AmeriCorps Connections

1.2  Million AmeriCorps Alumni STRONG!  We are a voice for national and community service.  We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other!  Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

We are celebrating April as Earth Month! Highlighting AmeriCorps Alumni who served in environmental programs and are in some way still working in the field.

It is my hope that through these stories of service and current work that you will be inspired to take a moment to look around and embrace the beautiful planet we inhabit.  If you are so inclined by inspired action, you decide to raise up a cause that is important to you when it comes to the important issues that are currently playing out.....I encourage you to do what feels right in your story.

Today we talk with Noah Smock | https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-smock/
NCCC - National Civilian Community Corps - https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps/americorps-nccc
Noah served with NCCC year five, in San Diego!
Noah's career was a backwards fall into service starting in Baltimore 2008

Big ideas and takeaways from our conversation:

1. Service was not molded for me. 
2. 'Work ethic' vs 'interesting work'
3. Complexity of service. 
4. Toolbank is a radical sharing resource! https://www.baltimoretoolbank.org/
5. Alumni Network for work, political voice 

What should we do more of!?
How can I do the thing I am trying to do, with the least amount of resources necessary?
When showering, soak, turn water off, lather, then turn water back on and rinse!😂
If you are going to throw your plastic bottle on the ground, put the top on it so it doesn't sink to the bottom of our waterways!  OR, just -don’t litter! 😀

Connect:

• AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI  - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/
• Maryland State Service Commission - https://gosv.maryland.gov/
• Living Classrooms -  https://livingclassrooms.org/
• Biohabitats - https://www.biohabitats.com/
• Toolbank USA https://toolbank.org/

Shout out!
Hosting and podcast consultation provided by Producer Dan of Time or Money Production.  Thank you Dan! (p.s. - he's an AmeriCorps Alumni)

1.2 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG!  We are a voice for national and community service.  We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other!  Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

Today we talk with Rafi Stern  | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafi-stern-230b3415/ 2010 - 2011
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafi-stern-230b3415/
https://serviceyear.org/nycservice/nyc-civic-corps/

Conversation topics and highlights: 

• Go ahead - start working on a volunteer tutoring program! 
• Engaging community partners - "people from all walks of life". 
• New Politics - https://www.newpolitics.org/ Facilitator and Outreach! 

Rafi's biggest AC take always ....

1. Be present - recognizing you the time you have with the people who are in our life - Love to Mom!
2. Serving as an AmeriCorps member - you will be pushed out of your comfort zone.
3. Collectively - Alumni can be a powerful voting block to expand service!  

Extras: 

• Lawyers Alliance for New York - https://lawyersalliance.org/
• Cure PSP - https://www.psp.org/
• Connect State Service Commission; New York Volunteers  - https://newyorkersvolunteer.ny.gov/americorps-new-york
• Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation - https://www.guttmanfoundation.org/
• Service Year Alliance - https://www.serviceyearalliance.org/
• AmeriCorps pledge from the moon 2016 - https://ms-my.facebook.com/americorps/videos/we-were-over-the-moon-with-our-special-guest-at-the-1of1million-member-event-nas/1247132352005918/
• Exponentum - https://lawyersalliance.org/exponentum

Connect:
AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI 
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/

1 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG! We are a loud voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

** NOTE - I recognize Alaska and Hawaii are not territories! I put that sentence together very incorrectly :(

Today we talk with Brittany McGarry | VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America) 2009 - 2010
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanymcgarry/

AmeriCorps VISTA - https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps/americorps-vista

Conversation topics and highlights:

• Shout out to Louisville KT! Where Brittany grew up. Where did you go to High School? Are you a Louisville or KT fan!?
• Served University of Southern Main, in Portland Main - Community engagement development http://mainecompact.org/programs/americorps-vista/
• Getting into graduate school "If you don't accept me into the program, you are going to see me until you do!" + Relationship management - working with volunteers.
• There are 1 million people living with MS + MS Society engages 50,000 volunteers a year, with 100 staff nationwide!
• Volunteer program, housed in HR department - helps with risk management
• There is no JUST in Volunteer!
• Three legged Event stool Volunteer Engagement, Operations, Marking/Development
• GET INVOLVED! - If you show up to an event alone, you will not leave alone. You will connect with a friend.

Brittany's biggest AC take always .... 

1. Believes her experience in AmeriCorps got her into Grad school!
2. I learned to be comfortable to be alone - I found my independence.
3. Community of AmeriCorps Alumni - we are ingrained and connected.
4. The AC connection can open so many doors!
5. Networking at a next level!
6. Elevated Networking.
7. Be KIND

Extras:

National MS Society - https://www.nationalmssociety.org/

Connect State Service Commission; Serve Colorado - https://servecolorado.colorado.gov/ Service

Year Alliance - https://www.serviceyearalliance.org/

AmeriCorps pledge from the moon 2016 - https://ms-my.facebook.com/americorps/videos/we-were-over-the-moon-with-our-special-guest-at-the-1of1million-member-event-nas/1247132352005918/

Connect: AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/

1 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG! We are a loud voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

Today we talk with Kate Morton | NCCC ( National Community Civilian Corps) 2003 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-morton-pharmd-aahivp/

Conversation topics and highlights:

• 20 Years from serving! MILE STONE
• Grew up in Connecticut - didn't really have a path - Liked the white lab coat and got a job as a pharmacy technician.
• Leaned outside comfort zone - RESET COMFORT ZONE!
• Learnings skills - to connect with people
• Impact of service partners and the community we served - maybe I want to do more!
• Learned about rural health care

Kate's biggest take always ....

1. Discovered she wanted to move to the Southwest
2. Getting things done - chart your own course!
3. New AmeriCorps peeps - lean into your experience, have an open mind, learn and serve.
4. Alumni AmeriCorps peeps - Keep volunteering and serving.
5. Stay connected to AmeriCorps 6. Mentor next generation - students and AmeriCorps members

Extras:

Learn more about NCCC - https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps/americorps-nccc

Connect Serve New Mexico - https://www.dws.state.nm.us/servenm

Connect: AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/

1 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG! We are a loud voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

Today we talk with Barry Kleiman | Honorary AmeriCorps Alumni!!! https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryckleiman/

Conversation topics and highlights:

• Barry is NOT driving - he was sitting in his driveway!
• How the TRUTH will set you and your Career Free - https://www.amazon.com/TRUTH-Will-Your-Career-Free/dp/154320760X
• It's not what you know or who you know - "It's who knows what you know"
• Your networking is your networth (00:13:53)
• If your network is your networth - then your ability to connect with people is the currency that drives it. + Find ways to connect - You have already served lean into service. + How do you want to me known in the market.
• Leveraging LinkedIn ____
• The emptiest mailbox is the one at the end of your driveway - (1:10:01)
• Turn this digital world to analogue. How are you going to connect.

Barry's biggest take always .... 

1. Don't be transactional in a networking situation. (transactional is not a scalable model)
2. In Service to others!
3. Resumes! - How much time are you spending on a resume? It's a collection of facts!
4. Stories SALE!
5. LI - most asked Interview questions -
6. Last questions in an interview - 1.
   1. Can you tell me something about you. CONNECTING!
   2. I wanted to make sure I understanded....XYZ about the job.
   3. When we discussed Z...who are my internal costumers?
   4. Where do YOU see me in the future? - If I did all the things in the next two years - where am I?

Extras:

Barry's 26 Most Asked Interview Questions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmLRq7QEMgI_MMLXxh1qBP8V3MHXD2Mp6  Link for book - How the TRUTH will set You & Your Career Free https://barrykleiman.com/get-free-book/  Link for Leveraging LinkedIn Workshop https://barryspeaking.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Leveraging+LinkedIn+-+Gen+W2019.mp4 The Fifth Quarter Project - https://thefifthquarterproject.org/

Connect: AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/

1 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG! We are a loud voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

Today we talk with Cristina Flores | Literacy First - Austin Tx- 2011 - 2014 https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinaeflores/

Conversation topics and highlights:

• Graduated with a degree in Opera! Nonprofit - and bilingual communities in Austin. Learned from students and members on AmeriCorps team. Understanding how the education system works.
• Served three years!
• Frustration with systems that can only be changes by legislation this brought her to New Politics. 
• 1/2 Bridal party AmeriCorps!
• Finding mentors and keeping in touch with them.

Cristina's biggest take always ....

1. Students taught me to think about myself
2. Flying the plane while we are building it!
3. New Politics Leadership and Academy - recruits and develops national service alumni ( AmeriCorps, return Peace Corps volunteers, Military veterans, other service professionals like teachers, non-profit leaders and social workers).

Interested in -
Answering the Call! - applications 2/1 - 3/21 Program runs April - May https://www.newpoliticsacademy.org/answering-the-call

Connect: AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/

1 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG! We are a loud voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

Today we talk with Aubrey Laverty | Oregon - 2009 - 2010 | VISTA at (2yrs) United Community Action Network https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahlaverty/

Conversation topics and highlights: Moving cross country from Michigan to Oregon was the most challenging thing. Coordinating the National Night Out and discovering project management. Moving into tech! These are places you can look for jobs!

Aubrey's biggest take always....

1. Having a shared experience with AmeriCorps members is priceless!
2. Challenges created resilience and inspired adventure of travel! 
3.  Learning about living in poverty - you don't know what you don't know....Aubrey created an informational pamphlet to connect people to services.
4. BONUS! The first 5 resume's I receive Aubrey has agreed to review and help to edit! EMAIL - [email protected]

Browse:

Upwork - https://www.upwork.com/freelance-jobs/  Glass Door - https://www.glassdoor.com/ Insight Global - https://insightglobal.com/ Flexjobs - https://www.flexjobs.com/ Clearance jobs.com - https://www.clearancejobs.com/ Idealist.org - https://www.idealist.org/en

Connect:  AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/

*** clarification - Douglas County is the size of Connecticut not Delaware, learn more about Douglas County - https://www.douglas.co.us/

1 Million AmeriCorps member STRONG! We are a loud voice for national and community service. We have all served in one way or another - let's engage, learn and connect with each other! Let's Serve Life After AmeriCorps!

Today we talk with Peter Marotto | Springfield Mass - 2006 - 2007 | Springfield College - Capacity building. https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermarotto/

Conversation topics and highlights:

• How do you list your national service on your resume and on your LinkedIn profile? 
• Peter walks us through his national service experience and offers advise on how to list your service year on your resume and on your LinkedIn profile.
• His biggest take always  
  • 1. List your experience as AmeriCorps - National Service (OWN IT) you served your country! 
  • 2. Don't use your education award on student loans. Get a certificate, something that no one can take from you. 
  • 3. BE a member! Connect - you served, don't shy away from sharing your experience.

Browse: Employers of Nationals Service  https://americorps.gov/partner/partnerships/employers-national-service Connect: AmeriCorps Alumni Group LI https://www.linkedin.com/groups/105198/