Service in Quarantine by Julian Costantini
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson 6 months ago I wouldn’t imagine that I’d be moving to the Flathead Indian Reservation in the beautiful state of Montana and living there for a year. In the last year, I haven’t lived anywhere for more than 2 months at a time. I traveled to Iowa, South Dakota, New Jersey, and Georgia doing construction projects with a band of misfits as part of my service with AmeriCorps NCCC. When the pandemic hit, we were told we’d be sent…
MY TRANSITION BETWEEN TWO SERVICE YEARS BY LAURIE BERG
About 6 months into my first year of national service, COVID-19 became a large issue in my community and organization. It affected our everyday work, bringing us to work from home, open a community fund for relief efforts, and view the current child care crisis from a new lens. A lot was on my plate when this issue arose, and on top of it all, I was looking for and applying to jobs for once I completed my year of service in Bozeman, MT. I had such a good time during my first year that I decided I wanted to…
Enough is Good Enough – Serving During COVID-19 by Bella Bussian
On July 18th, 2020, my dusty and unnervingly noisy Subaru Outback screeched its way through the winding Gallatin Canyon, popping out into the flat bowl where Bozeman, Montana sits. The tranquility of the Gallatin River starkly contrasts with the engine breaks of semis with wide cattle eyes peeping out of their small cages and the accelerations of big trucks and cars, zooming through to their next destination. The noises reverberate throughout the canyon, zig zagging across the highway and up the rocky walls. Climbers dot the vertical granite while fishers, rafters and hikers move across the horizontal plane of the…
Embracing the Community by Courtney Bentz
One of my first hands-on Americorps projects was helping to build a house. I was brand new in my VISTA position at the International Rescue Committee. Entering service in the midst of a pandemic greatly limited not only the scope of my work, relegating all tasks to online and from-home service, but also my exposure to our clients and staff. I was excited to interact with our refugee population, and doubly eager to do so outside of a traditional office space. So naturally, when the opportunity arose to participate in an outdoors volunteer effort for one of our clients, I…
Leaning into Uncertainty with Grace by Cony Craighead
Ever since I was a small child, I was enraptured by the idea of service to one’s country, even if for just a year. I think something of great importance is transferred when offering yourself, your skills and your abilities, to the larger community. It can help develop the social connective tissues that allow us to build common ground, providing a foundation upon which we can all grow and flourish. I was born and raised in Missoula, Montana, but chose to pursue my college education and early career outside of the state. I love my home, but I am also…
IT’S OKAY TO LOVE BUTTE. BY NICO FLEMING
Cicero, IL, York, PA, Anaheim, CA, Utica, NY. If you had to picture it, what would the tenth most populous city in Montana look like? An easy guess could be a suburb of the nearest super metropolis, which in Montana’s case happens to be in Washington, or perhaps Utah. In other cases, these tenth largest cities are themselves small metropolises, places where residents pride themselves on their non-number-one status, where community and survival go hand in hand. Anaconda, the tenth largest city in Montana with a population of around 10,000, can very easily be thought of as nothing more than…
Closing a Chapter of Service to Begin a New One By Eileen Lamble
Just over a year ago, I packed up my life in Chicago to come to Montana, moving to a state I’d never been, to live with people I’d never met, and to serve in a capacity I had never before. Having just recently graduated from Villanova University, I was so ready to let my post-grad life begin. Serving as an AmeriCorps member through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest (JVCNW), I was placed at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and St. Francis Xavier church (SFX) in Missoula, MT. At the IRC in Missoula, I served with the Housing and Logistics…
Summer at Soft Landing by Mabel and Lorraine Gardner
A Day at Holland Falls By Mabel Gardner It was the last week of June and by this point, Summer was in full swing. Activities and outings with Soft Landing’s youth had kicked off to a great start and everyone, including myself, seemed eager for more. After introducing the kids to mountain biking and campfires, it was clear that Montana’s outdoors was going to be the perfect trend for the summer. Along with a handful of volunteers, Lorraine and I led 12 kids into Flathead National Forest and hiked to Holland Lake Falls. Our group’s excitement could be heard from…
Adapting My Impact by Ethan Marston
Ethan Martson, MTCC AmeriCorps Leader It’s been nearly a year since I began my AmeriCorps service term, and I didn’t really imagine it ending like this. I was assigned to the EmPower Place’s after school program, where I planned and executed fun and educational activities for local elementary- and Pre K-aged kids. But then the pandemic hit. It was no longer safe for groups of children to gather and play like they used to. And, since I have a kid at home myself, I couldn’t visit my host site often since my daughter didn’t have school or safe childcare options….
Serving My Hometown by Serena Whitcome
When I graduated from high school, I left for college with many scholarships in tow, and although many of these scholarships were awarded based on service that I had done while in school, I still felt like I owed something back to my community. In high school, I had been part of service groups such as the National Honor Society, Key Club, and Student Council. Each of these groups had a unique service goal and I absolutely loved helping my community, but when I left for college in another city, helping my home community took a backseat to the…
Expecting the Unexpected by Emily McMath
The Lantern Tours at the Museum were a highlight of the year. It is hard to believe that 11 months have passed since I came to Montana. I feel as I have only just been introduced to this magnificent place and it has come time for me to leave. I do not think I could have predicted a single thing that has happened in these last months, but I am glad and thankful for every experience. It was wonderful to meet a group of differently abled adults when Opportunity Resources Inc. payed a visit. From September to December I spent…
Lessons Learned by Megan Ahern
When I began my service term as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps Leader, I viewed it as merely something to fill time while I attended physical therapy. I had recently torn my Achille’s tendon, making it physically impossible to do my job as a wildlife biologist technician and leaving me scrambling for work. My recovery was projected for fall 2020, which lined up perfectly with the end of my service term, so I figured I would make the most of the experience, face it with a positive attitude, and hopefully never do it again. Now nine months in to my…
Blog Post: Stevens Youth Center 2020 Americorps Vista
I first applied to be an Americorps Summer Vista because amidst COVID-19 I wanted to help in some way. While sitting at home in Pittsburgh, I felt lost and unproductive while self isolating due to COVID-10. While researching what I could do to be a useful community member amidst a pandemic, Americorps popped up. I was excited and eager to venture into a community different from my own and support students over the summer. Ultimately, I was seeking to go outside of my comfort zone and contribute in whatever way I could. Fast forward a few months and I am…
Look Ugly and Do as Much as Possible by Eli Bowe
No one looks pretty on a Zoom call. Of all the national awakenings in 2020, perhaps this is the smallest and easiest to digest. I haven’t just come to terms with it, however; recently, I’ve found it to be something worth embracing. **** In her powerful video essay, “RENT – Look Pretty and Do As Little as Possible”, Lindsay Ellis critiques the solipsistic, bohème philosophy of the famous musical’s (specifically the 2005 film adaptation’s) protagonists. As engaging a 45 minutes as anything I’ve watched, I give it my wholehearted recommendation (although, would-be viewers should be forewarned of strong language in…
Champions of the Pandemic by Madison McDonagh
We all sat in anticipation waiting to hear who would win the Inspire award at the First Tech Challenge robotics state competition at MSU. This award would determine who would compete at the robotics world championship in Houston, Texas. The Anaconda Robolution team. Champions of Montana! Robolution is a team that consists of Montana high schoolers from Butte and Anaconda; this is only their second year as a team and their confidence has grown immensely since last year. They listened and felt relieved each time they didn’t hear their name called especially for the design award which they won the…
What I Learned From Three Years of Volunteering By Sarah Poole
I started my service journey more than three years ago, when I decided to join the Peace Corps with my partner. We accepted positions in the Nepal Food Security program, where we practiced sustainable agriculture with community members, encouraged folks to eat more nutritious meals, built improved cook stoves, and educated people on menstrual hygiene and gender equality. An experience of a lifetime that taught me about a world much different from where I grew up and what I knew in Montana. I think it is only fair and honest to say that I learned so much more from the…
An Unexpected Journey by Lana Petrie
I am not Bilbo Baggins, and this blog is not about the journey of reclaiming the kingdom of Erebor from Smaug. But I have had quite a journey with an organization called AmeriCorps, specifically Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) AmeriCorps. I have served 3 terms with MTCC, one as the Senior Leader and two as an AmeriCorps Leader for Indigenous Research and STEM Education (IRSE) at the University of Montana. This 3rd term will be my last. I have learned a lot during my service years in Montana. I do believe what you put into your service is what you get…
Serving During COVID-19 by Kate Dantzlerward
On the last day I was allowed to do my AmeriCorps service in public, I was in an elementary school helping children with their counting skills. I was inwardly celebrating the promising development of a boy who previously could not add numbers and who finally learned how to add and subtract A teacher I worked with told me that the schools would shut down and send the children home indefinitely. I told her I understood, but I was hiding disappointment: I loved the children very much, and I felt like a safe place for them. Without being able to be…
What I’ve Learned in Six Months by Gabe Alderson
When I joined the Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps program, I was looking to not only make a change in the world, but a change in myself and how I viewed my role in the world. I had been working for years in the private sector chasing money and reputation, which is what I had originally wanted for most of my young life, but it was leaving me with a lingering sense of emptiness that couldn’t be satisfied with money or career aspirations. When I joined AmeriCorps, it was nearly instantaneously that life changed, and the lingering sense of emptiness began…
Masks for the Masses By Megan Ahern
At the start of the year, billions of people kicked off 2020 with resolutions and cheers, largely unaware of the looming pandemic. By mid-March however, those who remained unaffected by the spread of COVID-19 were in the vast minority. Widespread school closures and business shutdowns resulted in tens of millions of layoffs nationwide over several weeks. On April 9th, America’s unemployment rate reached 13%, the highest it’s been since the Great Depression. The evening news painted a picture of pervasive panic on the streets and dire straits in the medical field as hospitals across the country struggled to cope with…