by Amy Moy
It was September 2009, and the new group of AmeriCorps members had only been with us for a little over a week. They had completed several days of training, and were now fully engrossed in fall registration activities. This was an intense time for the members, as they worked at registration sites all over Northern Virginia, processed data for all classroom students, and prepared to become lead teacher to their assigned classes.
On that particular Thursday, I had worked from home and was on my way to the Lorton evening registration. The AmeriCorps members were carpooling from the office and were planning to meet me early at the registration site to set up.
When I received a call from the members, I automatically assumed they wanted to let me know that they were lost or stuck in traffic and would be late. All four of the members were brand new to the area, and navigating the way to Lorton from Falls Church can be daunting for anyone the first time. To my surprise, they were calling for an entirely different reason: they had arrived to Lorton early and had decided to stop for coffee and snacks, and just wanted to know if I would like them to pick up anything for me.
Almost 10 months later, I still remember this incident clearly because it really made an impression on me. Right then, I knew this was going to be another great group of members-not because they were offering to bring me food, but because they were so thoughtful on top of being responsible, dedicated, hard working, and passionate about LCNV's mission!
This early impression has lasted throughout the entire year. The members have continued to perform outstanding work while acting as caring and professional representatives of the Council-all this while making do on AmeriCorps' stipend, which is a major accomplishment in itself.
Most classroom volunteers know that AmeriCorps members serve as lead teachers at the class sites and are familiar with them teaching, providing support, and handling paperwork. However, many people might not realize that AmeriCorps members do much more behind the scenes at LCNV as well. This past year, all our AmeriCorps members had special projects and participated in LCNV task forces. There are too many projects to list here, but here are a few examples of their contributions:
As this group's year of service is coming to an end, the LCNV staff can look back on the members' accomplishments with pride and amazement. Of course, we feel a lot of sadness as well, as we know we'll have to say goodbye soon. We hope the AmeriCorps members feel their time with LCNV was valuable as they move on to the next phase of their careers or education. I am confident that whatever paths they choose, they will be positive influences in the world and that their intelligence, kindness, and dedication will continue to shine through!
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