Local VISTA Superstar...I wish!

On Tuesday I attended an In Service Training mandated so many months after one begins their year of service. I was genuinely excited because I got to spend the day with people from my PSO group that I have not seen since we left Chicago on that stormy June day (that's a story in itself). The day had all been planned out for me and all I had to do was go through it like an ordinary VISTA and be a sponge for all the new information/ideas being thrown my direction.


Half of my day had gone by in the blink of an eye and it was already lunch time. As I was standing in line to get my plate of yummy-ness provided by Holiday Inn, I was approached and told that The Columbus Dispatch was doing an article about the job market (or lack there-of) and falling incomes in the Columbus area. They thought I would be perfect to be interviewed for the article because I am a recent Capital University graduate and had to deal with declining job market for a year after I graduated and before I landed my role as AmeriCorps*VISTA with OASHF. I was excited because I've never been interviewed for something like that before!


A couple hours later after my session was done and waiting for the day to end, we got the phone call from the writer ready to ask some questions. She asked when I graduated, what degree and major I graduated with, how many applications I had placed since then, and why I ultimately chose to become an AmeriCorps*VISTA. After I told my story she thanked me and told me to check The Columbus Dispatch the next day for the article. Before I even had a chance to pick up a newspaper or check the online version, there was buzz around the office and emails had already been sent out. Come to find out the article was actually a cover story! Not sure which section it was on the cover of, but a cover none-the-less! I was also asked to do an internal interview and tell my story to be posted on the OASHF blog as a follow up to the article in the paper.

The following link is to The Columbus Dispatch article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/09/29/poverty-rate-jumps-locally.html?sid=101


The following link is to the OASHF Blog: http://www.oashf-storiesfromohioans.blogspot.com/

This past Friday (September 24th) was my first of five HealthPath events. We were partnering with Shared Harvest Foodbank in Butler County and hosting the luncheon during their foodbank conference. I was nervous because I wasn't sure how many people were going to show up and that they would be able to find their way around.

About two weeks before the event is when the invites went out & about a week before the event I followed the letter up with phone calls trying to confirm that I would at least have some attendees. Out the 70+ calls I made, I think I spoke to about ten, and out of that ten I think I confirmed one. I did receive phone calls back the following Monday either confirming or declining their invitations. So when all was said and done, I had nineteen RSVP's confirming they would attend our luncheon.

So Thursday afternoon I put all my packets together with the correct powerpoint & half sheets & business cards. Got the last minute scoop from Charles about what I should/should not do & finally got all my technological goodies (digital camera & voice recorder). I was starting to feel really confident in the happenings of Friday.

Then, Friday came...major traffic accident on my way to work pretty much shut down the freeway into Columbus: Great way to start off any already nerve-racking day! Not to mention the wind & rain that just made it a miserable morning. But I made it to the office and finished up somethings around my desk before I headed out on the road. With the help of a dolly, I loaded the three boxes of mugs, laptop bags, flyers, & folders into my car & started out for 71S toward Cincinnati. About 45 minutes into the trip realized I left all my technological goodies in my desk & left my coffee mug on my desk. Strike three against Friday.

Once I actually made it to Voice of America Park it was very simple to find the room & unload my car (again thanks to a dolly). I set up all the seats with a packet of flyers, our folder, a Health Path folder, and an OBB mug. Then I played the waiting game for about an hour, in which I ate my lunch and caught up with Meredith (Southwest Ohio Regional Coordinator). About five til 1:00 a few people started to filter in. And by a few, I literally mean 3 people to observe the powerpoint, Tara with Health Path, and a guy from one of the local news stations (he didn't stick around very long though). I was a little disappointed that more people out of my nineteen RSVP's did not show up.

With the subtraction of a few minor hiccups of the day, my first event went very smoothly. I just hope that my next events go as smoothly (maybe just with a few more attendees!). I'm not going to let this one discourage me though! Next time will be better....I hope!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

At least that's how the old saying goes. Really, I am having a lot of fun, really getting to explore parts of Ohio I have never seen before, and experiencing things I normally would not. Over the past few weeks I have been keeping busy between my Community Trainer position and learning everything needed for Health Path events and everything in the middle.

September started off with a bang with the Ohio Benefit Bank Conference. I was really excited to see this executed because there was so much buzz about it in the office! Two days of getting out of the office to network with people from all over the state and be theatrical? Sign me up! (Well let me sign myself up as it turned out!) The conference was definitely a success in my eyes and in others' as well. We had a great turn out and everyone seemed to enjoy our antics on the second day with our Tax Clinic Simulation. I learned a lot from the break-out sessions on the first day.

Fortunately or unfortuately immediately following the conference was Labor Day weekend. So upon returning from a great long weekend, Jess and I were immediately off and running again with a Benefits Training in Glouster for HAPCAP Head Start program. We had 22(!) new counselors to train in one day in one room. Thankfully the training went very smoothly for having 22 people trained at one time.

The rest of this month is definitely a mix between hectic and boring. I think I'm going to have to soak up the next couple weeks where there is not a lot on the agenda in preparation for next month and all the craziness that is on the horizon. Bring it on October!