I recently started serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Cornerstone Assistance Network, a faith-based non-profit organization that serves people below the poverty line.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with AmeriCorps VISTA, it is a national service organization founded by President Kennedy with the specific mission to fight poverty. AmeriCorps VISTAs live and work in communities all over the United States, building the capacities of the cities they serve.
I spent last week in Albuquerque, NM for “PSO” training, the training given to all VISTAs before being sworn in and officially going to their sites. The experience only affirmed that I have made the right decision for myself in becoming a VISTA. I met VISTAs from all over the country, many of whom I did not look like or agree with on a range of issues.
The only thing that mattered was that we all had a common purpose, a dedication to improving our communities and the lives of the people we would come in contact with, and a larger goal of lessening the effect poverty has on America today.
Lofty goals to be sure.
However, in my book, if one homeless person gets his GED or becomes self-sufficient because of what Cornerstone does, it’s a success. Over the next few weeks I’m going to make the effort to visit with as many CAN employees as possible, that way I can learn the organization and better convey to volunteers the reasons why everyone here is so passionate about what they do.
Until next time,
Ryan
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