The S-Files

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Emily High, who is serving with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School. Emily discusses the various nutrition activities and lessons that she has done with the students she serves in the Shell Lake School District, including growing and harvesting different vegetables, introducing new foods to students through taste tests, and games to keep nutrition lessons engaging for students.  She describes their participation in events including the Great Apple Crunch and Wisconsin Chili Lunch Day and how she is helping foster relationships with local farmers as part of her efforts. Listen to learn how Emily is helping to create meals and memories with her students as part of her efforts to foster nutrition education and create connections in the community.

In this episode of The S-Files, we will be exploring how two AmeriCorps members with the Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Community Corps program that are helping to provide needed items to people in the communities they serve, including healthy local foods and diapers. We begin our conversation by talking with Maddie Kinscher, who is increasing access to fresh nutritious foods at Central Rivers Farmshed in Stevens Point. We then speak with Monica Ducksworth, who is coordinating the diaper bank program at the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, after having previously served two other terms with MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin at the Milwaukee Academy of Science. Listen in to learn how these AmeriCorps members are mobilizing volunteers, organizing drives and outreach efforts, and helping to build healthier and more supported communities through their service.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members serving with the Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Community Corps program to learn about how they are helping to foster community and striving to improve the mental health of those served by their host sites. We are starting our conversation by talking with Sierra Fink, who is serving this year with Community Corps at the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes in Appleton, WI. We then continue by speaking with Jeff Duke, who is serving at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers, WI. Listen in to learn how both Sierra and Jeff are bolstering the efforts of these organizations to positively impact their communities and fostering healthy connections through their service.  

In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Chelsea Korzenieski, who is serving with Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Recovery Corps in Ladysmith. Chelsea discusses how she is assisting individuals impacted by substance abuse and helping them work towards their recovery goals. Listen in to learn how Chelsea is helping people take positive steps on their individual recovery journeys. Chelsea channels her own experience of being in recovery to make a difference for others as they strive to achieve their recovery goals.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps VISTA members serving as part of the initial cohort of members with Serve Wisconsin's AmeriCorps VISTA initiative. We first speak with Kailee Remez, who is addressing food insecurity at Carroll University. We then continue our conversation by speaking with Tony Schultz, who is working on several initiatives through his VISTA service at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council. Listen in to learn how these AmeriCorps VISTA members are addressing poverty and strengthening the capacity of organizations as they address different concerns throughout the state.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members that are serving with the Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program.  We start our conversation with Kelsey Sanders, who is serving this year at the Racine Zoo after previously serving as an AmeriCorps member in Florida.  We then sit down to speak with Brian Butt, who recently completed his degree in zoology and is bringing this passion to his service at the Racine Zoo. Listen in to learn how Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program members bring both engaging scientific programming and ambassador animals to students in the Racine Area School District and participate in the care of the animals at the Racine Zoo.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are going back to look at the service done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by Lisa Penterman, who was a recipient of the COVID-19 Response Service Award at the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards. Lisa was recognized for the impacts of her AmeriCorps service with the Be Well Fox Valley AmeriCorps program while serving at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. We discuss several aspects of how her service helped people facing food insecurity during the pandemic, including helping operate mobile food banks, conducting pantry order reviews, and doing outreach to members of the public about FoodShare. Listen in to learn about the impacts of her service for the public and for herself, as we discuss highlights from her time as an AmeriCorps member and how it influences the work she is currently doing at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin following the completion of her AmeriCorps service.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are going back to look at the service done by AmeriCorps members with Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Volunteer Wisconsin since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In recognition of the impact of their service, MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin was honored with a COVID-19 Response Service Award at the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards. Since the ceremony this summer, MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin has folded into the larger MCHS Community Corps program, whose AmeriCorps members started serving this fall.

We start our conversation with Shelly Kaiser, who was the program director for MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin, to get an overview of the different types of service that their AmeriCorps members have done to respond to COVID-19.  We next sit down with AmeriCorps member Mario Fregoso, who served with Volunteer Wisconsin last year and is continuing to serve as part of MCHS Community Corps at United Way of Dane County supporting their Wisconsin 211 program.

Listen in to learn how MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin AmeriCorps members helped others through answering COVID-19 calls at 211, assisted food pantries and other non-profits, facilitated safe opportunities for volunteers to help in their communities, and many other response efforts during the pandemic.

In this episode of The S-Files, we are continuing a multi-episode look at how organizations have mobilized volunteers to assist the Afghan guests staying at Fort McCoy and respond to disasters here in Wisconsin. Our second episode focuses on regional coordination efforts by two organizations that are helping to create local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) through Serve Wisconsin’s Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant. We start our conversation with Jen Schmitz from River 2 Ridge Disaster Resilience, which is our West Central Wisconsin VGF grantee. We next speak with Aimee Wollman Nesseth from the Northwestern Wisconsin Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition from Wisconsin Emergency Management, which is our Northwest Wisconsin VGF grantee. Listen in to learn how these organizations are communicating across their newly developed regional and local VOAD networks to support efforts assisting the Afghan guests, including how they have brought together the organizations in their region. You can also learn about how these organizations have used their volunteer networks and organizational resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.