. I’m in a “go-do-stuff” mood now!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Bessie,
I have to agree with your statement that “Your term is what you make of it”. There are going to be countless events in life that turn out to be unlike what we expected. This doesn’t mean that the experience will only reap meager rewards. Each of us has the opportunity to make each day a little better and at the end, the rewards will seem plentiful. After all, maybe part of the experience is enduring the job itself?
May 6th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I like your way of thinking, Bessie! What DOES it mean to be an AmeriCorps member? I’ve found that my answer now, nine months into my service, is completely different than it was at month one, month three, month six. When I look back on my service five years from now, how will I feel? As my year as a VISTA begins to wind down, your words will guide my thoughts and actions: my term is what I make of it.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
As an AmeriCorps member, I agree that your term of service is what you make of it. While this may hold true in all parts of our life, it defines AmeriCorps particularly well. Several people have asked me for advice on joining AmeriCorps, but I have to tell them that each experience is unique. I know of some members who have had what I consider to be very difficult postings, while others have had easier ones. Difficult or not, their experiences are defined by their mindset. In other words, they got out of it what they put into it.
AmeriCorps week should be approached with this attitude. Working hard in any type of service can be deeply rewarding. With this mindset we can be sure our energies have been well spent.