Celebrating Literacy and People

Submitted by Jaclyn Paul, Program Assistant for Development and Administration


Last week, I was asked to wear my photographer hat and volunteer my services at our 20th Annual Literacy Celebration.   More than 160 program volunteers, current and former staff, learners, and partners came out to recognize the wonderful work GHCC's Adult Literacy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Program is doing.  I'd like to share a few of my favorite moments from the event in the form of a short photo essay.





I felt fortunate for the opportunity to see these heartfelt performances from the Greenmount Senior Center Dance Team.



Without meeting them in person, it's hard to convey just how strong the tutor-learner bond can be.  Seeing tutors speak about their learners—and vice versa—brought home to me how much these pairs become like family, completely invested in reaching a shared goal.



The first photo doesn't do it justice, so I just have to highlight the butterfly wings learner Ruby used to represent the changes she's undergone in her life since coming to the Literacy Program.



Our VISTA members have shared a lot of stories on this blog lately, but sometimes we forget how much impact they have on our staff.  Here, Special Literacy Projects VISTA Cyndel Taylor (shown receiving flowers) receives a big thank you from Program Director Todd Elliott and Assistant Director Kim Bosworth.

To see more photos from the evening, check out our albums on Facebook or Flickr.

VISTA: A Legacy of Service

Throughout April, we heard a number of stories from current and former AmeriCorps*VISTA members.  VISTA is a national service program dedicated to eradicating poverty in the United States.  VISTA members sign on for a year of full-time service, receiving a modest stipend to offset the basic costs of living.  Here, GHCC's VISTA Supervisor shares what he learned from his recent experience at a reception for the 45th anniversary of VISTA in Washington, DC.

We are still recruiting VISTA members to serve at GHCC beginning this August!  If you would like to serve, visit our website for details.

Submitted by Tyson Smith.

I’ve served as GHCC’s VISTA Supervisor for about 18 months now.  Although my role is pretty administrative—managing paperwork, attending meetings and so on—I have developed a real affinity for the AmeriCorps*VISTA mission.  There’s something really inspiring about national service, and even though I’ve never taken my turn to serve the country in this way, I’m glad I’m in a position at GHCC where I can support the individuals who are serving.  That’s why, when I received an invitation to attend a reception for the 45^th Anniversary of VISTA in Washington, DC, I gladly accepted.

At the reception, officials from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)—the government entity that runs VISTA—including CEO Patrick Corvington and Acting Director Paul Davis, thanked former VISTA members and praised the spirit and national impact of VISTA over the past four and a half decades.  Hyepin Im, of the CNCS Board of Directors, spoke about VISTA members in recent years whose work had garnered millions of dollars to support impoverished families and communities impacted by the housing market collapse and economic crisis.  Clearly, VISTA has become an integral part of our nation’s strategy for fighting poverty on many levels.

What I found most impactful, though, were the stories shared by three guests of honor who have had a lifetime of experience with VISTA.  Lynda Robb, daughter of Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, spoke about the day her father launched the VISTA program and the lunch she attended with the very first group of 20 VISTA members. 

Senator Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia spoke about his year of VISTA service over 40 years ago in the Appalachian Mountains, and of the great impact that experience had on the course of his life. 

Maybe most impressive was the story that Representative Gwen Moore from Wisconsin shared.  Rep. Moore was a single mother living on welfare in Milwaukee when her neighborhood applied for VISTA funds to establish a credit union in their community.  She was encouraged to work on that project as a VISTA member, and as a result Rep. Moore became very well educated about finance, lending and other money matters.  Rep. Moore was honored as the VISTA of the Decade for 1976-1986.  Years later, she is sitting on the House Finance Committee. 

Sometimes we think of VISTA as a means to an end: to build a program, to address an issue, to fill a need.  What I learned last Wednesday was that VISTA is much more than an opportunity.  VISTA is a legacy of service.  It can change the course of lives.  VISTA is an incredible way to make a difference in the country, and in one’s self.  I am honored to be a part of this movement and I am so excited to share this experience with the lucky 10 individuals who will join GHCC’s new VISTA team this fall.

Photo courtesy of Federico Santi/Volunteers in Service to America: A Personal Journey.

Neighborhood Walkers: Building Community & Fighting Crime

Citizens on Patrol (COP) groups are a great way to socialize with your neighbors, learn more about your neighborhood, and promote a sense of solidarity in your community.  COP walkers meet on a regular basis to walk through their neighborhood together, giving neighbors a friendly hello and making a note of anything in need of repair or attention.  Walkers keep an eye out for potential code violations, sanitation problems, vacant homes, abandoned vehicles, and more.


Want to know more about how a COP group can get started in your community?  GHCC is hosting a Citizens on Patrol and Neighborhood Walkers workshop on Thursday, May 27.  Join neighborhood walkers and Northern District Police officers at 7:00 p.m. at our offices at 3503 N. Charles Street to find out how to start a group of your own.  Click here for a printable flyer.


Here, Joe Stewart -- one of the residents who started Walking Waverly -- shares a little bit about his experience.

Walking Waverly came out of a meeting of Better Waverly Community Organization’s Quality of Life Committee a few years ago. Nameless at the conception, it began as a suggestion that committee members go outside and see how things were going on warm evenings, when residents gathered on corners, porches, sidewalks, and yards in response to complaints about inconsiderate behavior interfering with others’ peace and quiet.

Here would be a chance to observe what was happening. Maybe it would serve to calm things down.  At the very least, it would demonstrate representatives of the community organization were taking an active interest in matters at the block level.  Notice went out after picking a date, time and location to launch a stroll through the neighborhood.

Launched like a trial balloon on a Wednesday one spring evening by a few residents, Walking Waverly took on a life of its own. Before long, police officers from Northern District, City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, and representatives from various city agencies were tagging along. Walkers greeted whoever was outside, introducing guests from the city to residents on their blocks.

Walkers brought their dogs along. New neighbors joined and learned things about the neighborhood they didn’t know. It was rewarding to be strolling with others, visiting and viewing the neighborhood together in each of the four seasons, with holiday decorations or different flowers in bloom. The commercial corridor was intentionally included. This allowed walkers to interact with merchants and to enjoy the shop window displays.

When it started getting darker, a decision was made to walk an hour earlier during fall and winter months.

What made it work? Leaders showing up regularly, posting ongoing notices, sticking to a schedule rain or shine, sleet or snow, and promoting special guest walks all helped.

What made it safe? Being a neighborly stroll where everyone along the way got greeted, not being confrontational or assuming responsibilities belonging to the police, and having “Walking Waverly” embroidered caps for those who wished to wear them.

Challenges we faced? It is continually difficult getting residents involved in community activities. Chapters could be written speculating why that is. However, it is important to remember a few dedicated people can make a difference and as long as participants remain neighborly, upbeat and willing to show up, Walking Waverly will serve a role in the community.

University of Maryland Social Work & GHCC

Each year, GHCC hosts a Masters in Social Work (MSW) intern at our office.  This year we have been lucky to have Sarah Rogerson, who has taken a moment to share her story with us as she prepares to graduate.  We'll miss you, Sarah!


Submitted by Sarah Rogerson

Carolina is where I call home.  I was born in Raleigh, NC, and spent six years of my childhood in Israel with missionary parents.  We came back to the states for my teenage years and lived in Murrells Inlet, just south of Myrtle Beach.  Since my family’s always been fairly mobile, it came as no surprise to them that I decided to move to Baltimore after coming home from my two-year volunteer stint in Malawi, Central Africa.  I really think it’s all this moving around that helps me adapt in personal, academic, and professional life.

A scholarship to study social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) piqued my interest in the city.  The scholarship was offered through Peace Corps Fellows, a program for returned volunteers.  Since my bachelors degree is in social work from Winthrop University (outside of Charlotte), I was awarded credits toward advanced standing status at UMB for their social work masters program, allowing me to complete my masters in one full year.  I was also drawn to this program in Baltimore because it has a macro option, focusing on management and community organizing.  Always up for a challenge, I’d been looking to expand my experience in the urban sphere.  South Carolina and rural Malawi are laid-back areas, so I was ready for a diverse, fast-paced, action-packed city.  Enter Baltimore.

Once I arrived, I had to choose between two field placements for my MSW (Master of Social Work) internship.  I chose GHCC because of the immediate warmth I felt upon entering the office and the historically strong community connection.  I knew exactly what kind of experience I wanted: a closer look at non-profit management concurrent with hands-on organizing.

I got everything and more at GHCC.  Harmoniously, several tasks I undertook here with this well-established community organization fell in line with classes I took at UMB.  As I studied social action, I was able to join with the Baltimore Education Coalition alongside a multitude of reputable organizations in advocating for full funding for quality education in the city.  My program management class gave me the knowledge to contribute meaningfully to the strategic planning team with key board members and staff.  Finally, my community organizing class gave me the skills to help organize a parent group at the Barclay School.

All of these broad community issues are ones GHCC tackles on a daily basis, making it one of the most unique and competitive organizations of its kind in Baltimore.  If that isn’t enough, the friendly staff have become like a family to me – one I will sorely miss!  

Every aspect of my work at GHCC, though not always planned or perfectly executed, has contributed to the career and personal path I will follow.  Grounded now in community non-profit experience, I feel well-equipped to find a social work job that incorporates these elements.  As I complete my degree program and internship at GHCC, I am grateful for the opportunity to have learned so much from such a competent, driven team of staff dedicated to the continuous improvement of Baltimore City.