State of Mind

All of my teammates have joined AmeriCorps NCCC for different reasons. Some of us wanted to update our resumes with impressive information. Some of us wanted to figure out our futures--hoping AmeriCorps would be the catalyst for a new piece of mind. Some of us needed a fresh start--to get out of the life we were living and to create something new for ourselves. And others of us wanted some experience: life, travel, and love.

I find it interesting how differently the dynamic of our team is from day to day.  We have days where one person will wake up with a scowl on their face, and suddenly everyone is in a terrible mood.  We have days where we wake up and coffee is made and Andrew is cooking bacon for everyone in the kitchen.  We have days where we argue, talk about each other, and simply say things that we know are going to make someone's skin crawl. We have days where we feel connected, part of one cause, part of one family. We have days where we can't stand each other, and we have days where we are proud to be on Blue 7.

Now that we are now more than halfway through our second project round, I feel I can understand how every project will have an impact on the team. In Keene, CA, all ten of us were outside working together all day long. Every single day involved the same attitudes and the same work. We were lazy and tired every day, and we did what we were asked to do...that was all.  Here in Oregon, things are different. Working with the Oregon Coast Community Action (ORCCA), we have a number of different projects going on every single day. Everyone seems to have their own place and their own ownership over something. Whether it's networking, caring for children, making deliveries, teaching about energy, or packing food for families, we all have something.

By the time we leave Coos Bay, each of our team members will have led at least one Independent Service Project. We will have posted over 100 posters to raise awareness for the historical nonprofit theatre that was required to close down. We will have written descriptions for over 25 historical photographs for the nonprofit Coos Bay Historical Museum. We will have painted a children's rock wall so that it can survive the rainy season. We will have helped to find a small nonprofit a number of grants to which they can apply for. We will have repaired perches for rehabilitating birds, as well as a muse for an injured eagle. We will have created a piece of art for a community using all recycled objects. This list is comprehensive of only the work we are doing outside of our 40 hour work week with ORCCA.

In many ways I am very proud of my team. There are times that I feel we are lucky to be living this lifestyle and to be experiencing so many different things.  There are times that I feel we are almost spoiled--complaining about not having internet, or having to run outside.  However, being in Coos Bay has allowed me to see the impact that teams are capable of making. As a whole, I'm in aw at the work our team has done in Oregon.

I've come to realize that AmeriCorps will be what I make it. On Friday afternoon, our team couldn't wait to finally get out of the warehouse and onto the weekend. A couple of emergencies arose, and we were asked to stay and pack "Snack Packs" for children. The Snack Pack program ensures that students who may usually  go hungry on the weekends get food to last them until Monday.  Teachers discretely slip Ziplocks of food into certain students' backpacks on Fridays so they no longer return starved on Monday mornings.

Asked to pack Snack Packs for an extra hour and a half after work was not exactly what my team was looking forward to. There was eye rolling, complaining, and smart remarks from a few teammates. For me, I needed to focus on what we were doing. Not the task of placing a fruit bar into a bag, but the task of ensuring student hunger is not an issue for one weekend. Many times, there are so many distractions that it is an extremely difficult task to define your own state of mind. On Friday, I just did everything I possibly could to remind myself of why I am here. I am happy to be here, and I am happy to be doing service.

I can't count on anyone else to give me the results I want from this program. One of the largest challenges is remaining dedicated to the cause, and I have to say, I am making it happen this round.