Oh, The Places We Went: Reflections on the AmeriCorps Retreat
Kelsey Larsen, Molly Soboroff, Kristy Gausman, Laurie Mittermiller, and Josue Vazquez show off their Disaster Wheels at the Disaster Preparedness Seminar.
Bright sunshine and crisp, cold autumn weather greeted us in Sanger, CA where the annual AmeriCorps V.I.P. (Volunteer Infrastructure Program) Conference was held this year.
There was a general consensus among the KOREH L.A. team that one of the best parts of the week-long conference was meeting and talking with the other AmeriCorps V.I.P. Fellow and learning about the exciting work they are doing. Many, like us here at KOREH L.A., work with afterschool programs, continuation schools, and other education enrichment programs. Others are working in community gardens, hospices, gang-prevention programs and on environmental issues!
Personally, I enjoyed learning more about the roots of the V.I.P. program, which was initiated by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The purpose of the V.I.P. program is to aid institutions by providing infrastructure and capacity-building support to help recruit, interface with, and retain volunteers.
Delving into the history of the V.I.P. program really drove home how imperative this work is- the statistics quoted regarding the rates of poverty, homelessness and of general need in this country, especially in light of the recession, were very sobering.
It was stressed time and again that this is not just a job - that this is a year of service to our country.
Invigorated with the knowledge that we are fulfilling a viable need and that we are actively working to serve our country, the KOREH L.A. AmeriCorps team is more excited than ever to get back to work!
Here are some more pictures from our time at Wonder Valley!
Kelsey Larsen, Team 3 Coordinator, beats the AmeriCorps V.I.P. Bingo Trivia Challenge and shows off her prize and the winning card!
Our Program Coordinator, Kristine Eller, takes in the sights of Wonder Valley by bike.
Kristy Gausman, Team 2 Coordinator, sits by the fire in the dining hall with a hot cup of tea as she waits for breakfast to be served.
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