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Making the switch from college student to a paid volunteer
Page Blair smiles at the women scribbling intently on journal pages in the sunlit front room of the Lawrence Percolator, 913 Rhode Island St. They write, pause, tap
their pens, and absorb their environment: Origami kites of various shapes and colors suspended above their heads, silver streamers rustling and gleaming in the trees outside the window and wind chimes singing softly with the breeze. They write of oceans and gardens, conversations between vegetables and games of checkers.
Blair, Bartlett, Ill., graduate, majored in creative writing at KU. She holds a creative writing class for women at the Percolator every other Wednesday evening. She teaches similar programs at the Juvenile Detention Center and the Douglas County Jail. This is her dream job, so she's learned to live with the fact that the meager pay makes her eligible for food stamps.
Blair is a member of AmeriCorps, an organization that places people in roles of service that are lacking in communities across America. There are two different programs for individuals: AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA, or Volunteers in Service of America. The State and National level focuses on active and involved community service, and VISTA members work from administrative positions to fight poverty and address the needs of the underprivileged.
Each program is based on a one-year contract that provides members with benefits and a modest monthly stipend. After completing the program members receive an education stipend, which they can apply to school loans or future education such as graduate school.
Blair, who is in her second year as an AmeriCorps State and National member, is passionate about serving others. She actively volunteered throughout college, including work for Jubilee Café and Alternative Breaks, so she was thrilled to discover a job that would pay her for something she enjoyed doing for free. Blair's AmeriCorps position is based out of the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, 2518 Ridge Court, where she matches volunteers with nonprofit organizations around Lawrence. She uses her skills and interests to benefit others through self-initiated community service projects. Blair's resume includes teaching creative writing, collecting prom dresses for girls who can't afford their own and working with Lawrence High School's hip hop dance team.
"All those things and all that experience goes towards my AmeriCorps, but it's also building my job skills," Blair says. "There's a program in California called WritersCorps that I'm applying for. They have visiting artists come and teach creative writing to youth, which is basically what I'm doing, but it's a nice, salaried position."
Alexandria Murnan, Pittsburg senior, dreamed of pursuing a career in public service since high school. She is in the midst of the application and interview process for AmeriCorps, which you can begin online at www.americorps.gov. After creating a profile and registering with AmeriCorps, you can complete the eight-step application and two required references. The application is for State, National and VISTA, and you can determine which is right for you by visiting the website and clicking on each program for more information.
"I think a lot of the idea of AmeriCorps is that it kind of provides you with professional skills, like a jumping off point."
PAIGE BLAIR. AMERICORPS MEMBER
The application is time-consuming, Murnan says, and including interviews the process can take three or four months to complete. When you finish the general application, you can choose what organizations to send it to based on your service interest and geographical preference. A list of available positions within State and National or VISTA, appears with descriptions. Murnan applied for adult literacy and service learning positions in Washington, Florida and Alaska and has been interviewing for the past few weeks.
AmeriCorps assignments vary based on
Photo illustration by Valerie Skubal
Photo illustration by Valerie Skubal
Getting thrifty, Kendra Davis works Wednesday through Saturday at the Social Service League Thrift Store. She says living on a minimal income has taught her how to budget and spend money wisely.
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