Relationships are Key

An important part of my role as an AmeriCorps VISTA is to enhance the capacity of my organization to run smoothly after I am gone.  For this reason, I am writing a manual for the next person who comes in to fill my position, since I will most likely not be here to help them transition.  


Here is an expert from the "Lessons Learned" section of my manual:


Make friends with all of the member of the council.  If they like you, they will be more likely to call you back, more likely to open your e-mails and more likely to come to the meetings.  They will be more likely to volunteer to be on subcommittees.  It just works.  Don’t be shy; don’t be rude.  Persistence is key. Put aside your own personality preferences and find something in common with everyone.  Make an appointment with them to sit down and get to know them.  Write down some questions that you’d like answered about who they are, what they do and why they do it.  The conversation will usually get off topic, but that is where some of the real relationship building starts.  


As the saying goes, "It's not what you know, but who you know."  Certainly, you need to know some stuff to get very far.  One of the things you need to know (or learn) is how to know people.  If you don't know them, find a way to know them.


The idea of a Juvenile Justice Council is to foster relationships between all relevant stakeholders working in prevention, diversion and intervention for youth.  By working together, we can achieve so much more than when we try to do all of the work ourselves.  Of course, this doesn't just hold true for our council, but for any project, vision or goal that you may have, be it personal or professional.  

Experience

I've been an AmeriCorps VISTA member for more than eight months now.  I am working as the Coordinator for the Macon County Juvenile Justice Council (and other duties as assigned, of course).  I work closely with the Macon County States Attorney.

Recently, we have been talking about sustainability for the Juvenile Justice Council and have been tossing around the idea of funding my position as an actual JOB, rather than an AmeriCorps position.  The States Attorney must like me because he is very interested in making this happen before my year of service is up so that I can stay on as an actual employee.  Not only does he want to build this position for me, but he also wants the position to be something that I am interested in doing.

What a great compliment!!

My AmeriCorps experience has been a wonderful opportunity for me to make connections, get experience and learn how to get things done (for my community and for myself, it seems).  I believe that I made the right choice jumping in to this position right out of school.  My father wanted me to hold out for something that had better pay (which I would like, too!), but I realized that with my lack of professional experience in such a sluggish economy, that I would not quickly find a meaningful position.

Not only have I been able to develop in my official volunteer position, but in my after-work volunteer positions, as well.  Volunteering at the after-school program has given me experience with children to help me understand the difficulties that teachers face without having to be in a formal classroom.

Recently I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity.  The Decatur branch of Habitat for Humanity has not had an executive director for ten years.  The new director has been on board since August and and is trying to re-vamp the way Habitat is run here in Decatur.  I will be assisting her by writing their Fundraising Plan.  This works perfectly for all parties- I will get some really interesting experience and the director will be getting free work.