Ever since someone told me about AmeriCorps a little over a year ago, it honestly never occurred to me to do anything else after graduating college. I started looking into positions halfway through my senior year, and the more I saw, the more I wanted to serve. So I applied because it was close to home and looked interesting; what did I have to lose? Plus I finally had an answer to the dreaded question all college graduates face: “What are your plans for after college?”
Most people I spoke to about the position were excited for me, but a lot were pretty skeptical. In fact, sometimes my dad still looks at me quizzically. I remember when he took my first check to the bank to deposit it for me - he actually laughed at how little I make. Trust me, I'm not serving for the money. And a lot of people really can't see my job making much of a difference because I spend all day (mostly) in a cubicle, doing research. What difference can I possibly be making there?
So why did I pick this? Out of everything, why did I pick this minimal paying, behind-the-scenes year of service?
Why do I serve?
The easy answer is that I want to give back. Isn't that why anyone serves? They don't call it a year of service for nothing - people in this program are putting their lives on hold to give back to the community. We live on a small stipend that's a few thousand dollars under the poverty line, we work 40 hour weeks (plus some additional programming a few times a month), and most of the time we get flack for it. More than one person has told me what I'm doing this year is a waste of time. And people are already asking me, two months into my term of service, what my plans for next year are - obviously because this is just a detour on the road of success, right?
This year I have one goal at my job: create a database/map of all the resources/services/programs in Schenectady County. That's my job. I've been selected to serve my hometown in that way. And most people look at that and think it's pointless. Another database, huh? You're creating another directory? Who's going to keep that up to date? Who's that really going to help? You're wasting your time.
But you see, I'm not. People who say that to me only see how things are in the moment, but I see the future of this project. I can see the end result of all of the VISTAs working with me, too. Part of serving is seeing what could be if the organization had one more person devoted to it. And I can see the potential in my project. I can see workers for the Department of Social Services (DSS) handing out neatly organized packets to their clients, with up-to-date information about services in the area. I can see the map we're creating, where people can click on “AA Meetings” or “AIDS/HIV services” and have every location pop up on the map. I can see people no longer needing to go through DSS as often, instead able to find resources on their own. I can even see churches and others in the community looking at what’s available, and deciding to open up more homeless shelters because there’s a need or a center for LGBTQ+ rights since there is none in the county.
Why do I serve? I serve because I want to make a difference. I serve because I can see that a year from now, our world can be just a little bit better than it is today. What we do as VISTAs, as AmeriCorps members, creates a lasting impression on a community.
So maybe the question shouldn't be why I'm serving - maybe it should be why you're not. What's stopping you from stepping out of your comfort zone, putting your life on hold, giving just one year of your life to make something a little bit better? I serve to create a better future for our nation. And you could, too.
