Musings of a new VISTA

           I joined AmeriCorps VISTA because I was looking for something different to do with my summer. I was looking for something other than a lab environment. I have been involved in community service in Cleveland for the past three years, and I wanted to continue to serve my adopted city. I was drawn to the VISTA program because it would allow me to see the inner workings of nonprofit organizations while still giving me the chance to directly serve people in the community. One of the careers I am considering is nonprofit management, so I think this program will be a great way to see how several different nonprofits function. I also feel that I have lived in the bubble of my university for too long, and being a VISTA will give me the chance to experience Cleveland in a way that is closer to that of most of the people living here. 

I’ll be working with three different organizations this summer: the Case Western Reserve University Farm, GreenCorps, and the Refugee Response. At the Case Farm, I’ll be harvesting food and running a weekly farmer’s market on campus with the food that is grown on the farm. I’ll also be working on a presentation about CSA programs. GreenCorps, a nonprofit affiliated with the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, is a work-study program that employs around 80 low-income high school students each summer. The students work on one of five urban farms. They learn about planting, harvesting, leadership, teamwork, business, and entrepreneurship.  Finally, the Refugee Response is an organization that helps refugees in Cleveland with education, housing, employment, and many other aspects of life. I will be working on their urban farm, at which some of the refugees work. 

This summer, my main goal is to increase the number of people who are aware of the many urban farming programs around Cleveland. The more people know about these programs, the more likely they are to buy fresh produce from them and tell others about them. However, this goal is pretty vague, so I have a more specific one: to hold an open-house event, to which everyone in the surrounding communities would be invited, at at least two of the urban farms. I would like to have speakers about the work the farms do, educational materials on nutrition and healthy eating, and of course, samples of the food grown at the farms. I hope that events like these will help get the word out about the benefits of urban farming and healthy eating.

I'm really excited to be an AmeriCorps VISTA, and I can't wait to see all the amazing work everyone will do this summer!