Happy National AmeriCorps Week!

It's National AmeriCorps Week! I am more and more amazed by all of the things AmeriCorps members are accomplishing in Ames and Central Iowa. Our VISTA at the Volunteer Center of Story County, Laura, is full-fledged into a project that she dreamed up months ago... and it's becoming a reality. Back in September, almost right away when she began her VISTA term, she heard about a homeless garden in California, where people who were homeless had the opportunity to work on this garden, gain skills, and produce food to feed themselves. From that minute, she knew she wanted to do something similar here.

After months of planning with the AmeZone youth group, the Service Patch is becoming a reality. On Global Youth Service Day, organized by Laura and a fellow VISTA in Ames, volunteers joined together to kick off the Service Patch by building raised planters, a compost bin, a shed, a deer fence and more. By the end of the day today, weather permitting, there may be the start of vegetables in the garden.

The motto of The Service Patch is "Growing More Than Food." Laura's vision was that this garden would not only produce food (all to be donated to local food pantries and shelters), but that it would also grow relationships. It is a community space where people of all backgrounds can come together to volunteer, learn, grow food and friendships. Already youth and adults have joined together, people with disabilities, at-risk youth, and soon people from area shelters will be out working on the garden. Throughout the summer, there will community events with music, food and friendship.

We'd like to get the whole community involved - so I hope you can make it out sometime!

And, if you'd like to learn more about AmeriCorps and how AmeriCorps members are creating change in Central Iowa, join us for an AmeriCorps Week Panel Wednesday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ames Public Library. All are welcome.

-Amanda

Following in Dr. King's Footsteps

We were thrilled to have more than 200 volunteers of all ages, races, and cultures come out to to follow in Dr. Martin Luther King's footsteps on Jan. 18. We never imagined we would see that sort of response.

I was really inspired to see several of our AmeZone youth volunteers step up as leaders that day. In the midst of a bit of chaos, they took charge, leading a number of service projects to support their Homeless Community Garden. They built benches and created mosaic stepping stones. They got young kids interested in planting and gardening by helping them plant flower and herb seeds in pots. They helped volunteers assemble care packages for the residents of local homeless and domestic assault shelters. This event hopefully generated interest for other youth present, and these AmeZone youth will prove to be great mentors and leaders for them.

Dr. King has always been a huge inspiration to me. I have his quotes plastered around my office and bedroom. So, to be able to participate in and help create a day in his name, where volunteers were working to better their communities as Dr. King did, really meant a lot to me. Paxton Williams, our keynote speaker, who is the executive director of the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association, made great connections about the importance of giving back to our local communities in such an energectic way.

To have elected officials, the press, and other important members of our community come out to support the cause was also very hopeful. This MLK Day project was a great launch of our semester of service. We will spend the next couple of months continuing to design and plan the community garden, and will break ground on Global Youth Service Day, April 24. Thanks to everyone who came out and made MLK Day a day ON, not a day off!

-Amanda