Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

"Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day." - Michael Josephson

It is time to welcome in the New Year! 2013 is going to be a great one! I can feel it! 

Well, a little reminiscing never hurt anyone ... 2012 was full of significant happenings: completing my last semester at Penn State, graduating, moving to a new state, navigating a long-distance relationship, taking the oath of service to become a VISTA, and starting at SVHC with a new colleague/'VISTA partner-in-crime.'  I am so grateful for these events in my life and the wonderful family and friends who have been there with me through it all!

Although there are many fantastic moments I would love to revisit in 2012, I'm looking forward to the rest of my year of service in 2013! It is amazing to me almost five months have come and gone at SVHC. I am so excited to see what Nicole and I can accomplish in the coming months!  

In our VISTA Update presentation on Dec. 13th, it was incredible to review our activities since the end of August. Our Youth Ambassador Program is progressing well. We've met with our Youth Ambassadors twice! In addition, the Festival of Trees exhibit was a success! They are wonderful young ladies, and I am looking forward to working with them until June!

The Photovoice project will be undergoing some changes in the next coming months and we are excited to see those unfold! These project teams are progressing as well: the first preview exhibit for one group was at The Brown Cow Cafe and the first blog has been unveiled. 

Our large project on the docket now is the I Have a Dream Community Service Day! The community has generously supported this event and we have engaged over twelve community organizations and local businesses in varying capacities.

January will be a busy month. I am looking forward to each day to come - I'm searching out those hidden opportunities. I will leave you a poem that speaks to the New Year. Happy New Year to all of you! May peace be yours throughout the coming year! Stay safe! Thank you for your support & thank you for reading!


For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
- T.S. Eliot

For more information about the Alliance for Community Transformations:
http://www.facebook.com/actsvhc

For more information about Southwestern Vermont Health Care:

http://svhealthcare.org/

For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA:

http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays! 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
- Ada V. Hendricks

It's Christmastime! Merry Christmas Eve everyone! It's that time of year when you watch The Grinch four times in one month (thanks Nicole!), decorate a real Christmas tree in the living room, bake dozens and dozens of cookies, attend multiple holiday parties at work, cook and eat delicious meals, relax, laugh and love! 

I hope that everyone is spending time with loved ones, family, friends, and enjoying the holiday season! I wish there was snow down here in Massachusetts. I'm enjoying these days spending time with my parents and siblings! May peace be yours this Christmas and throughout the New Year! I'm finding that sometimes, the holidays can be stressful, but we must remember to relax, cherish these times, and enjoy the love that surrounds us! 

I Have a Dream Community Service Day

I am currently working with Nicole, and two other VISTAs who serve in Bennington: Ali Siegel and Kevin Wandrei, on the I Have a Dream Community Service Day. This event is a day of service in Bennington held in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It will be held on Monday, January 21, 2013! 

Together, we have been working with over ten community agencies to put on this day of service, and have also received donations from three local businesses thus far. Our goal is to engage 25 - 50 volunteers in service in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some of the service activities we have planned include: sorting donations at a local homeless shelter, making thank you cards for hurricane response teams and National Guard members, painting classrooms at a local church, making "have a good day" or Valentine's day cards for nursing facility residents, putting together activity books for children in the hospital, and helping in the Meals on Wheels cafe to prep the kitchen. 

In addition, the Youth Ambassadors have also been helping in the process of coordinating the day of service and will be attending and each of them will be bringing a peer, family member, or friend! With continual support from SVHC, the Alliance for Community Transformations, and several other community organizations, we are hoping the event will be very successful!

I'll leave you with another poem! Have a wonderful holiday!

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words on repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Gratitude

Gratitude 

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." - Edward Sandford Martin

Thanksgiving has come and gone! What a wonderful holiday this year! I hope you had a fantastic holiday full of love and laughter! 

Growing up, Thanksgiving was my best friend's favorite holiday (my favorite was and still is Christmas). With each passing year, I come to see what attracted her and enjoy the holiday more and more. I have struggled to find the words to express the depth of my gratitude for the people who have shaped the experiences I have had in 2012. There were so many powerful moments I'd like to re-live, so much love shared, and so many new adventures!

As far as I can tell, understanding the value and weight of gratitude comes with experiences we acquire as we go through life. My challenge for myself this year is to attempt to consciously express gratitude for each day. Here is my first public attempt: 

I am forever grateful for my family and their limitless support and love! Thank you for making me who I am and always believing in my dreams! I am grateful for all of my friends who have shared their love, laughter, and dreams with me. Thank you for the adventures. You inspire me every day! I am grateful for my wonderful boyfriend. Thank you for the fantastic year and a half. I am always looking forward to our future! 

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a community for a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member. I am grateful to the community of Bennington, the members of the Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT), and SVHC co-workers for continual support and daily inspiration to strive for positive, sustainable change. I am grateful for my partner-in-crime at SVHC, Nicole. Thank you for everything! I'm excited to see what we can accomplish by August! I am grateful for my supervisor Kiah. Thank you for always being there to help me achieve my goals and grow! You inspire me to pursue all of my dreams!

One quarter complete...

It is difficult to believe that I have completed a quarter of my year of service already. I am still blown away by the inspiring work that community members I have the privilege of working with are dedicated to doing each day. I continue to learn something new about my vision, goals, and myself each day, and I am looking forward to the next nine months of service.  

"Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet.  Believe in humanity.  Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place.  There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in."  - Phillips Brooks

One Link at a Time

One Link at a Time 

Last time, I left you with a quote about change...Now I'd like to start with this quote as it describes the professional lessons in patience and reminders to celebrate each success: 

"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." - Winston Churchill

I'm encountering the future in numerous ways professionally and personally right now. Most days, I wish change in my life could be as fleeting as the Leonid meteor shower that I watched this weekend from Hogback Mountain. Alas, change is the only constant in life... we might as well embrace it!  

Change defines health care right now as you saw in my last post. Nicole and I had the privilege of attending the SVHC Equinox Circle in October where we heard Dr. Gregg Meyer, M.D., Chief Clinical Officer and Executive Vice President of Population Health of Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Meyer focused on the shift from fee-for-service to value based care. He stated that organizations must engage the community and adopt wellness as a focus instead of sickness and treatment in order to be successful. 

At the end of October, Nicole and I also attended a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Hospital Association and the New England Society for Healthcare Communications: "Influencing Population Health: Making the Case for Wellness & Prevention." The speakers and panelists at the conference echoed what Meyer stated: change is here and it is time to adapt. This MHA conference featured some of the organizations across New England that are leading the shift to adopting a culture of wellness and utilizing social media in clinical care. We saw cases where Facebook has been used to engage consumers in wellness programs effectively, apps being developed that utilize gamification to improve care for teenage transplant patients, and organizations engaging their employees in shaping efforts to build a healthier workforce.  

I am always inspired by the work that community members are doing to make Bennington a healthier place to live. All of the task forces from The Vermont Council on Rural Development, the Alliance for Community Transformations, and all other non-profit, service organizations working to make Bennington a healthier place to live are building capacity, building a better future, and strengthening our community one link at a time. 

Updates

November has been a wild month! It started off with an awesome VISTA Thanksgiving dinner that Nicole and I hosted! (We cooked a three-legged turkey breast instead of a whole bird but it was still delicious!) 

ACT had its second successful meeting on Nov. 15! The focus of the meeting was to further define and brainstorm projects for each of the work groups: Healthy and Active Living, Youth Engagement and Empowerment, Healthy Community Design, Substance Abuse and Tobacco Prevention, and Organizational Leadership and Sustainability. Great American Smokeout efforts on Nov. 15 at the hospital and throughout the county at community partners and schools were successful! Working collaboratively, we garnered many pledges to quit smoking or support smokers in their attempt to quit.  

Finally, we have met with our Youth Ambassadors and they are in the process of completing the SVHC volunteer process! We worked with our six Youth Ambassadors to come up with an exhibit at the Festival of Trees at the Bennington Museum. Festival of Trees is a community created event where holiday trees are decorated by local non-profits, businesses, and organizations. The festival kicks off tomorrow, Saturday Nov. 24 with Family Day and will be available until Dec. 30.

The Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT) Youth Ambassador Program vignette is titled "Celebrating the Culture of Bennington from the Youth's Perspective." We asked the Youth Ambassadors what they felt represented the culture of Bennington, and what should be celebrated about Bennington. Their responses were depicted in words and pictures, and historical photographs of Bennington from the Museum's collection were added to create the final exhibit. 

In addition, it's been over three months and I still have not seen a moose! I'm not going to lose hope for a sighting in the next three quarters of my year of service!

This is the view from Hogback Mountain! You can see for 100 miles from the overlook into Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Change

Change from Sandy

As I watch the aftermath of post-tropical cyclone Sandy unfold on the internet, I am grateful for my health and safety, and I am relieved that all of my family members and friends are now safe and sound (after a rescue in NJ!). This post will be centered on changes in healthcare that are occurring over time, yet change in this regard is unthinkable. I'm sending prayers and thoughts to those in areas that experienced a direct hit from Sandy and subsequent destruction. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to be thrust into this state of uncertainty and experience such devastating conditions.  

Sandy changed millions of people's lives forever in a matter of hours over these past few days. All of us around the globe have spent these days thinking about those in the path of the superstorm, praying, and hoping for our loved ones to stay safe and for the storm to subside. Clean-up and recovery will take many months and too many resources to list. Yet, based on the response to previous hurricanes and natural disasters, I hope that with coordination of aid and teamwork, the states affected will be able to adapt and overcome the multitude of challenges Sandy has left in her wake. 

Change in Health Care

Most of us have an aversion to change. But what do we do if we do not have a choice? Health care organizations have reached that pivotal point: the point where they must adopt health care reform and change the way care is delivered. The status quo is not sufficient any longer. The cost is too great.

Health care organizations have been faced with change for years now. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed by President Obama in 2010 and with this new law, many improvements have been made to increase access to care and lowering cost for consumers. A great resource for information about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is: http://www.healthcare.gov/index.html. 

Health care delivery is changing from caring for the ill to keeping the populations well. It is changing from fee-for-service to value-based care delivery, and the system is being turned around. Primary care is used as the driver of this change. Two models used to facilitate this change are the patient-centered medical home model and accountable care organization model. The medical home model involves teams of providers coordinating care between primary care providers, specialists, and behavioral medicine. Accountable care organizations are systems that are assigned vulnerable populations (ex: Medicare beneficiaries) for which they are responsible for providing cost-efficient, quality care.

In addition, changing the health care system in the United States to one that supports healthier communities that are centered on wellness is now a priority. This is a highly complex challenge and will not be solved overnight. Grassroots efforts to make sustainable change that addresses social determinants of health are extremely important. Social determinants of health are defined by the World Health Organization as.. "the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources." 
(source: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/) 

A resource for information about social determinants of health and health inequity in the United States is the documentary series "Unnatural Causes." The first episode, "In Sickness and In Wealth" dictates the consequences poverty can have on your health. You can find information here: http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/episode_descriptions.php

Social determinants of health cause significant health inequities within the United States and throughout the world. Making improvements in public education, access to healthy foods, and recreation opportunities for communities is vital work. I am excited to see where the Alliance for Community Transformations can go this year. It is inspiring to see a group of dedicated people come together to improve the health of their community.  

Look for a post coming soon on a presentation by Dr. Gregg Meyer, Executive Vice President of Population Health for Dartmouth-Hitchcock from earlier in the month. This post will also contain information from a Massachusetts Hospital Association/New England Society for Healthcare Communications conference I attended last Friday, "Influencing Population Health: Making the Case for Wellness & Prevention." 

Change is here, accountable care is the future of healthcare, and making changes that address social determinants of health and building communities centered on wellness are ways we will get there. I'll leave you with this thought: 

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly slight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." - C.S. Lewis



For more information about the Alliance for Community Transformations:
http://www.facebook.com/actsvhc

For more information about the SerVermont:

http://vtcncs.vermont.gov/

For more information about Southwestern Vermont Medical Center:

http://svhealthcare.org/

For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA:

http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp

The view from the new office I share with Nicole at SVMC!

Fall in Vermont & Catching up

Fall in Vermont

In honor of autumn, I changed my theme! I hope you like the change!

It’s fall in Vermont! It is very exciting! There is a great deal of fall foliage that I get to see every time I go to work and travel about town. Leaves are falling everywhere! Fall in Vermont may be a magical thing!

This week, our VISTA Leader Anna came to visit Bennington for our first site visit! We traveled to the top of the Bennington Battle Monument! I’ve included a picture of me pointing at the view of the state of Massachusetts from 200 feet in the air, and other pictures of some of the views from the top.

More fall updates to follow! Nicole and I are hosting a VISTA Thanksgiving in November so that should be fun!

First...

5 Things I'd like to accomplish with my time in Vermont (in addition to having an amazing year of service):

1. See a Moose
2. Hike to the top of a (small) mountain
3. Visit all of the covered bridges in Vermont
4. Tour the Ben & Jerry's factory
5. Buy something that's camouflage

Here's to dreamin' big  :)

Catching Up!

The past three weeks have been extremely busy!

Nicole, and my supervisor Kiah and I helped at The Kitchen Cupboard, an affiliate of the Vermont Foodbank, for a day of service sponsored by Curves of Bennington. We scrubbed an industrial size refrigerator and scrubbed bathroom walls in preparation for painting, and got to fight off spiders and interact with the lovely volunteers!

September is National Recovery Month, and on September 20th I was privileged to participate in the Turning Point Recovery Center Open House Celebration in Bennington. It was inspiring to see community members supporting those who in recovery from addiction and those who work to further the mission of the organization. The friendship and kindness were powerful and palpable throughout the evening. In addition, the newly adopted Town Proclamation declaring September 20^th as Celebrate Recovery Day in Bennington was read by Senator Richard Sears. 

This week, one of our central programs, the Photovoice project, has kicked off with the first of three groups of students! The middle school and high school students from Bennington had their first meeting and Nicole and I were able to help facilitate! The students are full of great ideas about community. Some questions we explored with the students were: What makes up a community? What communities are we a part of? What should communities give us? How do communities make us feel? Their answers and depictions of their community will help inform their work throughout the project.

Today, Nicole and I attended the AmeriCorps Launch day in Montpelier. We joined AmeriCorps members: VISTAs from SerVermont, our organization, and other AmeriCorps programs throughout the state of Vermont! We got to meet a new SerVermont AmeriCorps VISTA member and did an afternoon of service at Vermont Works for Women in Barre; it was a great experience!

I'm continually learning as a VISTA; today, I took away a quote that resonated with me from a presenter at the AmeriCorps launch: "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." - Dr. James Comer  I hope to develop the relationships I have created with community partners through the service days and events I have been able to participate in for collaborative opportunities in the future.   

Photos from Car Show & State Fair

Listening

Listening

I was able to attend the Listening Forum hosted by the Vermont Commission on Women (VWC) this week. It was moving to hear the perspectives and concerns of young women and girls in Bennington County. The aim of the listening forum was for agencies and community leaders to learn how they can strengthen their work to better serve these women. 

Young women and girls from area high schools and middle schools presented their stories that ranged from success stories to victim stories. Some identified as teens overcoming the stigma of teen pregnancy, some identified as teens that were once shy and detached, and now are involved and connected to others.  

The participants were asked to come up with ideas about what young women need to thrive in this community. Their contributions included: support, respect, privacy, trust in relationships, positivity, goals, positive connections to the community, ownership in decision-making, and faith in one’s self and others. Other more tangible ideas were: a confidant, access to mental health, insurance, afterschool activities, transportation to afterschool activities, and information about accessing community resources.

It was an uplifting experience to hear directly from the teens and girls who use community resources or extracurricular activities to build a network of trusted individuals who care. I heard inspirational stories of empathetic teachers at the local high school giving students a voice through the performing arts or leadership development, and alternative school programs building teens up through leadership roles.

  

After leaving the forum with a great sense of hope, I am more confident in the tenacity of youth in this community. Keeping the stories and ideas these remarkable young women shared close to my heart, I’ll draw on them while designing workshops, community service projects, and communication to youth for this year. All the while, I hope to further the notion that there are many stories of youth in the Bennington area if we choose to listen.

For more information on the Vermont Commission on Women:
http://women.vermont.gov/

For more information about the SerVermont:

http://vtcncs.vermont.gov/

For more information about Southwestern Vermont Medical Center:

http://svhealthcare.org/

For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA:

http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp 

Stories

Stories

Reflecting on our VISTA training that was held last week for our SerVermont requirement, I’d like to highlight our viewing of “The danger of a single story,” a TED Talk by Chimamanda Adichie, an accomplished novelist. This talk emphasizes the complexity of stories that are woven into our lives, and the threat that lies in adopting only a single story of a person or place – lack of cultural competency and acceptance.

According to Adichie, having just a single story can lead to one being sorry for someone before one gets to know them, what she calls a ‘well-meaning pity’ which creates serious barriers. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story,” states Adichie.

In reflection, we are all perpetrators when it comes to promoting single stories of “the poor, the less fortunate, the victims of the welfare system.” We can recognize that. Yet, where these single stories have come from, whether they’re from the media, family, experiences or exposure is not easy to discern. Does it matter? Or does it only matter that these single stories exist?

Adichie stresses that it is important to put single stories aside and open our eyes to new perspectives; being aware of my acceptance of a single story of those living in poverty was my first step. Segmenting it and using firsthand experience and my work to create a multitude of stories was second. Third, I am now actively encouraging people in my life, family, friends, and other loved ones to revise their single story of those living in poverty.

I had watched “The danger of a single story” previously in a public health class at Penn State and used a global lens. Watching it a second time, I used a local lens to draw parallels to the single story of Vermonters living in poverty. I was impelled to think about how VISTAs throughout the state are working to change this single story by building capacities in these communities to lift those struggling out of their current conditions. Throughout my year of service, I know that there will be single stories that I will encounter everywhere.

In the month I have been in my community, I have recognized a single story of youth, namely high-school students, college students, and “twenty-somethings.” I have heard, in a few experiences with community members that young people do not care about their community. I’ve heard excuses such as “it’s just that age.” I’ve heard a single story about all-around negativity and apathy: the youth are either disengaged, abusing substances, or they are pregnant or already parents.

I am confident that we can change this single story by getting youth engaged in the community through service projects, afterschool activities, and by advocating for health issues that affect them directly. Investing in the youth will provide an environment where their stories are celebrated.

I aim to be a part of the change by coordinating the Youth Ambassador Program and the Photovoice project with my colleague Nicole Rau. The Youth Ambassador Program will further the notion of the existence of many stories by empowering local high school students to become peer leaders and advocates for health issues teens are facing. We are accepting applications for Ambassadors now and it will certainly be an amazing journey! The Photovoice project will showcase the perspectives of three groups of young people. Participants will capture their community and the assets and needs that are preeminent through digital media and photography, and their stories will be on display.

I recently learned firsthand from some amazing teens on Wednesday that there are many stories of youth that yearn to be highlighted. These stories need a chance, they need the spotlight. See my next post for details! J

For the TED Talk by Chimamanda Adichie: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

For more information about the SerVermont:

http://vtcncs.vermont.gov/

For more information about Southwestern Vermont Medical Center:

http://svhealthcare.org/

For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA:

http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp 

Culture

Culture

I’m learning that culture plays the most significant role in transitions. Yes, you will miss your hometown and college town and all of the persons you shared those years with in the process of joining the post-undergraduate world. Yet, it is important to remember to be grateful for what you’re experiencing in this moment and every moment forward. I’ve found that one way to be grateful is to learn about the new culture, reach out with an open heart, and explore.

Adjusting to the new organizational culture was a lesser part of the process for me, whereas adapting to the culture of my new state has been a grand adventure! This past weekend my colleague Nicole took me to the Vermont State Fair in Rutland, VT where I encountered a charming family atmosphere. We were accompanied by her friend Sarah, a Vermonter (and former Maple Queen!) who taught me about sugaring - the process of gathering sap and making maple syrup – and kindly explained the nature of maple sweets.

While we waited out a huge storm that rolled in, I tried a ‘maple creamie’ which is maple syrup mixed into soft serve ice cream, and maple candy. Delicious! I’ll never use maple-flavored corn syrup on pancakes again!

Walking around the fair in the rain, I saw lots of John Deere tractors (John Deere is from the Rutland area just like Nicole!), dairy cows being milked, a collection of chickens, sheep and goats, carnival games, and rides. I also saw the line of folks waiting to see American Idol Scotty McCreery, gigantic vegetables, guns, impressive art exhibits, and smelled some great fair food. I was also able to pet a dairy cow which was so exciting!  

I started my transition by being wowed by the Green Mountain views, and I certainly grow fonder of Vermont’s culture and sense of community each day.

For more information about Southwestern Vermont Medical Center:

http://svhealthcare.org/

For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA:

http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp

For more information about the Vermont State Fair:

http://www.vermontstatefair.net/

It’s the end of week 3 already?

 As I'm nearing the end of the third week of my VISTA experience on this gorgeous morning in Bennington, it amazes me how quickly time has passed. Recalling all of the adventures I've had in Vermont so far is almost a challenge! The small ones like finding the sheriff's department, trying real Vermont Grade A maple syrup for the first time, and navigating my street that has literally been under construction since day one (new sidewalks! Yay!) have been pretty entertaining! Greater adventures like going to scenic Poultney, VT for a VISTA picnic, traveling up the Bennington Battle Monument, and attending a Chamber of Commerce Mixer at the Bennington Museum have been a lot of fun as well! Next week, my colleague Nicole Rau and I have a VISTA training in the capital city, Montpelier, which will be a new adventure!

Creating Relationships

This week, I have been reflecting on the relationships that I have had the opportunity to create. I am excited to build upon these relationships throughout my year of service and collaborate with enthusiastic partners to create lasting change. It has been a challenge to identify how to design projects to be effective and engaging. I have found some answers and creative ideas by spending time with incredibly dedicated community members every day.

Whether they are health care professionals committed to population health and spreading awareness of poverty-related health issues, educators at district schools focused on fortifying a partnership between schools and local employers, artists invigorating the creative economy by producing unique goods, art, or music, or local business owners coming together to breathe new life into the Bennington economy, they are passionate about making the community a better place. Everyone has a vision of what they think the Bennington area should look like, feel like, and provide in order to be a healthier place to live in, grow up in, and retire in. Capturing that is part of my assignment.

A little more about what I am doing this year...

I am working to strengthen the bridge between the health system and the community. Within Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), I work in the Community Health Improvement department. I directly support the initiatives of the Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT), a community coalition.

The primary projects I am working on now are centered on youth empowerment and the concept of healthy community design. Healthy community design looks to examine the environment: the availability of healthy foods, sidewalks, recreational facilities, and how the condition of the environment affects community members’ health. One project uses digital media to amplify the youth voice regarding the state of the community, whereas the other is a teen leadership group focused on promoting healthy behavior. More details to follow!

The Spirit of Vermont

I am also reflecting on the spirit of Vermont today. I am encouraged by the sense of state pride that Vermont exhibits, and this week really drove that home for me. Tuesday, August 28th marked one year since a large portion of the state was ravaged by Tropical Storm Irene. Vermonters came together after the storm to rebuild bridges, roads, homes, and businesses. The state has made tremendous strides, yet there is still a lot of damage that remains. While I am from out-of-state, I appreciate Vermonters’ stories of overcoming the destruction, and the commendable progress that has been made one year since disaster struck. “I am Vermont Strong” emblazons t-shirts and license plates to support recovery efforts that are still going strong. The sense of community implied by this statement is truly alive here, and its strength is remarkable.

For more information on Tropical Storm Irene Recovery in Vermont:

http://www.vtstrong.vermont.gov/

For more information about Southwestern Vermont Medical Center:

 http://svhealthcare.org/

For more information about Americorps VISTA:

http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp

LoVermont

A little about me... 

My name is Veronica Ariel and I'm originally from a tiny town called Millville, Massachusetts in Worcester County. So tiny that there is only one stop light and one small general store... We do have a gas station and a half pizza place half bar though! Pretty exciting!

When I was getting ready to graduate in May from The Pennsylvania State University, I was looking for a job where I could put my baccalaureate skills into practice, and combine my passions for health care and community service. I also knew that I wanted to be a part of the health care reform that is sweeping the nation. 

I was directed to Americorps VISTA by several Student Affairs staff members and was delighted to find that I could make a difference within a non-profit in health care...and ...I applied to a bunch of programs! My top choice was an Americorps VISTA position at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center with a focus in Community Health Improvement. In the middle of May, I was notified that I'd been selected!   

Fast forward through summer...I moved to Bennington, Vermont at the beginning of August and I'm now getting adjusted to all of the Vermonty things in my new life here, such as: REAL maple syrup, Cabot cheese, the saying 'Jeezum Crow,' Ben n Jerry's, the gorgeous Green Mountains, painted moose, being outdoorsy, and John Deere. I've learned that syrup is pronounced sur-up, and that country music is played everywhere! I've also learned what a catamount is, to avoid pronouncing my "t"s, and that learning to fly fish may be a great idea! Needless to say, I love calling Vermont my new home! 

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind! I've met some amazing community members, and I am impressed by the initiatives that address poverty-related issues already in place here. My colleague and I received a warm welcome by the health system employees, and have had the opportunity to begin working on several fantastic projects! 

The Green Mountain vista that is now everywhere I look reminds me how lucky I am to be in this new exciting chapter of my life! More updates to come! 

For more information on VISTA:
http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista.asp

For more information on Southwestern Vermont Healthcare: 
http://svhealthcare.org/