Cohort Meetings

June 2nd Recap

It was great to see you and get an update on how service is going! Here are the announcements from today's meeting:

Announcements: 

• Time logs and monthly reports 

  • Please keep up with them! May's should be completed by next Friday (06/10)

  • Make sure you are capturing professional development 

    • Title of the session, who it’s provided by, date, and length in hours  

  • Full-time service is 37.5-40 hours or 70-80 hours per pay period – Please be sure that your time logs reflect full-time service  

• Cohort meeting presentations/discussions 

  • Thank you all for signing up to lead our upcoming cohort meetings! 

  • The sessions are for sharing knowledge, experience, and best practices. You’ve had success in the topic area that you’re sharing about, so tell us about it! Don’t be afraid to brag, and share what you can to help others achieve success. Be creative!

• AmeriCorps Webinar: Translating VISTA Service to Your Resume and Career - June 22 from 3 - 4 pm 

• NC Campus Engagement Launch Parties – 3 simultaneous events are being hosted regionally at Queens University, High Point University, and NC State University. I will be at NC State, Leslie will be at High Point, and Rene, our program assistant, will be at Queens. Some of you have already registered, so thank you! It would be great to see you all there: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQCdIfEskCcpuhe5myB_7TNOiH5egrXyjm3_rYHiJY9NilZw/viewform  

Let me know if you have any questions! 

May 19th Recap

Thank you so much for attending and participating in today's cohort meeting. Here's a recap:

We had two guest speakers. The session was recorded and will be available on the VISTA Annex's Recordings Page. I encourage you to revisit the recording as you prepare your resume and LinkedIn profile. You can report the session in your monthly report under professional development. 

• Hannah Richardson is the Director of Career Engagement at Warren Wilson  

• • Warren Wilson is a work college which means that all students work or do service on campus, so Hannah gave us some tips on how to translate service to our resumes 

  • hrichardson@warren-wilson.edu
    
    

• Laurie Judge is the Senior Associate Director of Career Services at Elon  

• • She walked us through how to make our LinkedIn page stand out 

  • ljudge2@elon.edu
    
    

Announcements: 

• Guilford College Dialogue Program: Building Strategies for Economic Inclusion 

• • Takes place from June 7-10 

  • Registration closes this Sunday 

  • Erin sent a reminder email this morning with details, reach out to her if you have any questions 

• AmeriCorps Webinar on the 25th at 3 pm: Designing Effective Surveys  

• • You should all be attending the AmeriCorps webinars and/or watching the recordings on the VISTA Campus – we want to see them on your monthly reports!  

• Invitation to NC Campus Engagement Launch Parties  

• • June 29th from 1 - 3:30 pm at three locations throughout the state: Queens University, High Point University, and NC State University. It would be great to have you at the start of our organization's newest chapter! 

  • Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQCdIfEskCcpuhe5myB_7TNOiH5egrXyjm3_rYHiJY9NilZw/viewform?usp=sf_link

• Topic Area Discussions/presentations 

• • As you know, one of the greatest benefits of VISTA service is professional development. As some of us approach the end of service, now is a great time to share some of the knowledge and experience that you’ve gained throughout service.  

  • I’ve put you all into groups and I ask that you start the conversation with each other about what you’d like to present and when you’d like to present it. Once you all have a good idea, you can sign up for a cohort meeting that you’d like to lead here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1F5xz82mCV9vChA_q5VofsNYjG93FM93MNqWx6bstU6c/edit?usp=sharing

• Congratulations to the winners of the recruitment challenge!! Recruitment season is not over! Please continue to recruit on your campuses. 

• • 1st place: Elly

  • 2nd place: Neely 

  • 3rd place: Maddy 

From Erin: Hi VISTAs!  For those that had to hop off early or weren’t able to attend, I wanted to share with you what I shared with the group after our guest speakers today.  After three great years with NC Campus Compact, I‘ll be moving on in mid-June.  It’s been such a privilege to lead the VISTA program the last few years and I have no doubt the program will be in great hands after my departure.  We are currently interviewing for my position, so hopefully there will be an announcement soon regarding who will be taking over.  I will still be here to support you until my last day, June 17th, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

This is Hannah again. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we will miss Erin but wish her the best moving forward. I, for one, could not be more grateful to have had such a supportive, kind, and knowledgeable supervisor. I'm so thankful to have worked with you, Erin, and I know we still have a lot of work to do before mid-June!! 

May 5th Recap

Here are the announcements from the cohort meeting:

• Schedule a check in with me if you have not already: https://calendly.com/hfraser2/30min 

• What’s New on the Annex 

• • Recordings page

• • • Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Health Symposium  – webinars with powerpoints and resources  

    • Life After AmeriCorps Conference recordings   

• • Mindful Monday guided meditations and reflections

• Upcoming Professional Development 

• • 05/19: Cohort meeting at 11 am - resume and LinkedIn sessions  

  • 05/25: How to Write a Grant Proposal at 12 pm 

  • 05/25: AmeriCorps – Designing Effective Surveys at 3 pm 

• April time logs and monthly reports are due 

• Keep up the great work with the recruitment challenge!  

Check out the End of Service/Life After VISTA tab on the Annex for all the materials you will need as your service comes to a close. You can also utilize Erin's presentation from today's meeting. It's on the Annex as well. 

We want to hear from you about the skills you've developed and projects that you've worked on during your service! Use this Google Form to let me know what topic area you'd be interested in sharing your best practices with our cohort. If there's someone in the cohort that you'd like to work with, reach out to them. Otherwise, I'll pair you up based on your interests. 

March 24 Recap

Thank you all for participating in yesterday's cohort meeting! I for one really enjoyed hearing from some of our program's alumni. Here are their emails so that you can reach out to them if you'd like to connect further:

Monica Palmeira - monicapalmeira1@gmail.com 

Currently working as the Climate Finance Specialist at The Greenlining Institute 

Juliet Thomas - jltburras@gmail.com

Currently working as a high school counselor 

Jamarl Clark - jamarl@weinspiremovement.org

Currently consulting for nonprofit organizations and starting his own nonprofit

JJ Scot - john.jj.scott@gmail.com 

Currently working for the City of Durham in Human Resources

There were also some folks who were unavailable to join the call but wanted to share their contact information with you:

Zandra Cuff - cuffzandra@yahoo.com

Currently serving their 4th VISTA term

Maddie Harris - harriscmaddie@gmail.com

Currently working in higher education at Seattle University 

Jessica Feinberg - jsno1981@gmail.com

Currently working in the nonprofit sector in Philadelphia 

Please reach out to these folks and chat with them about their experiences! Also, keep an eye on your LinkedIn account for an invitation to an NC Campus Compact VISTA Alumni group. 

February 24 Recap

Thanks so much for your participation in our cohort meeting today. It was great to hear your service updates as well as some after-service plan updates! Congratulations to those who shared good news!

Announcements:

• Please update your February time log and monthly report ASAP! Erin is completing a report for AmeriCorps and it is important that she includes your service experiences. 

Activity: 

• Marketing Webinar: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k6hTm0tIsc9VNN71-VEe2c1e6vB2qTZ8/view?usp=sharing

  • Think about how you can implement some of these strategies into your marketing plan. Use the group message to brainstorm or share ideas.

• Keep the conversation going! Thank you to those who shared tips and advice for finding funding opportunities and writing grants. Continue the conversation in our group message if you have any other tips or questions.

February 10 Recap

Announcements: 

• Schedule a Check-In with me if you haven't already!

• January time logs and monthly reports are due! 

• Check out our Mindful Monday activity on the Annex.  

• Fill out the "After Service Plans" form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfV-4k230w-Amdg_1Zw9zHNQwYrP-zReOF6pXx2yDxqCnUbbw/viewform?usp=sf_link

LeaderCorps Updates:

• AmeriCorps Week is March 13-19. The planning committee would love to hear from you! Please fill out this form to share your service experience with them:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfu9ngM3Xs4flX_HGKIbuvC0K3NW_eVxpfTQcNcSHy7ewJkWw/viewform?usp=sf_link 

• Reminder to represent AmeriCorps through wearing your gear, whether it be your name tag, a t-shirt, or your water bottle. If you haven't received gear, look back in your emails to find the link to order it! 

• LeaderCorps had a guest speaker, Amber Walker, who was a VISTA member and went on to become the Program Director of the same VISTA program! She has some words of wisdom for you:

  • Congratulations for applying to AmeriCorps, being accepted into your position, and staying in service for so long – some people don’t even make it to the application, let alone be offered a position, and it takes strength and dedication to stay in service through all of the challenges that service presents  

  • Reinvest yourself in your service  

    • Set your intentions, center yourself, and take it all in – you get out what you put in 

      • What is one thing you want to get better at – if you name it, you’ll have a better chance at success.  

      • Who is one person you want to get to know better – someone who you haven’t gotten the chance to know yet.  

      • What is one thing or system at your service site that you want to improve – think "this is better because I was here."

  • Always do your best because you never know who’s watching 

    • When she was a member, she didn’t have a car, so she rode her bike to service in the rain, and the community partner told the program director who then told the executive director – left a good impression – a year and a half later, she was asked to apply as the program director 

  • Leave on a high note – strong finish 

    • Think about what you want to do after your service year and use your connections at your host sites and community partners to build/develop those skills  

    • Take the initiative to do the extra thing, take on the extra roll, keep filling the year with experience to build skills – don’t get comfortable in your roll 

  • Know that there are AmeriCorps alum everywhere – so be loud and be proud – you can connect with alumni everywhere and get places based on your common experience

  • Follow up with your program when you leave  

    • The VISTA Leader will probably be reaching out to you!  

    • Connect on LinkedIn 

Upcoming Opportunities:

• AmeriCorps - Creating Successful Volunteering and National Service Opportunities: Best Practices and Benefits - Feb 10 at 2 pm 

  • Register here: https://events-na1.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/2490562023/en/events/event/shared/default_template_simple/event_registration.html?sco-id=6176620407&_charset_=utf-8

• VISTA Alumni Happy Hour - Feb. 10 at 7 pm 

  • Register here: https://elon.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMoceuoqDMsH93gq2vwc2QdNDnYkO8FrOfr 

  • I will ask you to share your elevator speech, but don’t be nervous – these are our peers! 

• NC Campus Compact & Braver Angels - Social Media & Political Tribalism - Feb. 15 at 7 pm 

  • Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/social-media-political-tribalism-braver-angels-of-central-nc-registration-244209987647

  • Support our NC network by attending! 

Reflection:

• AmeriCorps service feels ______ right now.

• I am really enjoying __________ about my service and ______________ about my host site/regional location.

• I am really challenged by_____________.

• What’s one way I can reinvest in my service?

Reminders:

• We could use more service year photos! Send us a picture of YOU with AmeriCorps gear and give us a quote saying what you love about service. We want to celebrate you for Valentine’s Day since we <3 our VISTAs so much!! 

• Fun fact: I was living in Costa Rica during Valentine's Day in 2019, and in Spanish, it’s called El Día de Amor y Amistad – which means the day of love and friendship. In the US we focus a lot on the love aspect - flowers, romance, etc., but I invite you to celebrate all types of relationships this valentine's day, including your relationship with yourself! Check out the Mindful Monday card on the Annex to practice self-love. 

• Let me know if you have a preferred mailing address!! 

January 27th Meeting Recap

Announcements: 

• Schedule a check-in with me! I want to hear how things are going and make sure that you're on track for a satisfying and successful service year! https://calendly.com/hfraser2/30min?month=2022-01

• Remember to keep your time logs and monthly reports up to date with all of the wonderful progress that you're making! 

Upcoming opportunities: 

• Mindful Monday is coming up on the 7th at 2 pm. We'll be focusing on self-love, so take some time to get grounded with us! 

• Register for the VISTA Alumni Happy Hour on February 10th at 7 pm! This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other folks who have served in NC Campus Compact's VISTA program! Register here: https://elon.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMoceuoqDMsH93gq2vwc2QdNDnYkO8FrOfr

• Hunger Corps - We will be meeting on February 15th at 3 pm! 

• NC Campus Compact is hosting a virtual Social Media Forum where we will examine how technology shapes political tribalism and what can be done to diminish it.  "Social Media & Political Tribalism" will take place on February 15th from 7pm - 8:30 pm. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/social-media-political-tribalism-braver-angels-of-central-nc-registration-244209987647 

• NC Campus Compact is hosting the 25th Annual PACE Conference and celebrating our 20th anniversary (virtually) on February 9th! Talk to your host site supervisors about if they are attending, and be sure to support Neely at her workshop if you attend! Check out our website for more information: https://www.nccampuscompact.org/pace-conference/

​Thank you all for updating the group on what's happening at your host sites! You all are doing such great work and making amazing progress. 

It was wonderful to hear about your after-service plans, as well! Congratulations to those who have been accepted into graduate programs, and we look forward to celebrating more with everyone as more good news rolls in! 

January 13th Meeting Recap

Announcements:

• We have a new VISTA joining our cohort on the 18th! We are excited to welcome Erin Guy, who will be serving in a hybrid Hunger Corps-Afterschool Corps position at UNC Asheville. Thank you to those of you who volunteered to join their orientation on the 20th at 11 am! We will set up a time to meet next week (most likely Tuesday) to go over what the activity will look like. 

• COVID-19 is ramping up again, so please refer back to the email that Erin sent earlier this month (01/05) for what to do if you are directly exposed or test positive for COVID during service. Your health is our priority, so please take any measures needed to stay safe and healthy. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Erin or me.

• Don't forget to submit your service year photos! You can send them in the GroupMe, in an email to Erin or me, or in an event report. We'd love to see you in action at your service site! 

• Doing anything for MLK Day of Service? Hosting events to welcome students back to campus? Don't forget to submit an event report which can be found on the VISTA Annex under Forms. 

• Please prioritize the AmeriCorps Webinars. These are great resources and are a benefit to serving with AmeriCorps. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, remember that all of the recordings are available on the VISTA Campus. 

• Don't forget about Mindful Mondays! We’ve had two great sessions so far and we’d love to see you in the future months.  If you’d benefit from a little extra white space in your month, a pause from the noise of our regular life rhythms, then join us on the first Monday of each month for 30 minutes of quiet reflection.  Our theme for February will be around self-love.

Upcoming Opportunities:

• Hunt Institute – Race & Education | Using Libraries to Affirm Racial Identity and Advance Equity – Jan. 25 at 2 pm  

• AmeriCorps Webinar - Digital Volunteer Recruitment: Cultivating Interest - Jan. 26 at 3 pm

• Mindful Monday - Self-Love - Feb. 7 at 2 pm

• VISTA Alumni Happy Hour - Feb 10 at 7 pm

• NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference – Feb 17 from 9:30 am – 4 pm (Let Hannah know if you'd like to attend for a discount code) 

Activity:

• In honor of MLK Day, we watched a panel discussion that is a demonstration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy. Not only was Dr. King fighting for racial justice and equity, but he fought against poverty and wealth inequality. As we know, America still has a long fight ahead in terms of reaching racial equity, and poverty affects millions of people in our country, disproportionately, black and brown people. That is not to say that there aren’t incredible individuals and organizations who are working toward Dr. King’s dream of racial and socioeconomic equity. Here are a few examples of folks doing the work.

• https://www.c-span.org/video/?448765-4/black-americans-education-poverty  

• *Disclaimer that NC Campus Compact and AmeriCorps are non-partisan organizations and we do not support any candidates for any public office.

• Reflection questions:

  • Nikole Hannah-Jones talks about how all inequalities that we see today have roots in where folks live. Things like access to jobs, grocery stores, parks, doctors, schools that are well funded, etc. What are the communities like where you serve? Is there access to these entities? Do you see that some areas near you have access while some do not?

  • Ryan Haygood stated that the racial wealth gap has nearly tripled in the past 50 years. Do you see these economic disparities in the communities that you are serving? How are your host sites addressing them?

  • Do you believe that assets already exist in communities? If so, think about the VISTA's role in leveraging these assets. 

  • What is passive activism? Do you see passive activism taking place in the communities that you are serving?

• Remember that we are all living the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by fighting for equity for all and against poverty in our communities. Thank you for your service to North Carolina and to America!

December 16th Meeting Recap

VISTAs,

Thank you so much for participating in our cohort meeting today! It was incredible to reflect with you about how far we've come and much we've all grown in 2021. 

• Here is a link to the Google Doc that we used to guide our reflection discussion in small groups in case you'd like to come back to it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10zeI9_NP3iQ6QWrYsjXtC36a1YTRjfNghhPgCDeW8hg/edit?usp=sharing

• I've also attached our word clouds (in the email). I really enjoyed seeing our year's accomplishments through them! 

• Be sure to follow NC Campus Compact on social media to see the wonderful poem that we created together! 

  • Instagram: @NCCampusCompact

  • Twitter: @NCCampusCompact

  • Facebook: North Carolina Campus Compact

• We are looking forward to seeing you on January 3rd for Mindful Monday! If you haven't filled out the doodle poll with your availability, you can do that here: https://doodle.com/poll/qs284czmebx6diwq?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link 

• Register for an AmeriCorps Webinar on Jan. 26, 2022, at 3 pm, called "Digital Volunteer Recruitment: Cultivating Interest" https://americorps.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_4IgvdE5xQmGVa1C3LEUNxw 

I hope that you have a restful break, and I look forward to bringing in the new year with you all! 

December 2nd Meeting Recap

Dear VISTAs,

Thank you all so much for coming to our cohort meeting prepared to share about your service experience! It was great to hear from all of you about how things are going. Here's a recap of the announcements and reminders:

Holiday Leave:

• We are allotted two days of holiday leave for the December 25th and January 1st holidays. Since these holidays fall on Saturdays, you can take holiday leave on Thursday and Friday before, or Friday and Monday. Of course, you're welcome to use personal leave if you'd like additional time off, just check to make sure it's okay with your supervisor. Please send Erin an email with your holiday leave plans if you haven't already! 

Reminders:

• The Event Reports form is on the Annex on the Forms page under the "Throughout Service" section. Please fill this form out (and include pictures) for any events that you host or milestones that you accomplish during service. We will post them on our social media, so make sure you're following us! 

• If you’re following us on social media (@NCCampusCompact), be sure to like, comment on, etc. any posts highlighting accomplishments from your fellow VISTAs!  This is a great way to show support for all the awesome service you’re doing across the state.

• Don't miss out on your healthcare benefits. To learn more about these benefits, visit the Healthcare Coverage Information page on the Annex. 

Announcements:

• Name tags are coming in the mail! Other AmeriCorps gear we ordered for you is currently backordered, but we will send it out as soon as it comes in!

• We are starting a blog & social media series to highlight host sites and VISTAs!  Watch your email for a draft when your host site is set to be featured.

• We are starting “Mindful Mondays” on the first Monday of every month! Please fill out this doodle poll to let me know what time would work best for you! https://doodle.com/poll/cxpve54sfr32tndz?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link 

Upcoming Professional Development 

• AmeriCorps Webinar – Digital Fundraising – Dec. 15 at 3 pm

• Check out Duke's Continuing Studies webpage for Nonprofit Certifications.

November 11th Meeting Recap

Thank you all so much for attending today's cohort meeting. I hope that Amy's presentation was helpful! You can find her slides on the "Grants" page of the VISTA Annex under "Resources." 

Amy shared with us how to research potential funders and funding opportunities, so once you’re ready to prepare your application there is an AmeriCorps webinar on the "Grants" page that will help you with understanding grant writing language and pitfalls to avoid. I encourage you to browse the content of the "Grants" page - the AmeriCorps webinar is a great resource. 

Here are the announcements for this week:

• AmeriCorps Webinar - Managing Up: Navigating the Member-Supervisor Relationship – Nov 17th at 2 pm. Register here: https://americorps.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_iQfuMLRsSDa8hLJ1tZCvFg

• • We highly encourage you to attend this webinar. Please remember that transparency and open communication are the key to a successful relationship with your supervisor. 

• VISTA Annex update:

• • Thank you for completing the feedback survey! If you haven't yet, please give me some feedback about the Annex here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScGGy2ZXIvn3SI0b4i5WoE5Iry-ZJhpOfWwWwKBCqttACZjWw/viewform?usp=sf_link

  • Check out the "Documentaries," "Podcasts," and "Articles" pages, and let me know if you have anything to contribute to them! 

  • Check out Marguerite's SNAP Benefits guide on the "SNAP Benefits" page! 

• Event Reports: We want to spread the word about your accomplishments! If you have any significant events, milestones, celebrations that happen during service, please let me know by filling out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeq7JR-FQD8uMuVeFJqRso9iSVFsGD9dg6d9M1o-8oaitareg/viewform?usp=sf_link. Be sure to include a picture of yourself, too! 

Huge WELCOME to Laura and Fernando, our two newest additions to the cohort! Laura is a Hunger Corps VISTA serving at Alamance Community College, and Fernando is in the Afterschool Corps service at Triangle Bike Works! We are so excited to have them on our team, and we look forward to seeing all that they will do at their host sites! 

As always, let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions! 

October 14th Meeting Recap 

Happy Monday, VISTAs! 

Thank you to those who were able to attend our cohort meeting last Thursday! We had a very insightful conversation about the documentary "Growing Up Poor In America" that you are encouraged to continue on the Google Group! 

Here are some reminders and announcements from the meeting:

• There are two great webinars on the VISTA Campus that provide great tools for effective communication with your host site supervisor. They are under the "My Professional Development" learning path and are titled "Managing Up: VISTA-Supervisor Relationships" and "Start off Strong: Professional Workplace Success." 

• Check out the "Articles" page on the VISTA Annex. There are articles addressing food insecurity, afterschool programs, and burnout. 

Upcoming Opportunities:

• Western Carolina University's Center for Career and Professional Development is hosting a workshop for us this Thursday (Oct 21st) at 11 am to answer any questions that you may have about graduate school. Here's the link: https://elon.zoom.us/my/hfraser2

• AmeriCorps Webinar – Resiliency and Service Wellness – Oct. 27th from 3 – 4 pm

• Lights on Afterschool – Oct. 28th - Speak with your supervisor about the possibility of participating! 

• Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week – Nov 13 – 21 - Speak with your supervisor about the possibility of participating!  

Have a great week, and keep up the great work! 

September 30th Meeting Recap

Hey VISTAs! 

Thank you for a wonderful cohort meeting today. It was great to hear about how things are going at your host sites. Remember that you have each other as resources! 

Here are the announcements that I went over: 

• • Don't forget to fill out your time log and monthly report for September. 

  • For those that started service on August 30, congratulations on completing one month of service! Keep an eye on your inbox for your one-month evaluation.

  • Check out NC Campus Compact’s recent blog postblog post about our cohort!  

    • Be sure to follow NC Campus Compact on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! If your host site does not already follow us, please follow us on that account, too!  

      • Instagram: @nccampuscompact  

      • Twitter: @NCCampusCompact 

      • Facebook: North Carolina Campus Compact  

  • Check out the Work Style presentation on the VISTA Annex and review your reflections with your supervisor.

    • Remember that our work style is always developing, so feel free to revisit this topic in the future! 

  • Watch the "Growing Up Poor In America" documentary and be prepared to share your reflections on the Discussions page of the VISTA Annex. 

Upcoming Opportunities:

• • Support Neely and the Food Council of Union County at their October Food Council Spotlight! - Oct. 1 from 12-1 pm  

    • “Please join us on Friday, October 1st PM at 12 PM for a virtual keynote address featuring Wake County Soil and Water District Supervisor Jenna Wadsworth and U.S. Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, PhD. They will be speaking about food system resilience coming out of COVID and the importance of food councils in that work. This keynote will kick off an October Food Council Spotlight featuring information about what is happening with food councils across the greater Charlotte-Metro region. To learn more and stay up to date with our showcase, RSVP to our event on Facebook here: https://fb.me/e/1JTX2qZ47 “ 

  • Foundation for the Carolinas: Food Security: Innovation and Opportunity - Oct 12th from 1-2 pm 

    • “How can innovation in food supply and delivery improve challenged communities? Can an increased focus on food security support economic mobility and positive health outcomes? Join us for a compelling discussion on local and national efforts to create better food access and eradicate food deserts.” 

  • AmeriCorps Webinar - Resiliency and Service Wellness - Oct. 27th from 3-4 pm  

    • “Attempting to effectively serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA member during this time of great uncertainty, community unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic can be off-the-charts challenging. Fortunately, our individual and collective experiences and legacies are ones of resiliency. This engaging one-hour session includes an opportunity for members to reflect on resiliency rooted in their diverse cultural backgrounds and will explore different approaches to integrating wellness practices during their year of service.” 

  • Lights on Afterschool is Oct. 28th  

    • "Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year. The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to draw attention to the many ways afterschool programs support students by offering them opportunities to learn new things—such as science, community service, robotics, Tae Kwon Do and poetry—and discover new skills. The events send a powerful message that millions more kids need quality afterschool programs.” 

  • Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is Nov 13-21 

    • “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is an annual program where people come together across the country to draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness. Participating groups spend the week holding a series of educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events.” 

  • NC Nonprofits Conference – Nov 3-5  

    • "The last two years have shown us a thing or two about social injustice, political agenda, isolation, and basic human needs. Through it all, we’ve felt the undercurrent of just wanting to belong. Belonging means something different to each of us. But at the end of the day, it’s about bringing all of us together – creating the space to show up with our full selves – on the path to a community that is inspired, communal, equitable. This year’s conference focuses on building faith and equity for ourselves, each other, our partners, and our sector. Join us for all the ways we can move forward to belonging."

September 1st Meeting Recap 

Hello VISTAs!

Thank you so much for your participation in our first cohort meeting yesterday! We went over a lot, so please read the following information carefully. 

Cohort Meetings

• Remember: cohort meetings are an important component of your service year and provide a unique space for us to connect throughout service. Thank you for continuing to prioritize your attendance and participation.

• By this Friday: fill out the Google Form with your availability for future cohort meetings: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOyjqazOqFLllbNoNpj6JoBnuQH7rJBs-FmuwE8MASLhpZXg/viewform?usp=sf_link

• Please start thinking about what group norms and expectations you'd like to see in our cohort. At our next meeting, we will discuss how to make the space comfortable for everyone.  

VISTA Bios

• We will be posting an introductory blog on the NC Campus Compact website to introduce this year's VISTAs. If you'd like to write your own blog, please email me ASAP. You can read my intro on the NC Campus Compact website here. Yours can be as long or as short as you'd like, but think about including some of the following information:

• • Where you're from

  • What you were doing before your service year

  • Where you went to school and what you studied

  • Any extracurricular activity that you want to mention 

  • What made you want to serve with AmeriCorps?

  • What you are looking forward to in service

  • What your next step is (or what it might be, no pressure!) 

  • Some hobbies that you enjoy

  • A favorite quote, book, or movie

VISTA Annex

• We are excited to start using the VISTA Annex as a primary hub for announcements, resources, and communication.  Feel free to start checking it on a regular basis for new announcements and information.  As mentioned, we will start leaving “scavenger hunt” type messages in the site, so be on the lookout for those clues!

VISTA Forms

• Make sure you have sent your Teleservice and Emergency Contact forms to me or Erin. These can be found on the VISTA Annex.

• If you'd like business cards, please fill out the business card form as well. These can be found on the VISTA Annex.

• Reminder:  if you have/want to take on a part-time job, you must complete the Outside Employment Request form to be signed by NC Campus Compact (your official VISTA supervisor) and AmeriCorps.  Additionally, if you are planning to pursue an academic course, you must complete the Course Request Form. These forms and policies can be found on the VISTA Annex.

One Month Evaluations

• If you started service on July 19th, your one month evaluations are due September 17, 2021.  Evaluation forms can be found on the VISTA Annex.

Upcoming Opportunities

• AmeriCorps Webinar: Developing a Work Plan from Your VAD – Wed, September 8th from 3-4 pm – Register here 

• 9/11 Day of Service – Some campuses host a 9/11 Day of Service that you may be able to participate in or help plan.  

• Racial Equity Institute – Phase 1 training September 25-26th .  If you are interested in attending, please let Hannah or Erin know as soon as possible.

• Lights on Afterschool - October 28th 

NC Campus Compact Virtual Dialogue Series 

• Aristotle's Cafe: Starting 16 years ago as a university student, Hassan Ghiassi began holding discussions on life’s most important topics for his fellow students. Today he’s made a major impact with over 300 facilitators trained globally, over 1,000 facilitated discussions in person and virtually, and he’s even had the chance to sit down with over 10,000 people. In 2020 he was honored to be the Lead Facilitator for the Better Conversations Project at The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum – bringing together educators, city officials, community members, and the entire city in looking back and thinking forward. As the Founder of Aristotle’s Cafe, he has worked for over a decade to design a format that brings people together to have discussions that matter.

• Aristotle’s Café Interview with Hassan Ghiassi - September 29 (2 p.m. - 3 p.m.) REGISTER

• Aristotle’s Café Training for Faculty only - September 30 (1 p.m. - 4 p.m.) REGISTER

• Aristotle’s Café Training for Students only - October 13 (1 p.m. - 4 p.m.) REGISTER

Articles to check out

• Food Insufficiency During COVID-19

• Beyond Food Deserts

• Food assistance continues to top pre-pandemic levels

• Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools