#cesa2

Something to know about me: I have my undergraduate degree from UW-Milwaukee in Social Work (BSW). I am very motivated to serve my community, and ALL of my field work and volunteer experience has always been in direct practice (which means working directly with the client). I love direct practice because it is easy to see progress, and it is nice to see the client appreciating the work you are doing, instant gratification. 

VISTA is different than direct practice because it is about big picture changes in the community. VISTA is here to create sustainable changes in the communities that it has the privilege to serve, which stems from indirect practice. I have never been involved with the indirect, macro practice of social service. This is an entity so large and intimidating to me that I come to work some days and I don’t know where to start. There are so many directions I can direct myself to go in, that it is hard to pick just one and stick with it. 

Hellooooo

I have been here at CESA2 a month and a week. It has been interesting learning the dynamics of working in an office and being the only VISTA for miles and miles. Most people here have never heard about Americorps, let alone VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America). I am the first VISTA at my site, and for most I am the first VISTA many people will come in contact with. This is a big responsibility. 

I am here to serve this community on the social issue of youth experiencing homelessness. It seems like this would be a clear issue to the community, but in rural Whitewater, WI, it is not. There are many definitions of homelessness, but the homeless population I am serving is defined by the McKinney-Vento Act. Which means, any child who lacks an adequate, fixed and regular night time residence is homeless (this includes families that are doubled up). Thinking back to high school, I could name a few peers that would have been defined as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act. 

This project is important because this population is under-served and not easily identified. As of now I am working to increase awareness about this population so that they are on the community’s radar as a pressing issue. We eventually want to make a mentoring program for homeless youth, but this is a goal that is in the future and not ready to be implemented. I am laying the ground work to pave the way for the next VISTA to implement.