Please join us as we Celebrate AmeriCorps Week!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
6:30-9:00 at
The Fremont Abbey
Join us at the Fremont Abbey to ask “what exactly is Sound Youth VISTA/ Notre Dame AmeriCorps anyway?”; schmooze with friends and our mighty members; nosh and have a drink or two; and take in some entertainment (Spoken word & youth performers & video presentation, oh my!).
And, of course, bring your checkbook to bid at our silent auction! (This is no fancy white-tablecloth seated dinner auction. This is a grassroots, celebratory, for-wallets-of-all-sizes and big-hearted-friends event).
If you have a service or item you’d like to donate for the auction (Yard services! Website design! Tap Dancing Lessons! Home-cooked meal!), please contact Jessica Wootten, jwootten@thechurchcouncil.org
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Notre Dame AmeriCorps Mid-Year Retreat in Washington DC
After a tiring 12-hour travel day to DC endured by the majority of the team, the beginning of the trip started out on a bright and sunny day, with some of us heading out to either visit the museums or shop at the local farmer’s market. We then reconvened for the day’s events with team introductions and a number of social activities. Workshops were held in the days thereafter, and our very own Lauren Mehl had the opportunity to host a session on after-school programs. Our days began at 8:00 for breakfast and ended in the evening at 8:30, which up until this point was the only real chance for members to explore the city. This was the moment that second-year member Moque Krape especially looked forward to, to sit and wind down after a long day as assistant MC for the days’ programs. All-in-all, the team would not have been able to enjoy the trip so much if it were not for the free evenings spent sight-seeing at the national monuments or the great conversations held at the local coffee shops and restaurants. It was in this way, and by laughing with each other during our story-telling video made by Emma Davis, that the retreat really brought NDA Seattle together.
The 2007-08 Notre Dame AmeriCorps Team
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Our team visited Tyee to be present for Odyssey High School’s arts day in January.
Katie taught an African Art class for HS students
Moque participated in a small group discussion with students from Katie’s art class
To see more pictures from this and other team events, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/SoundYouthVista
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On Monday January 21st, our Notre Dame AmeriCorps and Sound Youth VISTA teams headed to Franklin High School for Seattle’s annual MLK Day celebration.
The 26th Annual
Martin Luther King, Jr.,
March and Rally
The Martin Luther King Celebration Committee hosted the 26th annual region-wide Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration with Workshops (9:30am-11am), Rally (11am), and March (12pm). This year we marched from Franklin High School to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park. Immediately after the March, food and refreshments were be served at Franklin’s lunch room free to all participants!
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White elephant gift exchange!
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Pula, Aria, Samuel, Jess, and Jayanthi sort oranges for a shipment to local flood victims
Becky and Rose do quality control
Today our team volunteered at Food Lifeline to help sort foods to be sent to local flood victims. Our 21 volunteers repacked 11,480 pounds of fresh oranges in three hours, providing 8,969 meals for the hungry! Quite impressive!
To learn more about Food Lifeline: “Food Lifeline is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger in Western Washington. Food Lifeline makes every penny count. 90% of the food we receive from local, state and national contributors is donated, allowing us to provide nine dollars worth of food to hungry people for every donated dollar. Last year, Food Lifeline secured nearly 22 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 17 million meals – to feed hungry families and individuals throughout Western Washington. Food Lifeline provides food to over half a million people through our network of 300 emergency feeding programs including food banks, hot meal programs and shelters. Food Lifeline provides a creative link between food sources and hungry people. By encouraging the food industry to donate unmarketable but usable food it would otherwise discard. In this role, Food Lifeline rescues millions of pounds of food each year.”
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On Friday November 16th, we lucked out with gorgeous weather for our service project with VOW. We spent the day at Interlaken Park building trails and removing invasive English Laurel. It was great weather and fun work! Many thanks to City of Seattle Parks and Rec, VOW, and Samuel for leading the day’s project.
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The SY/NDA team at the Washington State AmeriCorps Launch
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Notre Dame AmeriCorps and Sound Youth VISTA send many hearty thanks and best wishes to former directors Martha Tierney and Audra Kinney! We wish Martha best of luck with her new position in Washington DC and send Audra best wishes for her new role at the Church Council in a development position. We’re also pleased to introduce the new directors!
Cat Koehn, Notre Dame AmeriCorps Director
Q: You have recently returned from a two-year stint in Africa. Tell me about that experience.
A: I left my position of Director of SY/NDA in November 2005 and moved to Kenya to work at the St. Julie Centre for Disabled Children, a program started by Judi Beltz, a Sister of Notre Dame from Boston. I went with a fantastic roommate/coworker (a SY alumni named Cindy Tarter) and we were the first two international volunteers at the Centre. I loved my time living in a rural area, working with and helping coordinate services for our very sweet disabled children, learning lots, working hard, connecting with families, making friends, dancing, practicing Swahili, and experiencing local life in the village. I wasn’t ready to leave Africa after a year so I spent the last eight months backpacking around Africa, Korea, and the States. Now that I’m back I frequently think of my Kenyan friends, the resourcefulness and the resilience. Despite everything life could throw at you, there was always family, friends, laughter, singing, and dancing.
Q: What compelled you to return to your position as Director for Seattle’s Notre Dame AmeriCorps program?
A: The previous director Martha Tierney announced her resignation/move to Washington DC the exact week I arrived back to Seattle from Kenya. When I was asked to resume my position as Director, I knew I loved the program and it felt like a perfect for both me and the program. I could bring stability to the program at a time when both co-directors were leaving, and the program could bring stability to my life after so much time away.
Q: What is it about AmeriCorps that keeps you going?
A: I love knowing that each year brings a new team of creative, passionate, talented members who each bring their unique life experiences to support youth programs. I’m incredibly appreciative of opportunity to be surrounded by so many brilliant individuals who come together for just one year to create social justice and affect positive change. I’m continually impressed as I get to know each new member, and couldn’t be more proud of the accomplished alumni I’ve been fortunate to work with over the years.
Elaina Ellis, Sound Youth VISTA Director
Q: You’ve been a VISTA for three years in various capacities. Tell me about those experiences: what were you doing? What did you take away from those experiences?
A: I first entered the realm of VISTA as a member of Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC). Campus Compact VISTAs work to connect colleges and universities with local communities and organizations. After spending 5 years as a student in Western Massachusetts, I loved getting to know the area through new eyes. However, I didn’t love the snow. I moved back to the Pacific Northwest and accepted a position as Leader for MLK*VISTA at Solid Ground. As a Leader I coordinated team trainings, supported members, and helped develop the program mission and goals. I was drawn to MLK*VISTA for its focus on social justice & anti-racism, which I consider essential components of community service. I loved the challenge of working with VISTA members to problem-solve at their sites, and was always rewarded by our Friday conversations.
Q: What compelled you to apply for the position as Director of the Sound Youth VISTA program?
A: I love the idea of a whole team supporting Seattle’s youth. I drew so much inspiration from the youth-serving sites at MLK VISTA, including Seattle Young People’s Project, Youth in Focus, and several public schools. How better to make positive change than to focus on empowering the next generation?
Q: What is it about AmeriCorps that keeps you going?
A: I can’t seem to quit National Service! There is so much potential for each member to create a positive ripple effect within a single program year: How will your outlook on life be different after this year? Who among your clients and coworkers will be supported by your good work? What kinds of steps will we take towards a more equitable society? The list of possibilities goes on and on. This is what keeps me going.
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