Tuesday, November 23, 2010

You can uncross your fingers now

I am very disappointed to inform all my readers that the job interview for a full time position at OASHF did not go very well and I did not get the position. They said I interviewed well but they decided to go another direction with this project. So no relocating to Columbus Ohio which might be a blessing in disguise. It was going to be very difficult for me to up and leave part of my family and my kids for a position in Columbus but I was willing to do it.

I still have another 3 months of AmeriCorps VISTA service to finish and that will get me through the holidays and I am very thankful for that. I was very lucky that I got the extension because usually 3 years is the most anybody can serve in AmeriCorps VISTA. So for that little income to continue throughout the holiday season I am simply ecstatic. I truly love serving in AmeriCorps and this has been the best experience I have had since I had my children. No the income is not so great but the feeling of accomplishing something or being a part of something that changes so many people lives is truly incredible.

So now my role as a VISTA Leader is changing a bit and I'm focusing on other things and not so much member oriented. No more scanning in 20 or so time sheets every Monday and compiling them into one big document and sending them to Columbus. OASHF went to the OnCorps system they all are online and I don't have to worry about them anymore. And no more reading all those monthly reports from all the members and then compiling them into a big report and sending it in to Columbus. That is online now too. I must admit I miss reading those reports.  I liked hearing all the stories that the members would tell about their service. So basically what I do now is get this information from them on our monthly conference calls. It is still great to hear all about what they are doing but it was nice to read the reports too. I always tried to be very hands on kind of Leader and tried to always let my members know that I was there for them and that I have went through a lot of what they are currently going through themselves. I was not their superior but their equal and partner and mentor. Someone they could talk to or bounce ideas off of when they got stuck on something. I am still doing that for them but I just feel that I don't have the communication with them as I did before.

I now am focusing on the Ohio Benefit Bank and AmeriCorps outreach. Tax season is here and we are down to one Community Trainer for all of SW Ohio which is why I have been asked to stay on. I can go back to my Community Trainer role to help out with all of the trainings and tax clinics that are being scheduled now. I must admit it is great to be able to do this again but I sort of feel like a fish out of water. Things have changed on how they do things from when I was a trainer. Things are always changing with the OBB and OASHF this is a good thing but sometimes it is confusing if you are used to doing things one way and they up and change things on you. I'm a smart cookie I'll figure it out.

My AmerCorps outreach includes contacting all the local colleges and high schools in southwest Ohio and setting up days where I can come and set up a table and give out literature or give a presentation about AmeriCorps. This has become harder than I had thought it would be. The first obstacle I have had is trying to get somebody to give me a list of all the public and private high schools and colleges in SW Ohio. So basically I have been calling schools and leaving voice mails for people who are supposed to be able to help me with my questions. So far nobody has bothered to return my calls. Maybe after Thanksgiving I might get some answers. I think a lot of people are out of town on vacation right now going home for the holiday I assume. Anyway this gives me time to get my thoughts in order as to the presentation. I've given this several times at various career fairs so it isn't much different the only difference is that I am not currently recruiting for any positions.

I decided to take on this task because I was shocked on how many people just did not know what AmeriCorps was and I think this is an awesome program so of course I want to shout it from the mountain tops and let as many people know about it as possible. AmeriCorps has truly changed my life and I know it can for so many other people. It is a great opportunity for kids coming out of high school and really do not know what they want to do or what field they want to go into in college. This allows them to help the community earn a little income and get money for college at the same time. In other words a win win deal in my eyes. I only wish someone told me about this when I was in high school. I think things would of been different for me if they had. So this is my mission to go out to the high schools target the senior classes and let them know about all the different programs that AmeriCorps has to offer. I would like to at least get information to all of the high school counselors (at least the ones in SW Ohio) about the program before my service ends.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Cross Your Fingers!

Cross your fingers for me everyone I need it. Next Thursday I go for my first "official" interview with OASHF for the Regional Support and Self-Serve Coordinator position. I am so excited about this interview and nervous as all hell about it too. I will admit I was rather nervous about posting it in the blog because I mean what if I don't get it? There is always that possibility ya know. Oh I know I am awesome and all that and that I can do the job and I have plenty of experience with what the job entails but I also know that others are there and closer and would not have to relocate to take the position like I would have to. And I am sure there are others who actually have a college degree of some sort and not just a little old high school diploma like I do. I would love to be able to go back to school and get a degree of some sort it is one of my goals but sometimes I feel like it is totally unreachable and way out of my league. Then on the other hand I really think I can do anything I set my mind to doing. Oh I don't doubt I have the knowledge and brain power to be able to go to college. It is the money I worry about. Last thing a single mother with 3 kids needs is to get thousands of dollars in debt with student loans. If I had been smarter when selecting my end of service award I would of gotten at least one education award in the 3 years of AmeriCorps service but I didn't and it's too late to change that now.

Oh well onward and upward one day I will get a degree I know it. It is one of my life goals. Speaking about goals; I was reading a friends blog and basically it is a list of goals that she wants to do. This reminded me that having goals is important. We should all have goals of some sort. This blog really struck me for some reason. I mean ya sure I have goals but I don't necessary write them down somewhere but they are in my happy little dizzy head which might not necessary be the best place for them so maybe I should list a few on the blog.

Goal #1 Go back to school for business and social skills and get that darn degree!
Goal #2 Get a better paying job. This should probably go before going to school sense they kind of go hand in hand. You have to have money to pay off those school loans.
Goal # 3 Become more self sufficient. I have been working on this one since I divorced my husband but have not been very successful. Oh I have had good jobs and my own apartment for short periods of time but I always seem to come back home to live with my mom. Thank you Mom for everything!!! Thing is me and my mother are close and I am an only child and if I leave she will have nobody there to help her so no matter what I do I have to always be there for her because she was always there for me.
Goal #4 I would love to actually write one successful grant. I have started a few but they have never been successful where you actually get the funding. The last grant I tried to write was for a special project for Shared Harvest Foodbank. I had rotten computer luck and my laptop died and I had not backed up any of my information so I had to start over from scratch and by the time it was time to submit there was no way I could get it finished on time.So I failed terribly with that one.
Goal #5 I want to always make my children proud of me and to be a good role model for them. I haven't always been a good role model I don't think but I have grown and changed many things about myself for the better I think.

OK there is a few of  Martha's goals for you and me to think about.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Simply Delighted!

I am simply delighted to announce that I have been granted an extension for 3 more months of AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader service! Yay! So no more counting down days or at least not for a while. What this means is instead of me ending my service on December 9th it will now be March 9th which will give me more time to secure full time employment and get me through the holidays with some kind of income coming in. So I can relax for a bit and not "Freak Out" like I put in my post yesterday.

Another thing I am seriously considering is relocating to Columbus Ohio which is where my main office is located.  I have officially put my request in for a position they have available there. This is right up my ally and works with the same programs I have been working with for the last 3 years which is The Ohio Benefit Bank and the The AmeriCorps*VISTA program I love working with The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and all the people there are just fantastic! They have made my job such a joy over the past 3 years and I really think that is important when looking at a career. You have to be happy where you are working the people you are working with and be passionate about your goals and accomplishments. As long as your goals and the organization you are working with match then going to work every day is not like work but  fun. Work shouldn't have to feel like work so I always try to find something I think I would really enjoy doing. This just makes it easier to get up early in the morning.

Relocation will be the only difficult part. I have lived with my mother for so long ever since my divorce from my ex husband which has been around 11 years. I love my mother and I thank God for her each and every day but I really feel it is time for me to take this leap of faith and spread my wings and fly.  I've been searching on Craigslist for apartments but I just know that the only way to really find what I want which is a little 2 bedroom apartment for me and my girls, if both of them want to go with me, is to actually get there and spend time in Columbus and I'm really not going to do much of that until I get conformation that I have the position. Columbus is huge compared to Hamilton where I am now so this will be an adventure one I am very excited about doing. So cross your fingers for me and say a few prayers I need all the help I can get with this one.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Make A Difference Day!

Only 21 Days of AmeriCorps VISTA Service left and this does not count weekends and to be honest I am kind of starting to freak out a little as to where I will be going next. But I know something will open up and everything will be OK. All else fails I will enjoy the holidays and seek for work after the first of the year so I guess it's not so bad.

October 23rd was National Make A Difference Day which meant it was one of those days that all National Service Volunteers such as VISTA's or AmeriCorps State members have to do some kind of direct community service for the day. It is always great to be able to do direct service and get in there and help the community directly and I always get a big kick out of these service project days. VISTA members are limited on how much direct service they can do so when it is a National day of service such as Make a Difference Day we get to go out into the community and do some hands on stuff.

For my Make A Difference Day project I volunteered the day at the Lighthouse Food Pantry. This was a great opportunity to help out the food pantry and the local community. I helped people shop at the Choice Pantry picking out the food they were allowed to have and helping them load up their groceries in bags. This was really great because this food pantry is only a few blocks from my house and I have gone there for food before so this was a great chance to give back.

The Lighthouse is what is considered a “Choice Pantry” meaning people get to pick what they want from the different categories of food. Each person is given a color coded card for their household size and they go through the shelves of food which is color coded according to each food group. The person then gets to choose the food that they want which I think gives them a sense of control over what they get from the food pantry. Some food pantries just give you a box of food and say there you go and you really have no idea what is in the bag until you get it home. Choice pantries give people the right to choose what they get and it educates them on proper nutrition. Some people have food restrictions and cannot eat just anything so the choice pantry let’s them pick out what they want and sometimes they will hold back food for people with special diets. This is what makes a Choice pantry so fantastic and the Lighthouse is filled with so many compassionate people who really seem to care about the people they serve. Even going out of their way to talk with people who are there giving them a hug and let them know that the Lighthouse cares about them.

It is never any fun going to a food pantry for food but when you do have to go to one it is nice to feel welcome and not just another number and I think the Lighthouse really goes out of their way to make sure everyone feels welcome there.
This is the front of the Lighthouse Church located at 626 Ridgelawn Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45013
This is just the beginning of the line as I first got to the church this line ended up wrapping around the building!
This fuzzy picture is of one of the people who volunteered at the Lighthouse that day sorry my camera took fuzzy pictures my camera wasn't the best but hey what can you expect from a $15 digital camera from Krogers?

 For Christmas I am hoping Santa brings me a nice new digital camera :)