UGA AmeriCorps VISTA Network

Check out this amazing article featuring the important work of our AmeriCorps members at Grow It Know It! Here's a highlight: ' The Grow It Know It program has honestly been a blessing given this pandemic because it gives us activities that are hands-on and outdoors that the kids love, said Nick Bremmer, executive director of WIT and a senior economics major at UGA. They’re learning healthy ways to cook and about living a healthy lifestyle, which is so important. '

We are so excited to share the #MLKDayofService opportunities provided by the Clarke County Mentor Program! MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. This MLK Day, commit to service by being a mentor with CCMP. Attend a training session on MLK Day, January 18, at 12 PM, 3 PM or 6 PM! Sign up for a virtual training here: https://www.clarkecountymentorprogram.org/become-a-mentor.h

New year , new opportunities ! The UGA AmeriCorps VISTA Network is recruiting for THREE open positions. Serving the Athens community is our favorite #NewYearsResolution, let us help you achieve it! : AmeriCorps VISTA Leader: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do The College Factory: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do... The Campus Kitchen at UGA: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do See more

It's #GivingTuesday! Support the efforts of our AmeriCorps service member, LaDiamond, by contributing to the "College Care Give-a-Thon." Today The College Factory is raising money to gift 30 or more graduating high school Seniors with care packages filled with college essentials!

INTRODUCING: Elizabeth Savin Site: Grow It Know It Elizabeth graduated from Wake Forest University having studied business and environmental studies. During her four years there, she was heavily involved with tutoring at the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina and also worked at the gym. Her love of spending time outdoors and sustainable agriculture led her to work at Eleven Mile Farm in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Additionally, Elizabeth volunteered with 412 Food Rescue, a...n organization that seeks to reduce food waste and eradicate hunger by re-disturbing unsellable but edible food. Why I Serve "I want a chance to use my interpersonal skills and sustainability knowledge to make a positive impact on the community. To me, sustainable agriculture is more than just usually environmentally friendly growing methods. It’s about working to ensure that everyone has access to making healthy and informed choices when it comes to what they eat. On a global scale, agriculture has a massive carbon footprint, and by working to promote local agriculture, and through VISTA, I am helping to create a greener future for everyone. I love working outside, and I’m eager to make others excited about local agriculture. When it comes to food, I want us all to be more educated and informed consumers. By improving our relationship to the natural world and knowledge of farming, we can learn to appreciate and take better care of our Earth by supporting sustainable farms and reducing food waste." Keep posted for more updates on the impact Elizabeth's service with Grow It Know It will have on the Athens community!

INTRODUCING: Flannery McAleer Site: Athens Community Council on Aging This is Flannery's first year serving as a VISTA for the Athens Community Council on Aging. Having graduated from Georgia State University in May 2020 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Women, Gender, & Sexuality, she always hoped to get her foot in the door working in nonprofits. Having worked in the restaurant industry for years through school, Flannery saw VISTA as the perfect opportunity to start se...rving her community and to gain valuable workplace and human experience in a role that she hopes will be a starting point for a career in service. Although Flannery is a Georgia native, she has only lived in Athens for a few months, and she is excited to learn more about the community and the people that she will be serving. Why I Serve: "What excites me about managing the Senior Hunger Initiative with ACCA is that the organization prioritizes some of the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our community by serving food insecure seniors who are especially forgotten during COVID-19. The ACCA has a multi-faceted approach to the health, wellness, and happiness of the older members of our society, and the Senior Hunger Initiative, which contains programs such as the Mobile Food Pantry, Takeout Tuesday, and a community garden, help people in tangible, material ways. I’m excited to learn and grow with the ACCA, and so thankful for the opportunity to serve the Athens community and do work that matters!" Keep posted for more updates on the impact Flannery's service with the Athens Community Council on Aging will have on the Athens community!