The VISTA Verse

Welcome Aboard! – Two New Agencies Join the AmeriCorps VISTA Project

The VISTA Project of United Way of Weld County is extremely enthused to announce the addition of two more agencies to our project that will host VISTAs in November! The VISTA project in Weld County currently facilitates the placement of 15 VISTA members in non-profit organizations at no cost.

East African Community of Colorado - is a non-profit that works with the refugee community to improve their quality of life by implementing programs in education, health, finances, cultural integration and civil and human rights that lead to self-sufficiency and self-reliance. The VISTA at this site will focus on developing basic volunteer program structure, recruiting strategy, and developing database and recognition events. They will also assist by researching multiple fundraising strategies including fundraising events, community donation program, and grant writing opportunities while also planning and implementing these strategies. For more information on this agency, visit: http://www.eaccolorado.org/

Senior Resource Services - is a non-profit organization assisting the elderly and their families in addressing the issues of aging. Senior Resource Services is committed to providing respite care (relief of responsibilities) to family members and primary caregivers of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia and other aging issues. Because the cost of home health care is out of reach for many, SRS is able to provide the much needed services at absolutely no charge to individuals and their families. The VISTA at this site will concentrate on developing a volunteer recruitment program while building partnerships with local service clubs and community organizations that have members willing to volunteer as well other local agencies, non-profits and businesses that serve senior citizens. They will also assist with the organization and implementation of community events and fundraisers including soliciting sponsorships, marketing, and evaluating the success of the event. For more information on this agency, visit: http://www.seniorresourceservices.info/

Interested in learning more? Contact: VISTA Project – United Way of Weld County 814 9th Street Greeley, CO 80631

PO Box 1944 Greeley, CO 80832 P: 970-353-4300 ext 2570 F: 970-353-4738 Email: erika@unitedway-weld.org

October 2011

Vol. 1 Issue 11

VISTA Project of United Way of Weld County

If you are interested in joining the AmeriCorps VISTA Project of United Way of Weld County please visit this link: http://weldvistas.webs.com/agencyjoinproject.htm You will need to:

1. Complete Application Questions 2. Write a Volunteer Assignment Description for your

VISTA Currently, the deadline is November 30th, 2011. For more information please contact erika@unitedway-weld.org or call 970-304-6179

The VISTA Verse October 2011

Vol. 1 Issue 11

You’ve Got To Ask Yourself One Question

Whether you have been in your position for six months or six days, there is always room for improvement. To better you service experience, stop and ask yourself these questions: 1. Are You and Your Supervisor Meeting Regularly? The VISTA-Site Supervisor relationship is extremely important- they are a team and although playing different positions, both are vital to the success of the work. Use your monthly progress reports as a communication tool or opportunity to sit down to review and check in with each other. You also might want to schedule weekly meetings several months out just to be sure that when things get busy, you have allotted time together. 2. Have You Discussed Modifications to the VAD?- Remember, the VAD is a living, breathing document that can be modified. Sit down with your supervisor and make adjustments, necessary changes, additions, and removals. The VAD should work for YOU and YOUR site. Just be sure to get these VADs approved by the VIST Leader and VISTA Project Supervisor. 3. Are You Mapping Site and Community Assets? Build networks and relationships. Mapping assets and community resources allows you to partner with those “unusual suspects” and strengthen ties between the community and your site. Asset mapping includes: "gifts, skills and capacities" of the individuals living in the community, "citizen associations" through which local people come together to pursue common goals, and institutions present in community (local government, hospitals, education, and human service agencies). For more information, visit: http://outreach.msu.edu/bpbriefs/issues/brief4.pdf 4. Have You Joined Committees and Teams at Your Site? Some suggestions for helpful groups include: Greeley Young Professionals, DOVIA (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies), volunteermatch.org, etc. Ask your supervisor if they know of any groups that would benefit your service year. 5. Have You Networked With Other VISTAs? Other VISTAs are your biggest resource- you are working on different projects at different sites sharing common goals. Your successes and lessons learned could benefit another site. Our monthly VISTA meetings will help you to network with each other, but network outside of work hours as well. Forming partnerships with each other can only strengthen the work we do in our own communities.

Important & Interesting Dates

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness, Nonprofit Career, and National Arts &

Humanities Month! VISTAs – REPRESENT! 10/06 Dassera (Hindu) 10/08 Yom Kippur 10/09 Leif Erikson Day! 10/10 Columbus Day 10/11 Coming Out day – LGBTQA 10/13 Jewish Sukkot 10/14 Weld Project Connect 10/15 Sweetest Day – Thank you Hallmark! 10/16 Nat’l Boss Day – Express your appreciation! 10/17 Int’l Day for the Eradication of Poverty 10/24 United Nations Day 10/27 Celebration of Heroes Luncheon 10/27 VISTA Monthly Meeting 10/31 Halloween For more information on these events please email Erika – erika@unitedway-weld.org

It’s About the Dolla, Dolla Bills, Y’all! Budget Management: Mint.com is an online money management tool that tracks all your accounts: checking, savings, credit cards, loans and investments. Signing up is free! Mint updates your accounts once a day and automatically labels each expense with a category which you can customize and add notes to. It also offers personalized savings tips, like suggesting better credit cards for cash rebates and travel rewards. Credit Report: AnnualCreditReport.com is mandated by the FTC to allow online access to your free annual reports from each of the three credit bureaus.

You Know This HAD to Happen October marks the beginning of Fall and HALLOWEEN! It is only fitting that the VISTA Verse feature a recipe with a poorly executed Halloween joke. Enjoy this recipe for “goul”-ash! Vegan Goulash 1 lb. whole wheat pasta (macaroni) 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (or homemade!) 1 can (or about 1.75 cups) cooked lentils Garlic salt to taste Prepare the pasta, drain. Add the sauce, the lentils (drained), and season! VOILA! Meaty Goulash 1 package ground beef or 1 package turkey 1 medium onion 1 -2 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon paprika 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni 1/2 cup frozen corn 1 can chopped tomato 1 can tomato sauce 1 -2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese salt and pepper Brown ground meat in skillet with onions and garlic. Drain fat from meat. Add salt, pepper, paprika, tomatoes, tomato sauce and frozen corn. While the meat is cooking, boil the macaroni until almost done. Drain water from macaroni and stir into meat mixture Lightly grease a casserole dish. Pour enough mixture to cover bottom of dish and then sprinkle with cheese; add another layer of meat and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts and casserole is bubbling (approximately 40 minutes).

V^3: Very Valuable VISTA Alanna Gauthier – Greeley Transitional House

1.) What is your idea of a relaxing day? Spending all day canoeing and portaging through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. 2.) Where is your favorite place you have traveled to? Greece or Turkey 3.) What is your favorite line or quote from a movie? ? “I've always been considered an a**hole for about as long as I can remember. That's just my style. But I'd really feel blue if I didn't think you were going to forgive me.” Royal Tenenbaums . 4.) What reality TV show do you think you could be a contestant on? Reality show? No. I’d make a good cheap Liz Lemon knockoff, though. 5.) If you could land your dream job post VISTA what would it be and where? I’d either want to teach in Ecuador or work on the campaign writing staff for Obama. 6.) If you had to be an animal which animal would it be and why? I would want to be a giraffe so that I could finally move past the love/hate relationship that I have with my stepstool. 7.) Why did you become an AmeriCorps VISTA? I had an amazing experience in NCCC and thought that the VISTA program would be a good way to stay in line with my community service goals. 8.) What do you miss most about home (Minnesota)? My canoe, the lakes and the people. 9.) What do you love the most about living in Colorado? The mountains and the micro-breweries.

The VISTA Verse October 2011

Vol. 1 Issue 11

All Events are FREE unless marked otherwise 10/12 - 13 Mental Health First Aid Training 9am – 4pm at North Range Behavioral Health Center. For more information or to enroll in the training, please contact Dr. Maureen Huff at 970-347-2120. 10/12, 8pm – 11/12 12am MORBIDNIGHTS Colorado Haunted Houses "Fear of all Fears". Encourage and confront your inner adrenaline junkie this Halloween season. Join MorbidNights Colorado in an event that will knock your socks off and force you to face your biggest fears at the Greeley Mall. $15 10/12 10pm Open Mic & Ladies Night at Patrick’s Irish Pub in Greeley 10/13 8pm Trivia & Karaoke Night at the Jager 10/14 7:15pm-8:45pm Cosmic Skating at the Ice Haus 10/15 7:30am – 12 Greeley’s Farmer’s Market at the Depot 902 7th Ave. The annual Greeley Farmers' Market features vendors with seasonal farm-fresh produce, meats, breads and pastries, flowers, great food, local crafts and more. Special activities are scheduled throughout the season including live music and recipe demonstrations. 10/15 FREE LIVE MUSIC 8:30-10:30pm Kress Cinema. Enjoy live music with NO cover charge! 10/16 FREE Movie at the Kress 7-9pm 10/17 Open Mic night at the Jager 10pm 10/18 Irish Sing-Along 9:30 – 12:30 at Patrick’s Irish Pub 10/22 Farmer’s Market 7:30am – 12 at the Depot 10/31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What’s Happenin’ - October October 2011 Vol. 1 Issue 11

Living in a college town, we tend to forget that senior citizens are a great source of volunteer recruitments! Men and women over 55 bring unique and valuable experiences, knowledge, and skills to the programs and communities they serve. Most of these individuals have years of experience in business, management, social services and/or military. Older members bring knowledge and experience to a program, but they can also gain as much as they give. Some reasons older people are motivated to become members are to: • Strengthen community through giving back • Share knowledge and skills • Connect with other generations • Meet new people and stay active • Learn new skills Here are other ways to find older members interested in volunteering: • Ask partner organizations to refer volunteers or recent retirees - Partners know your program and who would be a good fit for you - Talk to the volunteers themselves • Create press releases to run as stories in neighborhood newspapers • Advertise in retiree-focused newsletters and magazines • Make presentations to clubs and groups with older members, such as: - Churches - Lions, Rotary and other civic clubs - Volunteer organizations - Senior centers or retirement communities • Invite seniors to program events and activities • Recruit from local Senior Corps programs • Volunteers in your partner organizations • Grandparents or parents of service recipients • Service recipients themselves

You’re Wiser Tomorrow Than You Were Yesterday: Put It To Use!