Where Connection Builds Resilience: How Investing in AmeriCorps Transforms Communities, Saves Money & Changes Lives

08/04/2025 |

In a converted apartment where children’s artwork mingles with AmeriCorps logos on the walls, twelve-year-old Hadisa raises her hand with quiet confidence. The space buzzes with the animated chatter of refugee children, their voices reflecting a multitude of countries and languages, while red, white, and blue streamers flutter overhead. This modest community center, nestled within an apartment complex that houses Houston’s newest Americans, has become something remarkable: a launching pad for dreams and a fortress against despair.

Hadisa’s transformation tells the larger story. Eighteen months ago, this shy Afghan girl struggled with reading and carried the weight of a homeland torn by war. Today, she speaks with determination about becoming a police officer—one who will “help my community.”

Her metamorphosis didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of a partnership between AmeriCorps and Sewa International, a humanitarian organization whose motto—”Together We Serve Better”—has become a lived philosophy creating ripple effects throughout Houston’s most vulnerable communities.

The Economics of Hope

We are part of community resilience. We believe that prevention is always good. If you build a more resilient community, during disaster or emergency times, communities are more prepared to face the disasters, and it reduces the anxiety component when those things happen... With the program that we have from AmeriCorps, we got involved in the 'blue sky' preparations—our members are there in the community preparing them, and it's known that if you invest a dollar in preparation, it saves at least $13 post disaster.

Tarvinder Taneja, Community Resilience Manager

Tarvinder Taneja, who manages community resilience for Sewa’s AmeriCorps program speaks with the precision of someone who spent twelve years in biological research before discovering the immediate impact of community service. “Every dollar invested saves $13 during recovery,” she explains, referencing the stark economics of disaster preparedness as calculated in a recent report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. But in Houston—a disaster-prone city that most recently faced Hurricane Beryl last July and devastating windstorms last May that left much of the city powerless—the mathematics of community investment extends far beyond dollars.

The AmeriCorps program has fundamentally shifted Sewa International from reactive disaster response to proactive community building. “Sewa has always been involved in the recovery aspects when the disaster happened, but with the program that we have from AmeriCorps, we got involved in the ‘blue sky’ preparation,” Tarvinder notes. In workshops held in community centers like Hadisa’s, AmeriCorps members set up small televisions on folding tables, arrange chairs in circles, and create spaces where “the energy is interactive, engaging, and friendly.”

These intimate settings allow for the kind of trust-building that transforms abstract preparedness into lived knowledge. “A lot of people don’t know not to light the candle because of carbon monoxide safety,” Tarvinder explains. “Unless we re-emphasize these things, it doesn’t strike your mind when a disaster happens.” The goal is building “muscle memory”—automatic responses that can save lives when crisis strikes.

Anthony Powell
Tarvinder Taneja

The Art of Being Subtle

Anthony Powell embodies AmeriCorps’ capacity to unlock human potential at any age. Wearing his AmeriCorps shirt with unmistakable pride, Anthony’s journey from oil refineries to mental health specialist reveals the program’s transformative power. At age 60, after massive layoffs at the University of Houston Downtown where he was pursuing his master’s degree, a friend’s suggestion to rejoin AmeriCorps seemed almost too convenient to be real.

When Sewa AmeriCorps Program Director Carole Juárez called the next day, Anthony’s disbelief was palpable: “Right now it’s not the time to give me a prank call…You called me the next day, and when you called me, you asked me to come into your program in mental health, and I’m studying mental health. This can’t happen that fast.”

But it was real, and Anthony’s AmeriCorps experience has taught him what he calls the art of becoming “subtle”—a word he uses with the precision of someone who has discovered its deeper meaning rooted in humility and openness. “Subtle means accepting and understanding what you’re doing in the position. The situation where you’re at is much more than just where you’re at.”

This subtlety manifests in Anthony’s work with children like Hadisa. His approach combines practical mental health tools with genuine connection. “He tells us about what you can do so you can stay calm,” Hadisa explains. “He said if you are emotional, you can just take deep breaths and you can calm down.”

The impact is immediately visible in Hadisa’s transformed mornings. Where she once felt “tired” and resistant to interaction, Anthony’s guidance helped her become more open as only teenage girls can be: “When I wake up, I let people talk to me and stuff.”

 T hey kept giving me the opportunity and the responsibilities to better myself within the program. It was like baking good chocolate chip cookies: once they come out the oven, I couldn't wait to take a bite, and I've been taking the bite ever since. Ingredients would be leadership initiative, sensitivity, partnership development, patience—all those things... I used to wanted to do thing quickly. I learned to become subtle through AmeriCorps.

Anthony Powell, AmeriCorps Mental Health Specialist

Breaking Barriers Through Connection

Anthony’s connection with youth transcends typical program boundaries. During his first presentation at the community center, faced with children who didn’t speak much English and “were scared to be here,” he made an intuitive decision that revealed his natural teaching gifts. “What I did was we all decided to go walking. We went walking around apartments, and I gave everybody the opportunity to raise their hand and ask a question.”

That simple act—taking learning outside the converted apartment’s walls—transformed both educator and students. “When we finished and we all came back to the center…I had the attention of all the kids…I realized that at that time, I was a teacher.”

For Hadisa, this personal attention has meant concrete improvements. “One time I asked them, ‘Can you help me with reading?’ because I wasn’t good at reading before I came here. Then they started teaching me and stuff.” The understated “and stuff” contains multitudes—not just reading instruction, but the confidence that comes from having adults who listen, who see potential.

Tarvinder, who also oversees Sewa’s community health and mental health outreach, observes this connection in Anthony’s work: “Language, culture, there are a lot of barriers here. So first, breaking those barriers and telling them they need to take care of themselves, both physically and mentally, to build a more resilient community, is important.”

The Holistic Vision

Sewa International’s programming reflects what Tarvinder calls a “holistic approach” to community building. The organization doesn’t address disasters in isolation, but recognizes the interconnected nature of community resilience. Physical health, mental wellness, disaster preparedness, and educational support weave together into a comprehensive system.

“It’s not just serving the kids—their parents, their communities together, because if just a kid is uplifted and their family is not, it is going to impact the kid when the kid goes back to the family in the evening,” Tarvinder explains.

The diversity of AmeriCorps members strengthens this approach. Tarvinder recalls the striking age range: “At one point in time, our AmeriCorps members were—one was 18, the other was 82.” One older member, a retired engineer, exemplified the program’s transformative power. After six months of service, his family called Tarvinder: “We are so impressed to see our family member. And he has become a better human being by serving the community.” He had gained what his engineering background couldn’t provide—essential soft skills.

 Building resilience is like a very holistic approach we have to take. We want individuals to be more healthy, both physically and mentally. So for us to de-stigmatize the topic of mental health and even talking about prevention, how to take care of your health is extremely important.  Exercise, eating healthy, talking to the kids is a part of more resilient community. Our members have been doing these workshops in these communities and talking about different areas of both mental health and physical health... Prevention is always better than cure.

Tarvinder Taneja, Community Resilience Manager

The Invisible Cape

AmeriCorps gives a regular person that golden opportunity to catapult themselves into a position of support. We as human beings, we need support... AmeriCorps does that: it supports. When these high school [kids] come in and they got their [AmeriCorps] shirts on, I just want to cry because they just don't know that they got a Superman cape on. They can't see it yet.

Anthony Powell, AmeriCorps Mental Health Specialist

Anthony’s passion for AmeriCorps extends beyond his current role. He sees the program as a launching pad for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary impact. “AmeriCorps gives a regular person that golden opportunity to catapult themselves into a position of support,” he says.

His metaphor for new members reveals his deep belief in the program’s power: “When these high school [kids] come in and they got their [AmeriCorps] shirts on, I just want to cry because they just don’t know that they got a Superman cape on. They can’t see it yet.”

This invisible cape represents potential unlocked through daily acts of service. Anthony’s own journey from someone who felt nobody else would give him an opportunity to a PhD candidate illustrates this transformation. “It’s like somebody walks up to you and gives you keys to a brand new car and the title…But that’s the way I felt when I came upon AmeriCorps.”

Expanding Impact

Preparedness, resilience, and partnerships have also gone up. When we have more partners, more collaborations, we are able to serve better. AmeriCorps program has not just brought more organized service in the community, but also building partnerships and serving together and more outreach. It has expanded.

Tarvinder Taneja, Community Resilience Manager

The partnership with AmeriCorps has exponentially expanded Sewa’s capacity to serve. “Our presence in the community has expanded. Preparedness, resilience, and partnerships have also gone up,” Tarvinder notes. Unlike volunteers constrained by time limitations, AmeriCorps members provide consistent presence that allows for relationship building.

“We have committed members who are doing this service year-round and making the community individuals more prepared, more resilient,” Tarvinder explains.

For Hadisa, this consistency has provided stability in a life marked by displacement. When AmeriCorps members ask “What do you want to be in your future…who did you help?” they’re communicating that her future matters, her contributions count.

Building Hope for Tomorrow

AmeriCorps was giving me an opportunity to challenge myself to see how high or how strong I could be...  That's the perks of the job. That's the grand tour of the service that I have had the opportunity to provide each day that I wake up and I put the [AmeriCorps] shirt on, because this shirt means something to me... It's a badge of honor.

Anthony Powell, AmeriCorps Mental Health Specialist

In the converted apartment where children’s dreams cover the walls alongside disaster preparedness posters, three very different people—a twelve-year-old Afghan refugee, a 60-year-old PhD candidate, and a research scientist turned community organizer—find common purpose in building resilient communities.

Anthony captures this when he describes wearing his AmeriCorps shirt: “Because this shirt means something to me. Because if it means something to me, it means something to others.” It’s a badge of honor representing collective commitment to the idea that communities can be stronger, that prevention is possible, that ordinary people can create extraordinary change.

As Hadisa continues growing into her dreams of service, as Anthony advances toward his goals of expanding mental health support, as Tarvinder continues building disaster-resilient communities, they embody Sewa International’s fundamental truth: together, we serve better.

The AmeriCorps shirts may not be visible Superman capes, but in Houston’s community centers and disaster preparedness workshops, in improved reading scores and calmer morning routines, their power is undeniable. Together, they build hope.

Picture of Joshua Winata

Interviews, photography, editing & prompting by Joshua Winata

Text generated with ChatGPT and Claude​

Where Medicine Meets Mission: How AmeriCorps Creates Healthcare Heroes Rooted in Community

07/29/2025 |

In the bustling pharmacy at Legacy Community Health‘s central facility, giant mechanical arms move with precision like oversized claw machines, plucking medications from towering racks while a complex conveyor belt weaves through the space, delivering prescriptions with clockwork efficiency. Amid this choreographed chaos, Amber Henry replenishes the robotic systems that serve as the arteries of healthcare for Houston’s underserved communities.

But for Amber, a 37-year-old AmeriCorps pharmacy advocate, the real medicine happens in the spaces between—in the conversations with patients who’ve never had someone explain their medications, in the phone calls navigating insurance labyrinths, in the moments when healthcare’s intimidating complexity gives way to human understanding.

“Just because you and I have those opportunities doesn’t mean everybody does,” Amber reflects, her voice carrying the weight of personal experience. “So we want to make sure that everybody has the same advantage, right? And healthcare for me allows me to do that.”

Amber’s path to this moment wasn’t linear. Armed with degrees in biology and Spanish, she worked as a claims adjuster before deciding to pursue nursing while simultaneously serving with AmeriCorps—a juggling act that nearly broke her until she realized her exhaustion would become “a testimony for someone else thinking that they can’t do it.”

The Human Cost of Healthcare's Maze

" Healthcare is incredibly complex. It's hard to navigate through. We need a lot of boots on the ground. That's really where AmeriCorps comes in. They serve as extensions of the community health centers, they serve as extensions of pharmacists, they serve as extensions of providers. They basically help connect people to care. Especially here in Texas where we have a lot of clients that are uninsured or health illiterate, we need those extra hands, and AmeriCorps really serves in that gap."

Kevin Aloysius, Director of Pharmacy Operations

Kevin Aloysius, Director of Pharmacy Operations at Legacy Community Health, has witnessed firsthand what happens when healthcare’s complexity overwhelms those who need it most. In a system where patients require “30 to 45 minutes of going and talking to them about their health condition, their medications,” traditional staffing models fall short. 

“Healthcare is very complex,” Kevin explains, “and so there are times when patients are prescribed or given medications by their provider, but they don’t know how to take the medication. They don’t know how to get access to the medication.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, with 16.4% of its population lacking health care coverage.

This is where Legacy’s more than 80 AmeriCorps members become what Kevin calls “connectors”—human bridges spanning the chasm between medical expertise and patient understanding. Across Legacy’s more than 50 locations serving over 250,000 people throughout the Texas Gulf Coast, these young advocates tackle insurance prior authorizations, guide patients through patient assistance programs, and provide the individualized attention that transforms healthcare from a transaction into healing.

“I would call them connectors, actually,” Kevin says. “They link people not only with the client’s health, but also with our providers, with our pharmacists, with various liaisons in the clinic. So they kind of serve as that bridge between all of us.”

Amber Henry
Kevin Aloysius

When Personal Pain Becomes Purpose

For Amber, the motivation runs deeper than job description. When her father passed away last year, she found herself translating medical jargon for her family, filtering complex information through her nascent nursing knowledge to help them make peace with an impossible situation.

“I was able, for us all as a family, to make the right decision for my dad because ultimately his status was not going to change, but it helped to provide that additional information for them to have some kind of peace with what was going on,” she recalls.

That experience of advocacy born from anguish now extends to her uncle in rural Louisiana, where resources are scarce, and to countless patients who find in Amber someone who understands that healthcare’s greatest barriers aren’t always medical—they’re human.

This shared experience creates authentic connections that traditional healthcare models often miss. “One of the good things about the AmeriCorps members is that they’re able to connect a lot more to our patients as well, because some of the AmeriCorps members have also had these challenges,” Kevin notes.

I wanted to make sure that other people had the same opportunities that I have. Just because you and I have those opportunities doesn't mean everybody does. So we want to make sure that everybody has the same advantage, and healthcare for me allows me to do that.

Amber Henry, AmeriCorps pharmacy advocate

Reaching the Unreachable

The transformation becomes tangible at community health fairs, where Legacy’s AmeriCorps members venture beyond clinic walls to meet people where they are. At the annual Lyons festival, a woman in her sixties approached their booth for a free blood sugar reading—the kind of simple gesture that can reshape a life.

Her glucose was dangerously high. She hadn’t seen a provider in years, worried about costs she couldn’t afford. But the AmeriCorps member didn’t just deliver bad news—they delivered hope. They explained Legacy’s sliding scale services, connected her with free blood glucose monitors, and discovered she was managing over 30 medications alone. “She said it was the first time that someone actually spent the time to talk to her… about her medications,” Kevin recounts. What began as a festival stop became a comprehensive care plan, complete with pharmacy transfers and home delivery service for someone living 45 minutes away.

“This wouldn’t have happened previously because we are not out there in the community sometimes doing health fairs. But the AmeriCorps presence out there in the community, we’re able to catch people, and share them the knowledge and also connect them to care.”

Building Tomorrow's Workforce, One Connection at a Time

AmeriCorps doesn’t just fill immediate gaps in service—it also cultivates a healthcare workforce uniquely attuned to community needs. Amber’s simultaneous pursuit of nursing school while serving as a pharmacy advocate exemplifies this dual pathway, where service and professional development intertwine.

“AmeriCorps led me to that decision because they helped me to realize just how much it is needed to have people to advocate and to have people to bridge those gaps,” Amber says of her choice to pursue an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse degree.

The program’s innovation extends beyond individual career development. AmeriCorps members have redesigned vaccine flyers to be more patient-friendly, organized HIV education conferences for college students, and even introduced wellness competitions using walking apps across Legacy’s four pharmacy locations.

“Something I wouldn’t have thought about,” Kevin admits about the walking challenge. “So I would say AmeriCorps members bring a little bit of tech savviness to our institutions as well.”

The Irreplaceable Human Element

It has definitely touched a lot of lives here at Legacy, both on the patient side and on the healthcare side. We're appreciative for the energy they bring in. We see our future leaders of America in these AmeriCorps... I see the excitement, I see the ambition, I see the heart for service."

Kevin Aloysius, Director of Pharmacy Operations

In an era of increasing automation—symbolized by those mechanical arms sorting medications—the most profound healthcare innovations remain fundamentally human. Amber has learned that “listening is just as important” as speaking, describing it as “a lost skill” that creates belonging for people often marginalized by healthcare’s complexity.

“At that point in time when they’re at those events, they are a priority,” she reflects about community health fairs. “Just being able to be there for them and being a listening ear, I think it’s just as important to listen as it is for speaking.”

For Kevin, who left a comfortable grocery store pharmacy position seeking greater purpose with community clinics, AmeriCorps members represent more than workforce development—they embody healthcare’s future. “We see our future leaders of America in these AmeriCorps. I see the excitement, I see the ambition, I see the heart for service.”

The Testimony of Transformation

AmeriCorps means so much to me. It's not just about serving and committing to hours and reaching those hours. It's about the feeling that you get doing the service. It's about the people that you meet, the connections that you make…  Just having that sense of belonging, that community, it really helps people to be motivated and keep going no matter what your circumstance is.

Amber Henry, AmeriCorps pharmacy advocate​

As Amber juggles nursing school, AmeriCorps service, and part-time work, she draws strength from knowing her struggles will inspire others. “This is going to be a testimony for someone else thinking that they can’t do it. And me reassuring them, you can.”

The testimony extends beyond individual achievement to systemic change. In communities where residents may go decades without healthcare, where insurance forms remain incomprehensible mysteries, and where the distance between “haves and have-nots” can be measured in miles to the nearest clinic, AmeriCorps members serve as essential translators of hope.

“AmeriCorps means so much to me,” Amber concludes. “It’s not just about serving and committing to hours and reaching those hours. It’s about the feeling that you get doing the service. It’s about the people that you meet, the connections that you make…  Just having that sense of belonging, that community, it really helps people to be motivated and keep going no matter what your circumstance is.”

In Legacy’s bustling pharmacy, those connections ripple outward like medications moving through conveyor belts—reaching patients who thought quality healthcare was beyond their grasp, training future providers who understand that healing requires both clinical expertise and profound humanity, and proving that America’s most complex healthcare challenges demand its most compassionate solutions.

“Without AmeriCorps, I don’t see myself being where I’m at today,” Amber says—a sentiment that echoes through examination rooms and pharmacy counters across the Texas Gulf Coast, where young Americans are discovering that the shortest distance between sickness and health often runs through the human heart.

Picture of Joshua Winata

Interviews, photography, editing & prompting by Joshua Winata

Text generated with ChatGPT and Claude​

Where Everyday Magic Happens: Art, Dignity, and the Transformative Power of AmeriCorps

07/22/2025 |

In a sun-washed studio tucked in the heart of East Austin, the walls breathe with the stories of artists who have found not only their voice, but their purpose. There are no sterile corridors here—just bright windows, bustling tables, and the scent of paint drying on canvas. Art is everywhere: stacked on shelves, propped against walls, waiting for their turn to be seen.

This is Imagine Art, a nonprofit that for nearly three decades has served as both sanctuary and springboard for adult artists with disabilities. It is a place where brushstrokes are more than aesthetic—they are assertions of identity.

And in recent years, that identity has been strengthened by a powerful force: AmeriCorps.

At Imagine Art, AmeriCorps members aren’t just assistants or facilitators—they are mentors, collaborators, and, often, fellow artists themselves. They bring time, talent, and a listening heart to a community that thrives on expression. Together, they are reframing not only canvases, but the systems that have long failed to support people with disabilities.

Service in Strokes: The Role of AmeriCorps Members

 Every day magic happens at Imagine Art. All I have to do is walk out the door and I see it...   It could be an interaction between somebody and their object and their craft. All of a sudden there is this profound moment where they realize something wonderful that they'd just never seen before...  It's about maximizing yourself as a person. It's an easy place to make that happen.

Rick Hernandez, Director of AmeriCorps

“Our members come to serve as artists-in-residence,” said Rick Hernandez, Director of the AmeriCorps program at Imagine Art. “They serve as instructors and mentors. They work side-by-side with the artists and teach them new skills. Our real goal is to assist them in becoming job-ready… It’s about getting them to the point where they not only can produce the art, but they can represent it. They can discern the quality. They can decide when it’s finished.”

Before AmeriCorps, the organization was overextended. “We had 60+ artists coming in daily to work in the studios, and we had two instructors… It was a capacity issue,” Hernandez said. “The AmeriCorps program really changed our world in that sense because it gave us the capacity to truly be able to serve the artists and to focus on a goal.”

Each year, about 25 AmeriCorps members support up to 65 artists with unique physical, intellectual, and psychological disabilities—adding not just hands, but heart and dignity to the mission. 

“It’s not just about learning to paint. It’s not just about learning to mix color,” Hernandez emphasized. “It’s about studio habits. It’s about understanding the business of the arts. It’s about them being able to represent their work to a potential buyer. It’s about them being able to archive their work, to inventory it, to recognize its value… Those are kinds of things that are happening between our members and our artists daily. That’s the kind of engagement that is happening. The members are engaging the artists fully.”

Kathryn Schulze
Rick Hernandez

Finding Purpose at the Crossroads of Creativity and Care

Before she ever stepped into the Imagine Art studio, Kathryn Schulze was learning how to serve—not in a classroom, but at the grocery store and in strangers’ living rooms, watching her mother offer kindness to women in crisis.

“My mom basically helped women in crisis pregnancies,” Kathryn said. “She would go to the grocery store with them and help them use their SNAP benefits… We would go and collect clothes for them or literally just anything else they needed.”

Even as a child folding donated clothes or tagging along on shopping trips, Kathryn sensed the quiet power of those small, faithful gestures. “It was really cool getting to meet the people that she was working with… Seeing my mom serving the community, it taught me that it’s about the connection and building those personal relationships and seeing the confidence just grow. Feeling loved and cared about is what really made the big difference.”

So when Kathryn found herself unsure of her path after college—her sociology degree in hand and art still just a personal outlet—it was that early imprint of service that guided her toward AmeriCorps. “I always knew I wanted to do something helping a community,” she said. “I had no idea that I could incorporate art into that… AmeriCorps had the perfect mesh of those.”

What she found at Imagine Art wasn’t just a job, but a place that would shape her voice, confidence, and future.

“The artists here have taught me to be more brave with my work and just to take risks,” she said. “I’m inspired by them literally every single day.” That inspiration has spilled into her personal art practice—prompting her to participate in art markets, receive commissions, and even show in galleries. “If I wasn’t working here, I don’t think I’d be nearly close to where I am now in my personal practice,” she said. “Working here has just jump-started everything for me.”

Beyond technical skills, Kathryn speaks of something more essential. “It’s really taught me to trust myself,” she said. “Now I feel like I second-guess less… I’m just trusting that I can do this, and I’m going to try this. If that doesn’t work, that’s fine—I’ll try the next thing.”

Having that intersection of art and service, is what really drew me to AmeriCorps... Seeing my mom serving the community, it taught me that it's about the connection and building those personal relationships and seeing the confidence just grow. Feeling loved and cared about is what really made the big difference... I wanted to keep it at that intersection of art and healing and art and growth and confidence building, which is really why I think what Imagine Art does is so cool because it is all of those things.

Kathryn Schulze, AmeriCorps Artist in Residence

Kathryn and the Horse Painter: A Story of Mutual Transformation

One of Kathryn’s first clients at Imagine Art was a charismatic artist with developmental disorders named Steven Fisher, “known for his passion for horses and intricate depictions of them. Many of the colorful mares, colts, and stallions that Steven illustrates and paints, have elaborate backstories. Working mainly in watercolor on paper and acrylic on canvas, he has a knack for giving each horse a unique personality,” according to his artist bio.

“He is also just one of the most gracious people I’ve ever met. And he’s super appreciative and is always giving people words of affirmation. He’s really encouraged me too with my own art,” Kathryn said. “It’s just been really cool to see him grow and gain confidence as an artist too. We’ve become good friends for sure.”

For Steven, the feeling was mutual. “She’s really friendly, helpful,” he said. “She’s helpful when I don’t remember something, like not knowing how to shade that much, she helps… The support she gives is unique.”

Steven, who’s been coming to Imagine Art for more than six years, finds joy and dignity in the creative process. “I come for opportunities,” he said. “It brings more audience. They really like my stuff I present. It makes me feel really nice to share with the audience what they want. I think it’s the beauty of it.”

Rick has noticed recent changes in Steven’s skill and confidence:  “What I’m seeing right now is that the quality of his work, the quality of his brushstroke, the quality of his design decisions, the quality of his color choices—all of that is improving radically. And that’s because [Kathryn] sits right next to him every day and one-on-one guides him… and the value of that, you just can’t beat it. It’s just profound.”

 ”There is this continuum of consistent attention and provision of valuable service that ultimately gets one to that place,” he adds. “He’s always painted well… But the quality of it that I’ve seen literally in the last couple months since she’s been working with him is just extreme… And that has everything to do with Kathryn’s interaction with him. It’s about consistent, good quality attention and mentorship.”

Kathryn reflects that her own sense of purpose has grown alongside Steven’s. “The clients, the artists we serve, they give you unconditional care and respect and love and make you feel good about what you’re doing no matter what,” she said. “It’s shown me that just showing up and doing good work, as long as your intentions are good and to serve and you really want to help, that’s enough.”

Trust as a Pathway to Leadership

John Molina doesn’t just make art—he makes things happen.

“I paint, and I make my own coloring book and stickers, and I help in the kitchen over there,” he said. “I’m on the board with Debbie… and I’ve been working on different paintings, different abstracts,” said John, who uses “circles, spirals, scratches and negative space to reveal the undercurrents of how his artistic mind works,” according to his artist bio. “ I do flower people paintings. I do big ones and little ones.”

His days are full—organizing events, tracking outings on the calendar, networking potential collaborations, even curating his own shows. “Before TOMS Coffee closed, I did a show there all by myself,” he said, referencing a local cafe. “I was there until 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock setting up, and then I had to pull everything out, and they let me do it there.”

John also values the partnerships with AmeriCorps. “A couple of AmeriCorps members… taught me how to do the base of the painting,” he said. “Because when I do big paintings… if somebody asks for a three-foot one, they have to make sure that I’m ready to do it.”

His mantra is simple but profound: “I trust them because they help me, and they trust me… We do everything we need to do for each other.”

 ​I paint, and I make my own coloring books and stickers... I trust [AmeriCorps] because they help me, and they trust me. And when I trust them, they trust me, and we do everything we need to do for each other.

John Molina, Artist
John Molina
Caroline Molina-Ray

From Passing Time to Building Purpose

Before he was participating in Imagine Art programs, he was in programs that were not suiting his needs... The social interactions were also not as enriching as he needs for his own satisfaction and personal growth. So we were delighted that Imagine Art filled those needs in spades and provided him with creative outlets... It really took his daytime activities to a new level of enrichment, social benefits, and opportunities for growth.

Caroline Molina-Ray, sister of artist John Molina

John’s journey has not gone unnoticed by his sister, housemate, and guardian Caroline Molina-Ray. A decade ago, they were searching for a place that could offer meaningful engagement—not just custodial care.

“Imagine Art came into our lives at just the right time. It was really a godsend,” she said.

Today, John is not just an artist but an entrepreneur and community leader. One of Caroline’s proudest moments? The day John published his first coloring book. “It makes for a nice gift. Interspersed among the images… are John’s favorite sayings, and they’re very uplifting,” she said. “‘You’re my friend and I love you’ is just placed in the book as an affirmation.”

Caroline credits AmeriCorps for amplifying that impact. “It’s clear from their focus on serving individual clients, as well as the larger community, that they do this as a labor of love. It’s more a lived experience of giving,” she said. “We wouldn’t be able to see the benefits in the lives of the clients at Imagine Art unless we had such a dedicated and talented group of AmeriCorps members.”

Caroline has a deep appreciation for the AmeriCorps members devoting their time and talent to support artists with disabilities. “ They do it by sitting one-on-one with the artist, helping them to develop their skills, helping them to develop new ideas for their art, helping them to refine the artistic abilities that they already have. They do it by helping artists interact effectively with each other and with other members of the community. So they help artists build social skills and communication skills. They also accompany the artists into the community on field trips, on outings, and help the artists discover how art is integrated into the real world.”

One story stands out in her memory: “We got a little nervous not knowing exactly where we were,” she said of trying to locate a field trip site. “We called the AmeriCorps member… and [she] walked to us and physically ushered us to the right spot. That’s, I think, symbolic of AmeriCorps members playing a leadership role, playing a role as guide, but also just helper and support and trusted friend.”

The Bigger Picture: Art as Infrastructure

Beyond the individual stories lies a broader truth: the arts have economic and social power. According to a recent report by the Texas Cultural Trust, the arts and culture industry has grown more than 30% in the last decade, generating $6 billion annually for the Texas economy and contributing nearly $380 million in state sales tax revenue.

“One of the things that people don’t understand is the value that the arts have on a community from perspectives outside of just engagement,” said Rick, who led groundbreaking economic impact studies as former executive director of Texas Commission on the Arts.

It’s a clean, safe, scalable engine—and Imagine Art is proof that it can also be inclusive.

“Most of our artists will never leave here,” said Rick. “This place is forever for them… This truly is a community. It’s not just a place where you come to learn something and then leave.”

Rick has spent a lifetime championing the arts as public infrastructure. “Everybody’s enjoying it in some way or another and don’t even know it most of the time because they don’t understand the source of what it is that they’re enjoying,” he said.

And at Imagine Art, “everybody involved becomes a beneficiary of this activity.”

A Studio Where Lives Take Shape

Back in the Imagine Art studio, it’s just another day. Paintbrushes are rinsed. Critiques are held. Someone laughs over a half-finished landscape. Someone else leans over a communal table to adjust the edge of a canvas.

It’s not flashy. It’s not headline-grabbing. But it is, as Rick puts it, “everyday magic.”

“All I have to do is walk into one of these rooms, and I see it happening,” he said. “It could be an interaction between somebody and their object and their craft, that all of a sudden there was this profound moment where they realized something wonderful that they’d just never seen before.”

In that moment—in that revelation—is everything: the artist, the mentor, the system transformed.

This is Imagine Art. This is AmeriCorps. This is what happens when service meets soul.

Picture of Joshua Winata

Interviews, photography, editing & prompting by Joshua Winata

Text generated with ChatGPT and Claude​

Where Hope Takes Root: How AmeriCorps Grows Community & Opportunity in Killeen

07/16/2025 |

A massive heart-shaped sculpture sits at the center of the community garden outside the Killeen Creators studio, with a joyful message adorning its vibrantly painted facade: Community, Healing, Growth, Hope. Around it, tomato plants climb sturdy stakes, kale grows in neat rows, and the morning sun filters through colorful wildflowers. It’s a lush green oasis amid the cracked concrete and strip malls of this corner of Killeen—and it’s where Jacqueline Hewitt (affectionately known as Miss Jackie) faces her hardest challenge every single day.

“I did a lot of negative stuff… back in the day. If anybody knows my story, this area right here from the Taco Bell up there on 10th Street all down the street—I used to do a lot of stuff,” says Miss Jackie, whose confident bearing and assured voice belie the vulnerability of her confession. This neighborhood holds her darkest memories—the blocks where she once worked the streets, struggling with pharmaceutical addictions and “was eating the dirt to try to find nutrition.”

Now she tends the soil here as an AmeriCorps member with Killeen Creators, planting seeds instead of destroying dreams. The irony isn’t lost on her—finding redemption in the earth she once consumed in desperation. “I do it because I want people here in the community to see that if Miss Jackie picked herself up out of the dirt, y’all can do it too,” she explains. “And I think that’s why I like working with dirt. If I can pull myself up out of that dirt, y’all can too… I’m [serving] right here in the area where all my mess took place. It’s a challenge each and every day, but it’s a rewarding challenge.”

Miss Jackie’s story is both deeply personal and universally resonant—a testament to the human capacity for transformation when given the right support and opportunity. The same streets that witnessed her lowest moments now watch her walking with dignity, greeting neighbors by name, carrying herself with the quiet authority of someone who has earned every ounce of respect she receives.

Building the Nervous System of Change

"AmeriCorps have become like the root system for a tree or the veins in your body. They're conduits. They carry messages, information, and tasks that need to get done throughout the city and the county... Our community is an organism, and we have utilized AmeriCorps in ways to fill needs and niches that don't really get met."

Kristin Wright, Executive Director

Miss Jackie’s transformation from addiction to respected community leader illustrates something profound happening in Killeen—a city of nearly 160,000 next to Fort Hood where military families come and go, leaving behind a complex web of need. In a region that, according to Built For Texas research, has the fewest nonprofits of any area in the state, organizations like Killeen Creators depend on AmeriCorps to provide what Executive Director Kristin Wright calls the “nervous system” that connects a fragmented community.

Kristin has watched this fragmentation firsthand. Military families arrive with hope and leave with orders, but not everyone can follow. Some are left behind by divorce, by disability, by the simple economics of relocation. Others choose to stay, putting down roots in a place that was supposed to be temporary. The result is a community of people who need connection but lack the traditional support structures that develop over generations in more stable towns.

When Killeen Creators began in North Killeen—where there were no major grocery stores and little public transportation—the founders discovered that good intentions weren’t enough to address the widespread homelessness and food insecurity. “Gardening is an every day commitment, especially in Texas, and not all the volunteers who signed up really knew that as fully as we found out,” Kristin recalls. The Texas heat doesn’t pause for busy schedules or competing priorities. “So AmeriCorps was an essential godsend to have people who have made a commitment, and they show up daily, so we’re able to water our gardens and plant seeds that actually thrive and turn into vegetables that feed people.” Kristin continues. That reliability became the foundation everything else could build upon.

That daily commitment creates more than vegetables. It creates relationships, trust, and hope in a community where many residents struggle with military transitions, food insecurity, mental health challenges, and addiction. Kristin describes AmeriCorps members as “conduits” who “carry messages, information, tasks that need to get done throughout the city and the county.” They’ve become the root system that allows community partnerships to flourish.

Jacqueline Hewitt
Kristin Wright

The Power of Lived Experience

The ten AmeriCorps members at Killeen Creators work both in the organization’s four community gardens and in their small studio on 10th Street, where a mural declares it a “Safe Space” with rules like “No judgment,” “Mistakes welcome,” and “Be kind (to yourself & others).” The studio serves as both classroom and sanctuary, a place where people can try new things without fear of failure or ridicule.

Many AmeriCorps members bring their own experiences of hardship—homelessness, post-traumatic stress, addiction, even incarceration. This isn’t coincidental—it’s intentional. Kristin and her co-founders recognized early that the most effective peer support comes from people who have walked similar paths.

“Having [AmeriCorps members] with very different lived experience, people in the community who have really intense needs and often low trust find someone on our team they connect with,” Kristin explains. “They’re the best peer support and coaches, natural coaches in our community for people who really do need that help.” There’s something powerful about hearing ‘I’ve been there’ from someone whose scars tell the same story as your own.

This approach challenges traditional nonprofit models that often create clear distinctions between service providers and service recipients. At Killeen Creators, those lines blur intentionally. The individual teaching a gardening class in the morning might be attending a peer support group in the afternoon. The AmeriCorps member helping someone find housing might have been homeless themselves just months earlier.

Miss Jackie’s story exemplifies this power of lived experience. Her journey to AmeriCorps began when she started volunteering at the gardens, finding peace in the morning ritual of watering plants. The simple act of nurturing growth became a form of meditation, a way to quiet the chaos in her mind and focus on something life-giving.

Kristin noticed her pain during one of their early conversations, and Miss Jackie shared pieces of her story—the addiction, struggle, and shame experienced on these very blocks. “It was really in that exchange with her that James, a co-founder and director, and I said, ‘We’ve gotta find a way to take these people who want to move forward and help give them an opportunity to do that,'” Kristin remembers.

Miss Jackie became their first AmeriCorps member and has since earned her certification as a professional peer support counselor. “It’s the first paid employment that’s legal that she’s ever had in her life,” Kristin notes. The significance of this cannot be overstated—not just the living allowance and education award, but also the dignity of legitimate work and the respect that comes with professional credentials.

Creating Space For Vulnerability

"You’ve got to face your fears. I was always a runner from the age 13 until I became a member of AmeriCorps — I always ran from stuff I didn’t want to face or deal with... But now on the daily, you’ve got to get up, you’ve got to suit up, and you’ve got to take care of your business... I think that's why I like working with dirt. If I could pull myself up out that dirt, y'all can too."

Jacqueline Hewitt, AmeriCorps member

Miss Jackie’s influence ripples through the community in ways both seen and unseen. She has an “uncanny ability to connect with people,” Kristin observes, whether they’re teenagers caught in the juvenile justice system or elderly residents in wheelchairs who need help reaching tomatoes on the vine. Her approach is direct but never harsh, honest but never judgmental.

The power of her presence becomes most apparent in moments of crisis. “We had a lady come a couple weeks ago who as part of her journal share disclosed—and very distraught and nervous to be telling this group of people—that she had gone back to prostituting to help pay for food,” Kristin recounts. The room fell silent, heavy with shame and fear of judgment.

“And it’s just a very different thing to have somebody in the room who can say, ‘I feel that. I know that. I’ve done that, and I don’t judge you,'” Kristin continues. Miss Jackie’s response wasn’t a lecture or advice or even comfort in the traditional sense. It was recognition—one human acknowledging another’s pain without trying to fix it or explain it away.

This non-judgmental approach transforms lives in unexpected ways. Jeffrey Nagel, a chef struggling with severe anxiety that manifested in compulsive skin picking, found his way to Killeen Creators through his friendship with Miss Jackie. Initially resistant to art classes—”I’m like, ‘Oh god, I don’t do art,'” he recalls—Jeffrey needed someone who wouldn’t take no for an answer but also wouldn’t push too hard.

Miss Jackie’s invitation was persistent but patient: “He’s a very friendly, outgoing person, but he wasn’t social like that. I used to tell him, ‘You got to just come down to the Killeen Creators and just hang out for a little while and just see what we do,’” recall Miss Jackie. 

At Killeen Creators, what Jeffrey found is a place where he is safe to explore, take risks, and play. He discovered the art of paint pouring as an antidote to his high-pressure work environment where “everything has to be in control.” The art form became therapeutic precisely because “you have limited control because as you put the paint down… you have no control over how it looks until the end.” This lesson in letting go has helped calm his anxiety and given him new purpose as a monthly instructor, sharing techniques he’s learned with others seeking their own creative outlets.

“Teaching gives me a satisfaction that I never really had before,” Jeffrey reflects. He’s even brought paint pouring classes to the retirement facility where he works, watching elderly residents light up as they create. The joy is infectious and mutual—both teacher and student discovering something new about themselves through art.

From Homelessness to Hope

The ripple effects extend to those who seemed furthest from hope. Derrek McIlwain, a reserved man with a distinctive mullet, was literally living on Killeen Creators property when Kristin and co-founder James first encountered him. After losing his job due to injury and illness, spending time in mental health facilities, and nearly three years of homelessness, he had found his way to their gardens—not as a participant in programming, but as someone seeking shelter.

“In between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m., I was here,” Derrek says with a chuckle. He had learned the rhythms of the property, when staff arrived and when they left, how to make himself invisible during business hours. The gardens offered something he couldn’t find elsewhere: a sense of peace, of purpose, of being surrounded by growing things instead of decay.

“When they first noticed I was on the property, they were like, ‘Hey, why don’t you come in and cool off? See if you feel like a class or something?'” That simple invitation—free of demands or conditions—began a slow process of connection. Trust built gradually, one conversation at a time, one small act of inclusion after another.

When an AmeriCorps position opened up, they encouraged him to apply. The transition from homeless resident to AmeriCorps member wasn’t immediate or easy, but it was possible because the foundation of relationship had already been laid.

“I’ve been off the street for about a year and a half now in my own place. It’s all thanks to AmeriCorps,” Derrek reports. The work has shown him “that I can do more than I thought I could, and some of the issues I have aren’t as hard to deal with in a job that is made for your issues.” The phrase “made for your issues” captures something essential about the AmeriCorps model—not asking people to hide their struggles, but finding ways to make those struggles part of their strength.

"I’ve been off the street for about a year and a half now in my own place. It’s all thanks to AmeriCorps. It made me figure out that I can do more than I thought...in a job that is made for your issues. AmeriCorps means I can stay off the street and have a roof over my head and feel like I'm contributing. Killeen Creators is friends, family, coworkers, community, and just having a place to be myself and to be able to work."

Derrek McIlwain, AmeriCorps member

Filling the Gaps that Matter

For Kristin, these individual transformations represent something larger—AmeriCorps filling gaps that neither private sector nor traditional nonprofits can address: “You don’t make money feeding poor people. You don’t make money addressing homelessness. So it has to get done another way through partnership between for-profit, private, government, and AmeriCorps has really been that nervous system or vein system that connects us.”

This connective function is especially crucial in Killeen, where military turnover creates what Kristin calls “unmet needs.” The constant rotation of personnel means fewer sustained nonprofits and weaker social infrastructure. People arrive needing services that don’t exist, or exist but can’t be sustained by volunteer labor alone. AmeriCorps members bridge these gaps, linking Killeen Creators with roughly 20 other organizations and government entities to share resources and coordinate services.

The military context adds layers of complexity to every issue. Veterans return with PTSD and find limited mental health resources. Military spouses struggle with employment gaps caused by frequent moves. Children change schools repeatedly, disrupting their education and social development. Elderly parents of service members find themselves isolated when their children deploy or relocate.

Miss Jackie understands this broader impact from lived experience. “Since I’ve been working for AmeriCorps, I have seen it take people from nothing. I’ve seen it change homeless people. I’ve seen it change addicts. I’ve seen it change elderly people. I’ve seen it change people with PTSD,” she reflects. The transformation happens because AmeriCorps creates what Killeen lacked: “a building for all these different nationalities of people to come in there, and they interact like they’ve known each other for life.”

Tending Both Soil & Souls

The military connection makes this work especially poignant. “Fort [Hood] being the biggest Army post in the United States,” Miss Jackie notes, means there are “parents that you’ve left here, there’s grandparents that you’ve left here, there’s wives, there’s children, there’s mentally disturbed, there’s all that stuff that you’ve left here in Killeen, but no help programs for them.”

The phrase “you’ve left here” carries weight—an accusation and an observation wrapped together. Military families don’t choose where they go or when they leave, but the impact on communities like Killeen is real and lasting. AmeriCorps fills that void not through programs alone but through the daily presence of people who show up, water the gardens, staff the classes, and ask how you’re doing.

Kristin calls it “the daily work that gardens require”—but she could be describing community building itself. Both require consistency, patience, and faith that small daily acts will eventually yield something life-sustaining. You can’t plant seeds sporadically and expect a harvest. You can’t build trust with sporadic attention and expect lasting relationships.

“The food means nothing if it doesn’t get to people,” Kristin observes. The same is true for hope, healing, and second chances. They mean nothing if they don’t reach the people who need them most—the veterans struggling with reentry, the elderly residents in food deserts, the young people caught in cycles of trauma, the community members society has written off.

Miss Jackie, who has become a fixture in the neighborhood, embodies this daily commitment. “I’ve got my respect back, not just only from the community or from people in a higher position than me. I’m very respected here in the neighborhood,” she says with quiet pride.

Standing in the garden outside the Killeen Creators studio where her past and present intersect daily, Miss Jackie embodies the metaphor that drives her work: “I can plant the seed. I can water it. But it’s the love that makes it grow. I can’t do that all by myself.”

AmeriCorps provides that love—not as sentiment, but as the patient, daily commitment to show up for people and communities that others might overlook. In Killeen, AmeriCorps members have become the root system that allows an entire community garden to flourish, proving that sometimes the most powerful transformation happens not through grand gestures but through the simple act of planting seeds and tending them with care.

“AmeriCorps really provides a unique opportunity for people who have some work challenges, but also work ability, to figure that out and become as productive a member of society as they can,” Wright reflects.

In a nation that often sees only binary categories—success or failure, housed or homeless, employed or unemployed—AmeriCorps creates space for the much larger group of people who exist somewhere in between. They nurture what Wright calls “everyone has something to offer,” creating conditions where both individuals and communities can discover what that something might be.

The heart-shaped sculpture in the garden captures it perfectly: Community, Healing, Growth, Hope. These aren’t just words carved in metal—they’re the daily reality of what happens when AmeriCorps members show up, day after day, to tend both soil and souls. In Killeen, they’ve grown more than vegetables. They’ve cultivated the kind of community that transforms lives and proves that everyone, indeed, has something precious to offer.

Picture of Joshua Winata

Interviews, photography, editing & prompting by Joshua Winata

Text generated with ChatGPT and Claude​

“AmeriCorps completely reshaped my concept of what it takes to be part of a solution to a societal problem” | AmeriCorps Week 2022

03/18/2022 |
This AmeriCorps Week, March 13-19, we invited OneStar staff who served with AmeriCorps in Texas to share their experiences and words of wisdom. We are so grateful to all AmeriCorps members and alums who made a commitment to serve and have contributed their time, passion, and skills to strengthening Texas communities. OneStar is a proud Employer of National Service!

Vanessa Gutierrez has completed two terms of service with AmeriCorps: first serving in an early childhood literacy program with Jumpstart in Washington, then returning to her home state of Texas to serve with Front Steps to support shelter case management for those experiencing homelessness. 

Vanessa’s AmeriCorps experience catalyzed a diverse career in direct client service in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In addition to her recent work in the local tech industry, she previously supported the foster-to-adopt program at Amara in the state of Washington and provided supportive services as a case manager with Front Steps at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. She now serves as a Program Officer with OneStar to promote the development and administration of AmeriCorps Texas.

What made you decide to join AmeriCorps?

I think everyone who has the means, access, and opportunity to serve with AmeriCorps should make that commitment. It really gives you insight into how community-based programs and nonprofits work. As a member, you get the opportunity to be a direct part of the solution to a variety of society’s major issues. 

I personally joined my first term of AmeriCorps service to gain experience working with children. I knew I already had an interest in social work when I started my college career. I had just ended my work study term working for a local adoption agency, and I wanted to explore what it was like to work directly with children. As a sociology major, I was learning a lot about inequities in the world, and I deeply wanted to do the work. AmeriCorps gave me that opportunity—twice!

How did AmeriCorps affect your perspective on service and your community? What insights did you gain about your community through AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps completely reshaped my concept of what it takes to be part of a solution to a societal problem. Starting my service as a very independent passionate person with a desire to change the world, I soon realized that this experience was not about me and my search for self-fulfillment. I left my terms of service truly understanding just how important it is to work together to create systems change and gained insight into the power of the collective.

Do you have a notable memory from your time in AmeriCorps that illustrates the impact service has had on you?

One of my proudest memories was gaining an understanding of the value of one-on-one time with students and cultural competency in the classroom. During my first term of service, I was able to serve as a teaching aid for a classroom of over 30 pre-kindergarten students who faced a variety of obstacles that were impacting their progress in literacy. Because I was able to give the students individualized attention, I learn that one of my students never spoke because he only verbally communicated in Spanish, that one of the students learned and communicated differently because he presented signs of autism, and that one of my students struggled with aggression because this was the way her family communicated at home. As an AmeriCorps member, I had the capacity to devote one-on-one time to each of the students I served, and because of this, I was able to be a small part of what helped them reach their reading goals. The most joyous time was seeing each one of my students cross the stage with pride at their pre-K graduations in their little caps and gowns.

What skills or experiences did you gain during your AmeriCorps service that you use in your current career?

I gained several skills during my AmeriCorps terms that I use daily in my current career. I learned the value of collaboration and teamwork, the importance of strong communication skills with my AmeriCorps cohort and site supervisor, and ultimately just how pertinent self-care is when serving others. I continue to work towards improving each of these skills daily, and I am so grateful that I had so much support from my site teams and supervisors when learning these lessons in AmeriCorps. I do not believe that I would have had access to that caliber of wisdom and support had I just jumped into this career without serving with AmeriCorps first.

What advice would you give to AmeriCorps members to make the most of their service experience?

My advice to members is to talk to and network with as many people as you can, and to say yes to any opportunity that arises. Being in AmeriCorps puts you in a unique position where you can explore a variety of careers or interests with training wheels on. As a member, I had an entire network of people who were going through similar experiences as me, and I always appreciated the ability to learn and experiment. Remain steadfast and remember that you are not alone—you are a piece of a larger network of passionate folks who are also working toward a solution. 

“I wanted to wake up every day knowing the work I was doing was making a difference” | AmeriCorps Week 2022

03/16/2022 |
This AmeriCorps Week, March 13-19, we invited OneStar staff who served with AmeriCorps in Texas to share their experiences and words of wisdom. We are so grateful to all AmeriCorps members and alums who made a commitment to serve and have contributed their time, passion, and skills to strengthening Texas communities. OneStar is a proud Employer of National Service!

Sarah Beckmann completed two AmeriCorps terms in Austin as an AmeriCorps Access Coach at College Forward and an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader at Texas Association of Charitable Clinics. After completing her service, she returned to College Forward to join the staff as a Program Manager, supporting AmeriCorps members in growing professionally and effectively serving students.

Sarah joined the OneStar team this year to support the OneStar AmeriCorps VISTA Project in recruiting and managing members.

What made you decide to join AmeriCorps?

I joined AmeriCorps to start my career in nonprofits and education. I had an interest in working with students and wanted to try something that would help me gain hands-on experience while also giving back to the community I was serving in. People should join AmeriCorps if they are looking for a fun way to engage with their community and develop professionally in their fields. AmeriCorps is an incredible networking experience to find people that want to give back and serve their community like you. I’ve made some of my best friends from my service terms, and I am so thankful to have been part of some amazing cohorts of other members.

How did AmeriCorps affect your perspective on service and your community? What insights did you gain about your community through AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps was the first time I truly engaged in full-time service. I came from a more “office job” kind of background and wanted to feel more connected to the community around me in my day-to-day work. I wanted to wake up every day knowing that the work I was doing was actually making a difference. AmeriCorps gave me the opportunity to do that in both my service terms and helped me realize the passion that I had for helping others. It also helped me learn more about the amazing work being done in the community I lived in every day.

Do you have a notable memory from your time in AmeriCorps that illustrates the impact service has had on you?

One of my most notable moments from my AmeriCorps experience was the VISTA convening myself and other VISTA managers and leaders put on during my second term of service. This conference brought together VISTA members serving from around Texas for a chance to learn and develop together. It was also the first time I had met many of my own team members in person, and the experience really brought us together as a group. It was a great event to plan and helped me connect with members from all over Texas, both in my program and so many others. 

What skills or experiences did you gain during your AmeriCorps service that you use in your current career?

I truly believe the best professional experience I’ve gained in my career was during both of my service terms. I was able to learn so much through hands-on service and learning with my peers. I learned how to be a better team member and leader, as well as how to help others develop alongside of me. From working with students on FAFSA applications to creating volunteer programs for medical clinics, I learned so much about the education and healthcare fields just from being around other AmeriCorps members and staff that I worked with. It was an experience that I am so thankful for, and I still use the skills I developed during service to this day.

What advice would you give to AmeriCorps members to make the most of their service experience?

My biggest piece of advice to AmeriCorps members is to be open and ready for anything. You have no idea what amazing opportunities are out there for you until you open up to them. I think everyone has the chance to grow during their service terms if they put themselves out there and takes risks at new things they are interested in. Take advantage of this time to learn what you like and don’t like to do. I learned so much about myself and my career goals from both of my terms, and I am so glad I made an effort to branch out of my comfort zone to make the most of my experience.

“My service gave me an understanding of the importance of collaboration” | AmeriCorps Week 2022

03/15/2022 |
This AmeriCorps Week, March 13-19, we invited OneStar staff who served with AmeriCorps in Texas to share their experiences and words of wisdom. We are so grateful to all AmeriCorps members and alums who made a commitment to serve and have contributed their time, passion, and skills to strengthening Texas communities. OneStar is a proud Employer of National Service!

Shelby Thomas served in AmeriCorps from 2016-2017 as a Disaster Recovery VISTA for the Greater Houston Storm Recovery Network at Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries. She helped the Greater Houston community recover from major storms by providing support in resource development, project management, network communication, and data analysis for a collaborative of over 30 nonprofit & faith-based organizations participating in long-term recovery. Her diligent work was recognized during the 2017 Governor’s Volunteer Awards.

Shelby’s AmeriCorps service sparked a new interest in disaster recovery and emergency management, which led her join OneStar’s Disaster Resilience team. She then moved into the role of a specialist with the OneStar AmeriCorps VISTA Project, where she oversaw recruitment and member outreach. She currently works as a Grants Officer with the AmeriCorps Texas team.

What made you decide to join AmeriCorps?

It’s a great opportunity to develop your professional skills but also give back at the same time. After college, I knew I wanted to serve, but I was also figuring out my next steps and focusing on what skills I could gain. My AmeriCorps experience allowed me to work with individuals who had a heart for service, and it was rewarding to see that in action. It also allowed me to grow personally and professionally.

How did AmeriCorps affect your perspective on service and your community? What insights did you gain about your community through AmeriCorps?

In my AmeriCorps service year, I gained a better understanding of poverty and how it can affect people on an individual level. I saw how different organizations were collaborating to address poverty and how they worked directly with the community to provide critical services. My AmeriCorps service helped me understand what was being done to address the significant gaps in services.

Do you have a notable memory from your time in AmeriCorps that illustrates the impact service has had on you?

The success of my entire service year is a result of effective mentorship, leadership, and organizational structure that allowed me to see how a nonprofit organization can be run to strengthen its community. We were able to provide disaster recovery support to many different communities and partner organizations in the midst of Hurricane Harvey. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to help others during a time of need. During my AmeriCorps year, I received a Governor’s Volunteer Award, which felt like recognition of not only my service, but of how much we achieved collaboratively. The award represented what we were trying to accomplish to help the community get back on its feet and affirmed the impact that we had created by working together.

What skills or experiences did you gain during your AmeriCorps service that you use in your current career?

My AmeriCorps service helped me develop the foundational and transferable skills that I needed for any career. Prior to AmeriCorps, I did not have any professional experience with nonprofits, so during my VISTA service, I gained knowledge about nonprofit operations and grantmaking and developed a passion for the nonprofit community. As someone coming into the workforce right after college, it exposed me to a professional environment and taught me how to communicate in a professional space. My service also gave me an understanding of the importance of collaboration and it developed my problem-solving skills, technical skills, and capacity building skills. I currently use those skills in my current career.

What advice would you give to AmeriCorps members to make the most of their service experience?

Use every opportunity to observe the workings of an organization, including training, resource development, and program development. Go above and beyond, be open to all opportunities, and make sure you are being an engaged AmeriCorps member. Try to find joy and motivation in all aspects of your service. Be adaptable, be flexible, and network!

“The decision to serve would send my life in an entirely new and meaningful direction” | AmeriCorps Week 2022

03/14/2022 |
This AmeriCorps Week, March 13-19, we invited OneStar staff who served with AmeriCorps in Texas to share their experiences and words of wisdom. We are so grateful to all AmeriCorps members and alums who made a commitment to serve and have contributed their time, passion, and skills to strengthening Texas communities. OneStar is a proud Employer of National Service!

Taylor Wolter served two terms as an AmeriCorps member with the Texas Conservation Corps at American Youthworks. Following his service, he took over the program in 2015 and continued to engage in numerous disasters, scaling the Disaster Response Program into a key asset for disasters in Texas and around the country.

Taylor came on board with OneStar in 2017, just days after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, and led the State of Texas in a forward direction as the Federal Taskforce Lead for Volunteer and Donations Management. Taylor is now the manager of OneStar’s Disaster Resilience initiative and is the lead for the state’s national service programs in times of disaster.

What made you decide to join AmeriCorps?

I was 25 years old working in the private sector when I had a moment of clarity. I realized that I was working a job that had no connection to my sense of service and wanted to help those who are underserved or unable to help themselves. My younger sibling had already done a term with AmeriCorps NCCC and loved it, so I made a split-second decision, sold everything I owned, and joined the Texas Conservation Corps as an AmeriCorps member, focusing on environmental conservation and disaster response. Little did I know that the decision to serve would send my life in an entirely new and meaningful direction.

How did AmeriCorps affect your perspective on service and your community? What insights did you gain about your community through AmeriCorps?

Prior to joining AmeriCorps, I thought volunteering was a noble thing that some people did, but I personally had no idea what to do or how to get involved. After learning about AmeriCorps, I was all in! During my service, I had the opportunity to live and work in communities across Texas and the United States, where I was exposed to folks from a wide range of backgrounds, belief systems, and world views. This was the first time I experienced systemic generational poverty, racial prejudice, and inequities in the federal support systems for those in need. As a result of my AmeriCorps service, I have a far more empathetic and well-rounded view of those who are challenged due to circumstances out of their control. These experiences left a forever impression, leading me to build a career in the social impact sector, where I am fortunate to continue to support those in need through my work each day.

Do you have a notable memory from your time in AmeriCorps that illustrates the impact service has had on you?

As an AmeriCorps member I spent several years deployed to natural disasters across the United States and its territories worldwide. I remember being deployed to the San Marcos/Wimberly Floods of 2015, which was only my second disaster deployment ever. I quickly got the hang of disaster work, and my superiors in the community took note. As the impacts from the disaster (an 80-foot wall of water resulting in widespread flooding) continued to grow in scale, so did our operation. On day 27 of the deployment, I was asked by the Emergency Management Director to oversee all operations in the City of San Marcos for 24 hours to allow for his team to rest and visit with their families.

This was a hugely impactful moment as I realized in an instant that my efforts and ideas as an AmeriCorps member were not only embraced, but also were recognized at the highest levels of my field, resulting in me being identified as the stand in incident commander when the government officials needed a break. For a guy who didn’t know how to connect to volunteer opportunities two years before, it felt incredible to know that I had made a tangible impact that was being recognized by professionals in my field.

What skills or experiences did you gain during your AmeriCorps service that you use in your current career?

Coming out of the private sector, I honestly wasn’t sure what experiences or skills that I would gain through my service with AmeriCorps. I quickly discovered though that it was up to me to seek out the skills and experiences I had an interest in. For me, this meant becoming the go-to member for all disaster deployments that my program was involved with. By voluntarily deploying to more than 15 disasters while in service, I developed a superior set of skills around planning large-scale disaster responses, managing large amounts of disaster volunteers (at times more than 2000 a day), and developing coalitions of individuals and organizations from a diverse set of background, world views, and political beliefs to work toward a common goal of recovering from the event. 

Following my service, I was hired to run the disaster program that I served with and eventually was hired by OneStar in the early days of Hurricane Harvey to lead FEMA’s Volunteer and Donations Taskforces and oversee the largest disaster deployment in AmeriCorps’s history at that time. And it all started with the choice to do a year of service and see where it went.

What advice would you give to AmeriCorps members to make the most of their service experience?

Go all in! Take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you to learn about nontraditional jobs and paths to success from professionals in positions you can see yourself in. Realize that unlike some traditional jobs, your AmeriCorps service is supported by professionals that want to see you grow into the best version of yourself. I always encourage anyone joining AmeriCorps to make the experience work for you. This means seeking additional opportunities to engage with work you are passionate about, exploring new career fields, and asking to be involved in initiatives and programs that are important to you as an individual. By doing all these things, you just might find a new path that you didn’t know you were looking for—I sure did.

Texas insurance company builds a culture of service through employee involvement | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/20/2021 |

Texas Mutual was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

On a mission to build a stronger, safer Texas, Texas Mutual has a culture of service spurred by team members who are dedicated to making our state a better place to live and work.

“We are the largest provider of workers compensation insurance in the state of Texas. We have about 40% of the market, insure 70,000 businesses, and they employ about a million and a half workers. The overall strength and safety of Texas is really, really important to us,” said Jeremiah Bentley, Vice President of Marketing & Community Affairs at Texas Mutual.

In 2019, 473 Texas Mutual employees volunteered an impressive 5,300 hours for 103 nonprofit organizations across the state. The depth of Texas Mutual’s engagement can be seen in their longstanding partnership with the Central Texas Food Bank. In addition to providing nearly 550 hours of volunteer support to the organization, they also used their business expertise to revamp pantry distribution logistics and operations to better serve families in need.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year, Texas Mutual remained committed to strengthening communities and found ways to continue serving safely. For example, the company purchased meals from local struggling restaurants and had them delivered to families at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Employees also wrote letters of encouragement to dedicated 211 call center representatives and hosted virtual reading sessions with students to promote literacy.

“Sometimes you just have to get creative. If you’re not able to help one way, you can help in another way,” Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah shared with OneStar his approach to corporate volunteering and talked about the impact companies can have on the community.

How do you build a culture of service within your company?

Our tagline is that we’re looking to build a stronger, safer Texas. We do that through what we do everyday in our jobs, we do that through our philanthropy and grants, and then we also do that through volunteers. It has always been part of our culture to give back and to strengthen our communities. 

Look at yourself, look at your mission, and look at the causes that align with who you are and what you stand for. Look at the unique skills that you and your employees can bring to the table, and then talk to employees and see where they’re already engaged. A lot of times, you find that you’ve got a group of employees who are doing things that honestly already aligns with who you are and what we do. We had people working with the food bank for a long time before we figured out that beyond just these shifts, there was more that we could do. Ask people, and you’ll find that there’s probably something out there that makes sense for you as an organization.

What unique value does your company bring to volunteering?

We’ve got lots of activities we do, but where we can, we want to bring our unique abilities to bear in volunteerism. As an organization, you need to know your strengths, so we looked at what are the things that we that we can uniquely provide to help out a nonprofit? At first, we thought, “We’re all just spreadsheet jockeys一maybe we don’t have unique talent.” But we dug deeper and thought about the core of what we do in different parts of the company, and it became evident that we do have skills to contribute to these causes beyond working a shift.

The Greater Houston Partnership was developing communities of practice around workforce development—talking to companies first to find out what they need and developing programs around that. That’s the way we work at Texas Mutual: we look at our customers, center what we do, and develop products and services based on that. We’ve got a bunch of project managers who are really good at logistics, so we actually loaned out some of our project management people to them.

We did it on the marketing side too. We had a really strong relationship with Workforce Solutions Capital Area and developed a campaign called Trade Up Texas, which was about connecting 18- to 25-year-olds with job skills. How do you let young people know that you can make a lot of money in construction and plumbing and trades, and that it is a real career path with an opportunity to create wealth? We provided our services pro bono to help solve that problem as a marketing problem while also meeting a real community need.

What makes an effective corporate volunteer program?

The most important thing is to involve employees in designing the program. Don’t just pick your favorite charity and expect the kind of engagement you might have if you’d talked to people and listened to the voices of the folks who are actually doing the volunteering. Make sure that whatever you’re doing is something that they find meaningful.

We’ve got a volunteer committee in each office with different levels of employees who have their ear to the ground on what it is that people really want to do and how you engage people. It’s human behavior: people are going to buy in more if they feel involved in the process and feel like their voice is heard, so we work really hard to do that. Let’s talk to people about what they want, and how we can connect what they want to do to who we are and build our program that way. We have to facilitate that. It’s a fine line to provide some direction and guidance while still being encouraging.

What are the benefits of corporate volunteering?

The number one benefit that we get out of it is employee recruiting and retention. We’ve been really intentional about talking more about the things we’re doing in the community and talking about volunteerism. We’ve heard more applicants who say, “I know who you guys are because I saw on Facebook all the good work y’all are doing.” It helps us attract the types of employees who are committed to that. Italso helps give employees meaning to their work. If you’re a programmer or an accountant, you don’t see every day the results of your work in the way that someone who is actually out in the field interacting with clients does. Volunteering can help them do that. 

There’s also a developing consumer demand. There is a lot of research around younger buyers all the way across the board, from consumer products to business services, who want to buy from companies whose values align with theirs. People sometimes feel like it’s bragging to talk about it, but it’s really just letting the public know your story. The more you can let the public know who you are in an authentic way一who the people are and not necessarily just the brand一the better off you’ll be. There is a price premium people are willing to pay for companies that share their values, and I think it’s becoming more and more important and will continue to be over time. For us, it’s particularly important because we’re only in Texas, and we only sell work comp, so we want to be known as a company that’s here based in Texas taking care of all Texans across the board, because that’s how we’re all gonna succeed together.

Good Samaritan pastor builds partnerships to help families on the road to self-sufficiency | Volunteer Texas Service Spotlight

07/13/2021 |

Blake Jennings was a recipient of a 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Award. If you know an individual or organization making a significant impact in Texas communities through service and volunteering, you can nominate them for the 2021 Governor’s Volunteer Award here.

Pastor Blake Jennings noticed a need in 2015 when multiple single mothers in his College Station congregation came to him with vehicle problems. Blake and his wife Julie created a nonprofit called OnRamp that provides reliable transportation to people in need, setting them on the path to self-sufficiency and enabling them to care better for their families.

“We noticed that in the Brazos Valley, folks who lack reliable transportation end up struggling in a lot of ways. They have a difficult time getting and holding down employment. They have a difficult time getting themselves and their kids to education opportunities, to health care opportunities, to other services within the community. A lack of reliable transportation can be something that traps families in poverty for a long period of time,” Blake explained. “We saw that in our community and wanted to do something about it, so what OnRamp does is partner with other charities, school districts, healthcare providers, churches, and places of faith to identify individuals and families who are struggling towards self-sufficiency, but who lack reliable transportation, and we gift to them a reliable vehicle along with the first full year of repairs and maintenance.”

OnRamp’s impact has been substantial, donating 72 vehicles to date, and repairing approximately 30 more. OnRamp actively engages volunteers in both vehicle repair and client care and partners with more than two dozen local businesses and charitable organizations. Most recently, they gifted a single mother of four boys a Honda Odyssey minivan. One week later, one of her young sons was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and the doctor’s immediate response was to send him to a specialist for treatment in Houston—an appointment that would have impossible to make without reliable transportation.

Blake spoke with OneStar about his volunteer journey and his motivations for serving others.

What inspires you to volunteer?

Being a pastor and coming from a faith-based background, so often we talk about the parable of the Good Samaritan, where you have a person coming to the aid of somebody who has been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, or you have verses about somebody who has no food or clothing showing up to your door, and you help them. After preaching that for so many years, I realized no one is coming to my door and knocking on it, and I don’t drive down my neighborhood street and see a guy who has been beaten and abandoned. I know that happens in the world, but it is so easy to never see that in a suburban community in Texas. What motivated me was this feeling of I have to do something. There has to be people who are in that position. Maybe it’s not food that they need, but there have got to be some deep needs out there: people who have been abused or victimized that need help. I realized then that maybe the fact that I was an automotive engineer before I was a pastor wasn’t an accident—maybe there’s a reason that I have that background.

In our church, there was one single mom who brought me a car that she bought from a corner lot that was very shady. She had very limited funds and had poor credit rating, so she had to turn to a dealer who took incredible advantage of her. She has four kids, two of whom are struggling with disabilities, and she had no hope to get out of that. I realized that is my Good Samaritan moment: it’s through cars, and it is through helping people who been victimized or taken advantage of. This is my chance to live out the religion that I talk about. How do we put these beliefs into practice in suburban Texas? I think everybody has their particular gift that they are able to contribute to the community, and for me, it was through cars.

How do you build intentional community partnerships and inspire others to serve?

The primary way we rallied the community around the cause is to tell stories to make it tangible. Whether you’re talking about a person who might donate or a person who runs a business or a person who runs another charity that could partner with you, the human heart is driven by stories and by specific needs. It’s so easy for many of us to live our isolated lives in our suburban environment, but we don’t see the need. As long as we don’t see the need with our own eyes and it remains intangible, it is only an idea out there, and it’s very easy to ignore ideas. It’s very hard to ignore people and specific stories.

A big part of my role in leadership is to tell stories to people in ways that capture their hearts, so that they see how their unique set of skills and resources can make a tangible difference. I view myself as the networker. I’m the connector. When I’m speaking to people who are business owners in the automotive sector, a lot of them have a desire to contribute to their community, but how are they going to do that? I get to walk into your place of business and tell you a story that helps you to see how that radiator or that auto part that you’re going to offer us for a discount (or free) is going to make a tangible difference in the life of another person. If you can tell stories well in a way that resonates with the person’s heart and their skills and their resources, then people get excited. They’re enthusiastic because they wanted to make a difference and didn’t know how, so they jump up and want to get involved. The real work to be done is that inspiration that comes through telling stories, so people understand this is a tangible way in my community to make a measurable difference. That’s what leadership looks like for me.

What benefits has volunteer service had in your life?

Volunteering has given me an opportunity to put principles I believe into action. As long as we live a life where the principles we care about are never put into action, they never really transform us, and in a sense, we’re living a hypocritical and unfulfilling life. Finding an opportunity to take principles I believe deeply in and actually put them into practice allows me to see those principles become true and feel like my life is making a difference.

It has also been a source of a lot of hope. In the last four years, it just feels like there has been so much division and anger and disagreement in our world and in politics and in society that can be overwhelming, and it can induce anxiety and hopelessness and lead us to apathy. I find when I put away the news for a minute and go do this volunteering, it reminds me that there is hope. Even if I can’t fix things at a national level, for this lady that we gave a minivan to, what she cares about is that she can now take her son to get treatment for his condition. That’s what matters. It has given me great hope to feel like, in the midst of so much I can’t control, it’s okay because I have a place where I can actually contribute, and it makes a difference.

What advice would you give to someone to encourage them to volunteer?

What you will find is your hope and your peace in life will grow, and it will provide something for you that you can’t find anywhere else. For somebody who is asking, “Why should I volunteer?” I would ask, “How happy are you with your life right now? Do you feel completely fulfilled?”

Most people will say, “I feel anxious. I feel angry. I feel frustrated. I feel apathetic.” Whatever it is, there is a solution to all of that: go serve. If you go serve, you are benefiting the people you’re serving, but it is also benefiting you because it’s giving you hope, and it’s giving you meaning that will help counterbalance all of those things that worry you and frustrate you and anger you. It gives you a reason to wake up in the morning. It gives you a hope that your life is contributing in some meaningful way. I think that most people who are self-aware are going to realize that if they’re not volunteering, there’s something missing, and it’s leading to a life that is just a fraction of what it could be.