Jenny's
AmeriCorps/Nonprofit Blog
Wednesday, April 28, 2004

It's funny.  Yesterday I was so sick of my job here.  Well, not job.  As an AmeriCorps I don't "work."  I don't "have a job."  I serve.  I volunteer.  Anyway, yesterday I was so sick of everything--AmeriCorps, Worcester, Habitat, being a volunteer coordinator, the whole nonprofit universe.  I was almost ready to throw in the towel and don the blue smock of that evil corporation Wal*Mart.

But today everything has changed.  It's Wednesday, always a good day here at GWHFH because Wednesday volunteers go out to the build site.  And as the volunteer coordinator, I get to go out and meet-and-greet.  Plus it's been a lovely, sunny, very unWorcester like day, which made the whole thing even better.

However, the best part were the kids from the Citizen's School who came out.  I'm not very familiar with this program, but it seems from what I can make out, as if these students--middler schoolers they were--learn about different social issues and nonprofit organizations.  They're project for this semester is to start construction of a duplex which will be sold to two families as affordable housing.  Pretty cool, huh?  Makes one a little more optimistic about the future when you hear about kids like that.

And with the fundraiser right around the corner--and somebody asked about tickets today!  That's a first--I suddenly have things to do.  My experience has been very rollercoastery so far.  Somedays it's all I can do to keep from falling asleep.  Other days I could work for ten hours and not get everything done.  I really like the busier days once in a while.  I just wish the slower days weren't quite so slow.

I'll be sure to tell all about the big fundraiser Sunday.  I even get to meet Joe Andruzzi of the New England Patriots (in the world of weird coincidences, he too was in Green Bay, WI before coming out to Massachusetts).  Not that I'm so thrilled about meeting a football player, but it'll be a good story to tell my Dad later.  Right well, I've definitly put in my hours for the day.  Time to go home and enjoy the abnormally sunny weather.
I'm starting this blog of sorts to give ya'll a peek into the world of AmeriCorps and nonprofits.  I would love to hear from any other AmeriCorps volunteers or nonprofit employees--especially volunteer coordinators.  Email me--tell me what you think, or share your own experiences.
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Thursday, April 28, 2004

Bad horrible news.  I can't even believe it, although I should have saw it coming.  Our executive director has decided to resign.  Not immediately, of course, but as soon as a suitable replacement can be found.  He's only been here for two years, but he's already burned out.  I don't blame him, really.  We have some wonderful volunteers who really give the cliched "110%."  But we also have some volunteers that make you really wish you could fire them.  And he's finally had enough.  It's too bad, really, I mean really bad, because he had restored my faith in executive directors.  I have had experiences with EDs who thought they were CEOs of multi-million dollar companies.  They were out golfing--so it seemed to me--more than they were in office executing things.

Why do I want to stay in this realm where two years at one organization provides a lifetime's worth of highs and lows?  Somebody has to, I guess.  The government certainly won't fix everything.

We also celebrated our other AmeriCorp's last day.  He's leaving!  What will we do?  He was the only quiet person in the office--everyone else can talk a person to death (including me, of course).  I think we will quickly realize just how much he was doing.  Certainly he was a big help to our project manager--especially when the PM would get overwhelmed by volunteers.

On the fundraising front: I actually had people calling about tickets!  Amazing!  I was so stunned I could barely speak.  Who knows?  Maybe it won't be a total bust.  We do have some really nice things for the auction: a hand-made stained glass mirror and a stained glass lamp that I just love.  And Waldens Booksellers donated over $100 worth of books--and good books, not just rejects that noone wanted to buy.  Of course, we also have this giant plastic ice cream cone bank.  I don't know where it came from, or what we're going to do with it.  I've placed it on my co-worker's desk.  I love giving him little "presents" like that.  Always gets the day off to a "good" start.  We are an office awash in sarcasm, and I couldn't be more at home here.

For the sake of our ED, I hope we find a replacement soon.  For the sake of the organization, though, it's going to be a big loss.  It's just.... why don't they do anything?!  A Board of Directors is supposed to do things--fundraise.... it's their own fault.  We're supposed to help coordinate, not babysit.
Friday, April 30, 2004

Well, it's Friday afternoon.  This Habitat day is just about over.  We went over the check-list, brought all the auction items downstairs (made sure we had them all).  I discovered this morning that one of the restaurants was misspelled in the program--another correction for the addendum.  Actually, we only had two corrections to make.  I think that's pretty good, really.  More last minute volunteers to add, and one restaurant that didn't make it on the list at all.  But it is on the banner, and all the restaurants and sponsors are spelled correctly.

Phew.  Let me pause for a moment and plug the copy services at Staples.  They're excellent.  Kinko's wasn't able to make three hundred copies and fold them and be done by Friday at 5:00pm.  I went to Staples, and my order was ready in less than twenty minutes.

Today was fairly uneventful, really.  Got a horrible headache from the permenant markers we were using to make the bid cards.  I'm excited about the auction.  I've never been to a live auction before--with a "real" auctioneer.  ;-) 

We need this fundraiser to go well, or it's really going to demoralize everyone, especially as it has cost us our executive director. 

OK, I'm tired of all these euphamistic phrases.  I'm giving everyone a psuedonym.  Harry is now the name of our Executive Director.  A bit cruel, perhaps, as he is balding, but a joke he would definitly appreciate.  My co-worker will be named Kyle.  Our project manager will be Tony.  I'll create more as needed, I guess.

I've been talking with my roommates, Sara and Sarah, about applying to grad school at Clark University. They're both grad students in the International Development, Community, and Environment program.  Apparently it is the school to learn this stuff at.  People come from all over the world.  Clark gives one returned Peace Corps volunteer (or RPCV) and one AmeriCorps volunteer a full scholarship each year.  I don't see why I couldn't get the scholarship.  I'm worth it.

Financially, I'm worth nothing.  In fact, currently I believe my balance is about -21.00.  I'm hoping that's just my incorrect calculation, though.  Where does the money go?  Oh wait, it never comes in the first place.  I don't mean to complain, and it's not like money is important to me.  But I wouldn't be able to survive without the help of my parents. 

After two years of AmeriCorps service, I gotta move on.  I love doing it, but it's certainly not a sustainable occupation.  I'll apply to Clark and for a few jobs, and we'll just have to see what happens.  I suppose it might be a little early to think about it, but I've been living moment to moment for years now, and I'm finally getting a bit weary.  A little stability would be nice.

All right, I'm out of here.  It's Friday night and I need to do laundry.  Wahoo.  Laundromat, here I come (provided I can scrape up enough quarters)!
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