May 20, 2007, Times Argus

By David Delcore Staff Writer

MONTPELIER – It's not unusual to see Florence Perrin and Nelia Spinelli cruising around Barre these days. After all, Perrin, 86, still has a license to drive and since Spinelli, 94, gave hers up a few years ago she now needs a lift to the grocery store, her doctor's office and an occasional social engagement.

Enter Perrin, who by chance attended an open house for AmeriCorps' Neighbor to Neighbor program at the Central Vermont Council on Aging three years ago and was recruited to serve as one of the program's "community volunteers."

That was about the time Spinelli permanently parked her car.

"I enjoy being with Nelia," Perrin says of Spinelli, who is one of several senior citizens that she now drives around town on a regular basis.

Perrin, who volunteered for 18 years at Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin before signing on with AmeriCorps in 2004, says her weekly visits with Spinelli, and less frequent interaction with the other folks on her list, keep her engaged in the community.

"I like to help," she says.

April Monaco knows the feeling.

Monaco, 38, signed on as a member of AmeriCorps' Vermont Community Stewardship Program last September and has spent the better part of the past nine months battling issues surrounding affordable housing and homelessness as a case manager with the Rutland County Housing Coalition.

Though Monaco says it is difficult to find housing for people who have bad references, prior evictions and an assortment of other issues, she has already experienced her share of "poignant moments."

Topping that list, according to Monaco, is the story of a 92-year-old Rutland man who recently sold his house to provide nursing home care for his wife. Monaco says she was able to strike a deal with the buyer that will enable the man to remain in his home nearly rent-free for the foreseeable future.

"When you see that kind of success it just outshines all those other near-misses and failures," explains Monaco, who has already decided to commit to another year of AmeriCorps service.

"Working within the community is very rewarding," she says.

Last week, Perrin and Monaco were among dozens of AmeriCorps members and volunteers who gathered at Positive Pie in Montpelier to celebrate the first-ever National AmeriCorps Week. The salute to service officially ends today, though organizers say the contributions of AmeriCorps members – like Monaco – and volunteers – like Perrin – will continue as they have since AmeriCorps was founded 13 years ago.

Since 1994, AmeriCorps has harnessed 2,078 members to serve in Vermont, by offering subsistence level stipends to people who are willing to help bridge the "digital divide" between the state's youngest and oldest residents, to restore wetlands and promote literacy.

"It's been quite a ride," says Anne Brown, who has been on board from the beginning as the program director of the Northeast Kingdom Initiative.

Brown, 60, of Lyndonville says her program was among the AmeriCorps national service programs in Vermont. With the help of the AmeriCorps members and the volunteers they've mobilized, she said the program, based at Lyndon State College, has provided assistance to rural libraries, launch a bookmobile that serves several Northeast Kingdom communities, create early book centers and start a number of after school programs for at-risk youth.

According to Brown, those efforts rely on the commitment of people who range in age from high school students to a retired Latin professor who drove the bookmobile for two years.

"It really is all about people who see a need and want to help," says Brown, who explains many AmeriCorps members are recent college graduates who haven't yet decided what they want to do and are looking for real-life experiences before they start repaying their student loans.

In addition to the student loan deferments, full-time members receive an annual stipend of $11,000 to $12,325, invaluable training opportunities, health insurance and an "education award" of up to $4,725 that can be used to repay existing student loans or for future education in the next seven years.

"It's a win-win for somebody who is just trying to launch a career," says Brown.

Somebody just like Phil Kolling or Laura Steere.

Kolling, 22, a Rhode Island native and University of New Hampshire graduate and Steere, 23, who went to college in Rhode Island, tell strikingly similar stories about how they ended up in Vermont.

"When I graduated (college) I said: 'What am I going to do?'" recalls Steere. She majored in theater and physics, but wanted time to consider her options – including the possibility of pursuing a master's degree.

"That's when I thought of AmeriCorps," says Steere, who went online to see what openings were available.

One caught her eye, says Steere, who has been working for the past nine months as the first executive director of the Lakes Region Youth Orchestra in Rutland and Castleton.

Steere's job, which was created through the AmeriCorps VISTA program, involves a hectic combination of grant-writing, fund-raising, event-planning and public relations. It also involves working with eager young musicians.

"Getting to know the kids and seeing them benefit from the program has made every long hour and crazy day worthwhile," she says.

Kolling, a community development major, says he turned to AmeriCorps to gain the sort of experience employers were looking for, but you don't get in college.

"When I was applying for jobs everybody wanted experience, so I figured if you want experience maybe you've got to give a little bit back," he recalls.

Kolling, who took an AmeriCorps position with the Montpelier Parks and Conservation Commission last November, says he hasn't regretted that decision. He recruits volunteers, writes grants and maintains trails.

"I'm getting experience doing things people would not yet pay me to do," he said. "I'm getting exposed to things that someone green out of school might not. Besides that, it's fun."

Doug Hemmings didn't join AmeriCorps right out of college and he didn't wait until he retired either.

Hemmings, 53, who lived for 30 years in East Calais before moving to North Wolcott, decided to let his wife run their Barre-Montpelier Road business back in 1995 because the then-40-something "hippie" had "… a desire to do something to make a difference."Hemmings became a member of AmeriCorps and worked for two years with the Vermont Anti-Hunger Corps – a now-defunct organization that was responsible for starting meals sites, community gardens and food pantries in Washington, Orange and Lamoille counties.

Hemmings says some of those initiatives have since folded, some are still plugging along and a few – like the Morrisville community garden and a food shelf in Johnson – "… are still going great guns 11 or 12 years later."

Hemmings, who has been working for the past year as community service coordinator at Highgate Apartments in Barre, says he has long been affiliated with organizations that have benefited from the contributions of AmeriCorps members and is in the process of trying to recruit one to serve as a youth outreach and program coordinator at Highgate this summer.

"AmeriCorps has been a wonderful resource that is useful to many agencies," he says, describing the dramatic affect his own participation in the then-fledgling national service program had on him from 1995 to 1997.

"It was a life-changing event for me," says Hemmings. "I really wanted to do something that was socially relevant and AmeriCorps gave me the avenue to explore that."

Although Kolling and Steere say they expect to pursue interests elsewhere after putting in their 1,700 hours, that wasn't the way it worked for AmeriCorps alum Jodi Massie and Nikki Stone.

Stone, 32, of Mendon served two 11-month terms – the maximum allowed by AmeriCorps – at the Rutland Housing Coalition before briefly leaving the organization last year. However, a month after her planned departure she got a call from the director and has since returned to take a paid position as a family service specialist.

"I really love what I do," says Stone.

In her first month she found housing for a homeless family, and last week she located a West Rutland apartment for a family that had been living in a hotel for 10 months.

Her thanks? A dozen roses and heart-felt card that arrived at the office last week.

"It said: 'We couldn't have done it without you,'" says Stone, who was responsible for persuading Monaco to join the organization as an AmeriCorps member.

Like Stone, Massie, whose AmeriCorps service involved staffing Country Paths – an after school program offered in the Duxbury-based Washington West Supervisory Union – didn't leave for long after fulfilling her commitment in 2005.

Massie says she was substitute teaching in Connecticut when she got a call from Washington County Youth Service Bureau informing her that her former supervisor was leaving the organization and inquiring whether she was interested in applying for that paid position.

She was. She did. And, now the Little Rock native, who went to college in Ohio, is back in Montpelier running County Paths for the youth service bureau.

"I still am like: 'How'd that happen?'" says Massie, who well knows the value of AmeriCorps members, like Allison Purcell – the University of Vermont graduate, who is assigned to Country Paths this year.

"It wouldn't run without them," says Massie. "AmeriCorps members are essential to our function."