Reunited States:

Building Connections in a Disconnected World.

When asked, “what is the first sign you look for in order to learn about an ancient civilization?” Rather than giving the typical response – tools or articles of clothing for example, celebrated anthropologist Dr. Margaret Mead replied, “a healed femur!” Her rationale was that when someone breaks a femur, they can’t hunt, fish, properly function in a society, or thrive unless they have help from others. For Dr. Mead, a healed femur indicated that someone identified with, and helped that person rather than abandoning them, placing self over service.

AmeriCorps.

In my opinion, this allegory highlights what service is really all about – recognizing the interconnectedness of our thoughts, feelings, and subsequent actions as we embrace the innate responsibility we have towards one another.

In a sense, those of us who actively serve others are healing femurs of one sort or another. Whether building organizational capacity, promoting general public health, or serving as a campus coach providing positive encouragement, personalized support, or random acts of guidance, (like some sort of psychological traumatologist), we become advocates for the marginalized or underserved, doing our best to contribute to a healthier, more balanced, equitable and inclusive society. When I sign up for a given assignment, I also agree to accept the responsibility that goes along with becoming an agent of change, and a purveyor of empathy, compassion, and direct action, etc. Through a commitment to national service and volunteerism, those of us who serve play a role in bridging divides, and helping to unite Americans through positive efforts and collective interactions.

Yes, volunteering is about helping others but, what I’ve learned is that in so doing, we too are helped. This benefit (the transformative power of service), will be the foundational undercurrent of this entire blog as I look back over challenging, rewarding, and ultimately, some life changing experiences I’ve had in service.

Coming to AmeriCorps has provided me, as well as the populations I serve, with simultaneous opportunities to learn and grow especially when we both purposely challenge, step out of, or push through our comfort zones (a feat that is not always easy to achieve, or as easy as it sounds). It’s worth noting here that true change never is. No. This blog is not about striving in service, or simply surviving in service. Ultimately, it’s about thriving in service. For me, this involved exploring my personal biases, examining my beliefs, challenging my insecurities, moving past self-imposed limitations, and learning to pour my energies into finding things that worked, as opposed to avoiding that which did not. It’s a type of “reckoning” I perform during each assignment that I participate in.

Collectively, my volunteering experiences have been a remarkable journey, a gradual process where I moved from being a general noun to becoming a specific verb (changing states). Each assignment takes me on a deeply personal, transformational odyssey filled with countless discoveries, and opportunities for me to inspire the re-wiring needed, (both within myself as well as within others), to facilitate positive transformations, forge valuable, collaborative partnerships, get things done, and to build new connections in a vastly disconnected world!

My goal is always the same – leave my host site, and its surrounding community, a little better off by the end of my service term than it was at the beginning. An added benefit that I find attached to this objective is that I too am better off – i.e., not the same person I was when I started but one who has experienced profound levels of growth both personally and professionally from each experience.

Inspire to Rewire:

Promoting Cultural Intelligence Through Service

Esprit de Corps

Service is nothing, if not about acknowledging, forming, and maintaining meaningful, collaborative partnerships or connections while participating in a noble activity, event, or a cause.

There is power in partnerships both personally and professionally. The pandemic, (with its quarantine and social distancing mandates), made it abundantly clear that, while we live in a world of staggering diversity, we are all interconnected, and that the number as well as the quality of those connections can, and do, have a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. In service, collaborative partnerships serve as the very foundation for change.

Notions such as these were in the back of my mind as I began exploring potential assignments. Towards the end of my research and position reviews, I came across Miles City – a small rural town with an estimated racial makeup of 95.3% White, 2.4% Native American and Pacific Islanders, and 0.3% African American. None of my earlier research efforts even came close to revealing a more challenging (potentially rewarding) post to serve in as it related to forming new, meaningful, collaborative partnerships or connections, seeking as well as providing understanding, searching for common ground, and growing as an individual while getting things done – than Miles City, MT. That said, it was clear from the giddy up, that with its current demographic profile Miles City would pose a bit of a challenge as it related to settling in, getting busy, and getting things done. However, none of those issues dissuaded me when it came to signing on and accepting this assignment. What can I say? I love a challenge.

My ongoing research revealed that Montana earned its reputation as the Treasure state due to the discovery of gold, silver, copper and precious gemstones – some if its natural resources. Just like those early prospectors, I did a bit of digging and a little panning but soon discovered some of Miles City’s vast, untapped, precious, human resources. In case you were wondering, yes it took a while at first, but as time moved forward the entire process took on a life of its own.

Before I knew it, I was serving rural Montana communities in the aftermath of COVID19. I became an active part of a new, diverse community of people (from various population centers, with differing socio-economic backgrounds, various communication styles, ethnic classifications, and levels of systemic neuroethical considerations as well as tangible neurodiversity issues, etc.), who were not only hard working and focused, but simply fun to be around.

Undivided Attention: The Sum of Our Parts.

Working within diverse populations always enhances my awareness and strengthens my belief that every person has the ability to offer positive components from their particular traditions or experiences which can add unique perspectives, values, and new ways of viewing and/or doing things.

I have been fortunate enough to connect with organizations and a diverse group of individuals who were both, conscious of connection, and willing to collectively confront their own biases (even willing to put aside any misgivings about working with a new comer). This mindset acknowledged that, despite apparent differences, we share common struggles, and are all “in this thing together.” Over time, this collective, progressive mindset evolved into a positive sense of “Esprit de Corps” which facilitated all subsequent collaborative efforts relating to various local, regional, and national projects.

Our collective belief that we could succeed enabled us to continue our efforts even in the face of singular or collective hardships, challenges, and the typical ups and downs which go along with tackling intractable, long-term problems, challenging projects, and the typical service related issues. The resulting unifying under-current of this collective state resulted in a positive, energetic, exciting camaraderie, and the cultivation of a “can do” spirit.

In the end, I found that the power of diversity is its ability to challenge old stereotypes, invalidate erroneous, historic, divisive and/or antagonistic suppositions, untangle confused narratives, and reduce barriers to getting things done in a meaningful and effective way. DEI in action inspires us to rewire our brains as we seek the formation of connections with those who are different from ourselves. Through our continued, inclusive activities, we actively created a whole which was greater than any one individual element, and we were all better for it.

Being the Verb, Not the Noun.

Thriving in Service, A Civic Reflection.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding in things which simply do not matter” – Francis Chan.

Made in AmeriCorps: 3 Shorts Service Stories.

This short story segment looks back on my time as an AmeriCorps volunteer offering the singular events that made my service experiences among the most fulfilling aspects of my life. During my service terms, I have been fortunate enough to have witnessed, as well as been a part of, countless magical moments of inspiration. However, these 3 situations briefly described below stand out.

Service Short Story 1: AmeriCorps Vista/HandsOn Greater Phoenix.

The concept of believing is seeing and other mindset practices mentioned throughout this blog became more than academic exercises to me after suffering a catastrophic bicycle injury where I fractured my femur half way through my service term. My acknowledgment, use of, and continued practice of these concepts took place shortly after regaining consciousness.

That first day out of surgery, I conducted a self-assessment and situational analysis and ultimately decided to stay on and honor my commitment to serve. I concluded that, over the next 6 weeks of recovery, positive visualizations as well as the cultivation and maintenance of an optimistic attitude would be a much more important focal point than my post-surgery pain, daily struggles, and general condition.

That same day, I called my site supervisor from my hospital bed and asked him to go into my apartment and bring my computer to my hospital room so I could do some work. He couldn’t believe that I wanted him to do that but he did.

I began routinely envisioning myself on the fast track to a full recovery and then, going on to complete my service successfully. To that end, I created a slightly modified, but strict daily fitness and general routine (similar to my pre-injury activities of daily living), focused on that which was in my control, remained positive and optimistic regardless of what happened, and above all – refused to quit.

I arose at 4 am each day, washed up, ordered my meals for the day, assembled my gear, and wheeled myself down to the fitness center (conducting a workout similar to the one I did prior to my injury), had breakfast, wheeled myself to a secluded place to work on projects, check and respond to emails. I ate lunch, then wheeled myself to a shaded spot outside to enjoy the crisp desert air, prior to having dinner, and preparing for bed. This was tough at first since I couldn’t even stand up without assistance, much difficulty, and pain, but I stuck with it and it eventually became progressively easier.

From that first day, I became so self-sufficient, that the overworked nursing and ancillary staff members soon realized that they essentially had one less patient to take care of. I was doing all of the work, and the smiles on their faces when they eventually caught up to me for routine visits told me all that I needed to know. They were simply delighted to be assigned to “take care” of me. Two weeks into this routine, I was approached by finance, and told that I met all the recovery metrics 4 weeks early and was being discharged. At first, I was upset by this, but it turned out to be the best thing for me allowing me to get back out into the “real world” weeks earlier than was originally scheduled.

One month after discharge, I was back on my bike, having a solid month of full service to area residents under my belt and counting. Later that year, I successfully completed my assignment, and continued on. So, in my case, Dr. Mead would not only find evidence of a healed femur, but that I was also supported and helped, which directly contributed to me going on to help others, allowing me to successfully complete my term of service, and to continue finding success in every endeavor that followed.

Service Short Story 2: AmeriCorps Vista/SNAP.

On my next assignment, a middle-aged man came into my office early one morning, visibly shaken, upset and agitated. I invited him to have a seat and then asked, “How can I help you today?” With that, he stated that he was a veteran who was wrongly and prematurely discharged from the armed services, didn’t have a resume, and was unsure about how to address this or even where to start. As he talked about how frustrating it was to complete multiple job applications without getting any call backs, he suddenly began crying. I mean crying loudly and somewhat uncontrollably.

However, rather than interrupting him, I allowed him to “get it all out of his system,” releasing all frustrations. As he began to settle down, I assured him that we were here to help him. I then began to ask him very specific questions pertaining to his career choices, aspirations, service activities, track record, etc. As he provided information, I began typing. After roughly fifteen minutes, he said that’s it. With that, I pressed print and out came his new resume. When I handed it to him for review, his facial expressions, body language, and vocalizations changed from the angry, frustrated, and emotionally overwhelmed person who entered the office to an excited, happy, and upbeat individual filled with hope. He was smiling ear to ear as he expressed his appreciation. He stated that this was the first place he had been to in months that actually offered him real assistance. He then gleefully said, “now I have a chance.” Clearly, he was on cloud nine but you know what, so was I. When I glanced over at my volunteer assistant, I saw that she had tears in her eyes. Right there, that was when I realized that after years of tolling in corporate America, crunching numbers, pushing papers, micromanaged, and feeling under-appreciated, stressed, exhausted, and unfulfilled, that I had finally discovered what I was meant to do. I decided to continue answering the call to serve.

Service Short Story 3: AmeriCorps National/Goodwill Industries Int’l.

During service term with Goodwill Industries International, Rockville, MD., I was assigned the task of observing their job training program. I remember my first day, sitting in a meeting room with local residents and the training coordinator. For reasons I will not get into here, I walked away after the close of business each day, for 2 solid weeks, firmly convinced that the initiative I was observing was not helping nor was it going to help local residents. By week 4, that training coordinator left the position. I was approached by the Center Director, asked to take over, and simply advised to just “do whatever you think is best.

My First Job Club Training session

I took that suggestion as motivation to conduct specific research, and then, design a meaningful, effective, and comprehensive job training program from the ground up. The program (Job Club) became so successful, that attendees soon began disappearing from group meet training sessions, only to return during subsequent sessions to announce that they had found work and to thank me for helping them. Near the program’s mid-point, I started being approached in parking lots by people I didn’t even remember seeing at training sessions stopping me to announce that they too had found jobs and thanking me for helping them out of dire situations. This new Job Club initiative turned out to be so popular and effective that I was asked to replicate and conduct sessions in a suburban as well as a rural environment. Finally, I was offered and accepted an invitation to serve as a “subject matter expert” at the state’s Department of Employment office where I presented information, discussed employment issues, market trends, answered questions, and gave out copies of my printed materials to attendees at what turned out to be a standing room only crowd.

One Last Service Short Story: Marvelous, Montana Moments.

Service in the great state of Montana has meant a lot to me. This was a foundational assignment replete with many accomplishments as well as a number of “firsts.” As my service winds down, I reflect on this assignment as a significant milestone for Miles Community College and Miles City as a whole. This assignment opened the door for AmeriCorps members to serve on the Miles Community College campus. It marked the pivotal moment where an AmeriCorps member working with Montana Campus Compact set up and carried out several 911 Day of Service, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Day of Service, and Global Youth Service Day events for the first time in the history of this small, picturesque, bucolic town. These initiatives have unquestionably left an indelible mark on the community.

Throughout my term of service, I have been actively engaged in various roles aimed at supporting the growth and development of regional college and high school youth. Co-teaching a career skills development class has been deeply rewarding – allowing me to impart valuable knowledge, and guidance, while offering counseling, life skills, and mentorship to a diverse student population. Another significant achievement during this term has been my establishment of the campus Career Services Center. Through this initiative, I have created and distributed informative career publications to benefit area residents, regional stakeholders, as well as college and area high school students. Finally, by creating and publishing the college’s bi-annual, eponymous, Career Services newsletter, I have kept the community informed and engaged while placing a tangible career exploration, development, and planning tool for future growth in the hands of area youth, young adults and community members at large.

These events and positive interactions have allowed me to foster strong collaborative relationships with staff and local stakeholders, facilitating effective communication and cooperation. However, the accomplishment that I am most proud of during my time here is that this assignment became the first-time many students and locals got to meet and interact closely with a professional who happened to have been a Black man, (seeking to foster understanding, bridge divides, shatter stereotypes, dismantle faulty narratives, highlight the advantages of diversity, and promote civic responsibility). Overall, this term of service has been characterized by meaningful contributions and lasting impacts, and I am proud to have been part of such transformative initiatives at Miles Community College and, in Miles City.

My diverse service journey has always given me opportunities to take a good look at myself in a variety of settings, and I am both grateful and thankful for that. What I’ve discovered is that: 1) I am a work in progress, 2) ridding myself of habits which no longer serve me, as well as adopting those which do, is a daily practice, 3) change itself is a process that takes continued efforts in order to overcome old counterproductive habits, outdated reflexive conditioned responses, egoic impulses, etc., and 4) in the quest for excellence, there is always room for improvement.

Whether facing new challenges, combating old counterproductive habits, or constantly seeking to push myself out of my comfort zone by exposing myself to new and different situations, I often reflect on these, and other similar service (life) experiences when I come up against some adversity in life or in service, feel stressed, or fall back into the old habit of thinking that I can’t do something. All of these situations, outcomes, and experiences remind me of a quote by former slave and Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus, [55 – 135 AD], “circumstances don’t make the man, they only reveal him to himself.” To me, that is a wonderful place to start any transformative journey.