In our VISTA Spotlight, our OneStar AmeriCorps VISTA members share in their own words about the transformative experience of serving with nonprofits and agencies in Texas working to eliminate poverty.

My name is Aubrey Blake, I am the School and Community Partnership VISTA at Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. I am a Dallas native, though I have made Houston my second home for the last eight years through undergrad and grad school. I will be graduating Summer 2021 with Master’s in Non-Profit Management with a focus on Resource Development.

My goals before I started my VISTA position at Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation was to be a change agent and “Do Good Better.” As I enter the last half of my service, I reflect on all the great strides we made to ensure a little happiness in the young learners of the Houston Community while building literacy. A large part of my first half was learning the ropes and quickly analyzing how we as an organization and investors into our communities can truly “Do Good Better.” It is growing the capacity and sustainability of the amazing programs that we offer to reach as many kids as possible while being credible, efficient, and responsible. I am lucky that I get to build on a solid foundation and am happy to report the project that I am working on will integrate our data management system to a fully functional CRM and Project Management database. This will increase productivity, sustain fast growth, and ease access of real-time data. As a result, programs such as My Home Library can safely expand without negatively affecting human resources and program quality. I will end my service as a Master’s Graduate, fully skilled, and a change agent that can successfully say I implemented a system that helped my organization “Do Good Better.”

In our VISTA Spotlight, our OneStar AmeriCorps VISTA members share in their own words about the transformative experience of serving with nonprofits and agencies in Texas working to eliminate poverty.

In the context of this unique time riddled with doubt and uncertainty, I was struggling to find a real sense of meaning and direction before a friend of a friend had mentioned that she was applying to a program called AmeriCorps. Succumbing to curiosity and boredom, I logged onto the website to find a myriad of interesting opportunities all tailored to specific niches. I was thrilled and reinvigorated. A lot had changed during the pandemic, but my basic human need to work for something greater than myself had not changed. I was attracted to the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation for its simple yet powerful mission of literacy for all.

As a Volunteer Engagement and Recruitment VISTA, I have learned to always enter with an open mind and look for the opportunity in the most unlikely places. Working with the Foundation’s two auxiliary groups, the YPG (Young Professionals Group) and Ladies for Literacy Guild, I am witnessing firsthand the power of volunteers banding together in unprecedented times. My time as a VISTA has highlighted the things at the core—the things that really matter when you peel back all the layers of life. And for that, I am grateful.

In our VISTA Spotlight, our OneStar AmeriCorps VISTA members share in their own words about the transformative experience of serving with nonprofits and agencies in Texas working to eliminate poverty.

After living in Houston for five years, I’ve become passionate about this city, especially about building connections between privileged and underserved neighborhoods. That’s why I chose to serve with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation.

To continue serving the community outside of the foundation, I have been involved with a local organization working to protect low-income neighborhoods of color from an upcoming highway expansion. I’ve been volunteering to help with community awareness events and build out resources, and it’s been amazing to see Houstonians across the city rally for the good of their neighbors. It feels like the perfect complement to my VISTA term, I can build capacity by day, and do direct service by night.