VISTA Member Vanessa Schaefer Reflects on Her Year of Service

This week we bid a very fond farewell to two of our AmeriCorps*VISTA members who are completing their service on Friday. One of those VISTA members is Vanessa Schaefer, who has spent her year of service at Barclay Elementary/Middle School building mutually supportive connections with the Harwood, Abell, and Charles Village neighborhoods.


Recently we caught up with Vanessa to reflect on her year at GHCC.


 You’re originally from Arizona—what brought you all the way out here to Baltimore?

I visited a friend in Washington, DC in September 2009 and we took a day trip up here. All my friends in Arizona were moving further west, but I wanted to check out places that hadn’t been explored as much by my group of friends. I felt like Baltimore was a place on the cultural up-swing, yet it was still a smaller city so it didn’t feel totally overwhelming (Phoenix is a big city, but it isn’t condensed like cities on the East Coast). I went home after that trip and started applying to positions out here and two months later I moved!

Vanessa carrying a scarecrow with Barclay students.

Was VISTA your first choice coming out of college? What other options did you consider? How did your family feel about you moving across the country to do a year of service?

AmeriCorps was my first choice coming out of college, though I hadn’t decided specifically on VISTA. I had considered other things like Teach for America and Peace Corps, but for various reasons I ended up going with AmeriCorps*VISTA, and I’m really happy with how it all worked out. My family wasn’t too concerned about me moving across the country, but I am very close to my brother, so it was difficult to move the farthest from him that I have ever been.

Every VISTA has a lot of ups and downs during their year. What was the toughest thing you had to deal with, and what/who got you through it?

The toughest thing I had to deal with was that early in my year, I was assaulted while in Washington, DC. Being in the midst of making new friends after having just moved alone across the country and started a new job, this added a whole other level of stress to the situation. What got me through it was making friends and pressing through the red tape to take advantage of the benefits AmeriCorps offers its members. Building a support system and utilizing the few resources you do have as a VISTA cannot be touted enough.

What accomplishment are you most proud of from your VISTA year?

My role in helping to create the Organized Parent Group at Barclay. It is one of the most stable, continuous projects I have worked on. This is something that needed my help to exist in the first place, but now that it does, it has the leadership and the momentum to play a huge role in the workings of the Barclay School and the sense of community amongst the families that come here. Capacity building is at the heart of the VISTA mission, and this was my favorite example of that.

What memory will always make you laugh?

Pretty much any event that required Kelly Oglesbee and me to handle the barbecuing at Barclay.

What is your favorite thing about GHCC?

The employees. I live with two people who were VISTAs during my time and they have been great. The people I work with, both GHCC and Barclay School staff, have made my year really enjoyable. They have also been a source of encouragement: seeing so many people working so hard to make Baltimore a better place has shown me the commitment of the community here and demonstrated real possibility for the future.

L to R: Vanessa, new VISTA member Marc Francis,
and Barclay Community School Director
Kelly Oglesbee

Where are you headed after November? Are you planning on staying in Baltimore?

After November, I’m not sure where I'm headed. I am actively looking for job opportunities, but I'm not done traveling yet. I may continue living here and traveling periodically, or I may move to a different state and experience that for a while. Either way, being 23, I don’t feel too terribly anxious about making concrete plans.

Give us the outsider’s perspective—when you moved here, what surprised you most about this city? What do you think is its biggest strength? Biggest weakness?

What surprised me most about Baltimore was how different each neighborhood was while still being in such close proximity to one another. The discrepancy of wealth, the culture of the region, the architecture, everything varied within blocks of each other, and I had never in my life seen that. The biggest strength I found was the sense of community and the willingness of people to work together towards what they want for themselves, their families, and their communities. It may have to do with the history of the city, but the community is something Baltimore should be really proud of.

It’s harder to pin down Baltimore’s greatest weakness. Honestly, it might be something as difficult to fix as the lack of money, or the lack of employment opportunities. These issues breed the street-level problems we see on a daily basis, and unfortunately, it’s a weakness that a lot of towns and cities are facing right now.

If you could say one thing to people just starting their year of service, what would it be?

Just go with it. It will probably be one of the strangest years of your life, and possibly one of the most difficult, but it’s definitely worth it and you’ll learn a lot. Keep your sense of humor and just go with it.

Looking Back on Our Annual Celebration

Every year, GHCC takes an evening to celebrate those most important to us: our donors, supporters, and friends. This year's event, held on November 9, was the best one we can remember: great company, a keynote speech by the Mayor, the unveiling of our very first video, and a fundraising challenge that helped us raise over $5,000 in pledges and donations! Everyone had a blast! While we can't bring back the food, friends, and enthusiasm, we can share some photos from the evening. Click on one of the images below to see more!

www.flickr.com

And don't forget to check out the video, which you can watch right here or check out in full HD on YouTube.

Another Adult Education Success Story

It can be difficult to get started on a Monday, but sharing good news always helps! Today we received an inspiring success story full of praise for our Adult Literacy & ESOL Program:

“James” found out about the Greater Homewood Adult Literacy & ESOL Program by word of mouth, and he claims it was the best thing that ever happened in his tumultuous life. On an educational roller coaster ride trying to get his high school diploma, James had been searching for a program that paid close attention to his needs. His eyes were moist and his voice cracked as he recently asked to speak to his instructor in private. He had this to say:

I’ve been to at least four other GED programs over the years, and this is the only program where I feel like I’m going to get what I need.

At all the other programs the teachers just shoved a copy of some work or other at you, and left it up to you to sink or swim. They didn’t assist you if you had a question, they sat and read the newspaper, or they talked on their cell phones until class was over. I really feel like I can learn here because the instructors teach by taking you step by step through the learning process.

We’d say James got what he needed from GHCC’s Adult Literacy program—just eight months after finding us, he called with the wonderful news that he had received his high school diploma! Congratulations to James, and kudos to the teachers and tutors who never lose sight of what's most important: our learners and their continued success.

Did you know that nearly one-third of adults in Baltimore lack a high school diploma? Without that education, they struggle to support their families and participate activity in their community. If you know folks like James who would benefit from reading and math classes, please encourage them to call 410-261-3524 for information on upcoming enrollment.

Telesis Groundbreaking This Morning

This morning, 150 people gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the $85 million Telesis redevelopment project in Barclay-Midway-Old Goucher. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, neighborhood residents, community partners, and city elected officials all came out to show their support at this inspirational event.

"It was a beautiful sight to see everyone socializing and networking as they came together to celebrate such an important milestone for the Barclay community," said GHCC MSW (Masters in Social Work) intern Treshona Saxton. And indeed it was: the feelings of pride and accomplishment among the crowd were well warranted, as the Telesis project represents a new era for the Barclay community.


Interested in a little history on this project? We like this article in the Baltimore Brew.


Here are a few pictures from this morning's event:

A Uniform for Every Student

Submitted by Kerri Hamberg


As a relatively new resident of Baltimore and a new volunteer at GHCC, I want to spend some time getting to know the area and the organization. Since I’m a former public school teacher and a parent, Christy—GHCC's Development Director and the supervisor for my volunteer work—recommended I start by talking to a fellow parent who’s been working with GHCC in the local public schools.

I sat down on August 26 with Jennifer DiFrancesco, a mother of two and minister at Second Presbyterian Church on N. Charles Street. This summer, GHCC helped her and other parents at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School use direct appeals and social networking to raise over $9000, enough to provide each student with a brand-new uniform for the 2010-11 school year.

“Originally, we’d just hoped to raise enough for a couple hundred second-hand uniforms,” she told me. “But then GHCC stepped up and offered us help with Facebook, Twitter, and Paypal, and suddenly the donations started rolling in. We could never have raised so much money without their help. Now we have more than enough for every child to have a free, brand-new uniform for the first day of school.”

Last week, the school hosted a back-to-school event, where each student was measured for their uniform and everyone went home with a brand-new shirt. GHCC’s Karen DeCamp helped make arrangements for five AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers to assist with the celebratory event.

“Everything went so smoothly, thanks to all of the volunteers. We sold some hot dog plates for $2.50, fitted everyone for their new uniforms, and the kids had a great time,” Jenn said. “I think we’re all looking forward to the new school year.”

Kerri has been volunteering with GHCC's development staff to help with public relations and fundraising efforts. This is her first blog post, but we'll be hearing more from her as she settles in! To read more about Jenn DiFrancesco's amazing fundraising efforts for Margaret Brent students, keep an eye on your inbox for this month's GHCC Digest (or sign up if you haven't already) or check out her feature in Great Kids Up Close.

Join Your Friends and Neighbors for a Night Out at Darker Than Blue Cafe!

What makes Greater Homewood...greater? For starters, how about great food, great hospitality, and great neighbors?

It all comes together on:

September 14, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.

Darker Than Blue Café

3034 Greenmount Avenue, Baltimore, 21218

Bring three of your friends, family, or neighbors for a buffet dinner and discover another reason why you love Greater Homewood.

$26 per person (tax included)

BYOB
Raffle

Please RSVP to Christy Zuccarini (click to open an email) or our the Facebook event so we can get a good head count for Casey Jenkins, a great neighbor and owner of this little gem on Greenmount. 

Make it easy! Purchase your ticket online in advance by clicking the button below.

Too Good to be Thru Update

A couple weeks ago, Pamela Corkran shared her story about growing up in Charles Village and years later opening a consignment shop there. Hopefully, her story made you want to pay Too Good to be Thru a visit. Maybe you even have some old clothes you'd like to sell. Today, she provides an update on her grand opening and consignment process:

Interested in selling your unwanted clothing on consignment?  Too Good to Be Thru is open for business and we have a call out for new consignors!  We are preparing for our grand opening on September 23 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. and you’re invited!  Please call or email us (contact information below) if you’re interested in attending.

Several people who have told me:  “I just donated my items,” or “I just gave my things away,” or “I sell my things at a flea market or yard sale.”  I am here to tell you there is another option that puts that hard-earned money back in your pocket and doesn’t take all the effort or time of a flea market or yard sale.  Just pack your items neatly in a bag or box and drop them off at:

Too Good to Be Thru Consignment Boutique

2123 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218

Please click to read more about our consignment process.