Year in review

I wrote a year in review for the Todd County Tribune. It encompasses the events of a busy 2009 for Sicangu Tikaga Okiciyapi. Check it out here.

Happy New Year!

Crow Creek

Check out some of the amazing ways online tools are being utilized for volunteering, community building, and community service.

Please check out what is happening in Crow Creek right now, in the heart of South Dakota. Please get involved if you feel moved to do so. Contact me if you would like to work together to do something.

http://www.can-do.org/virtualvolunteer/rideforlights/index.php

Take Care,

Dominique

VISTA Glacial Lakes Blog

Hey everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are surviving the snow:)

I am Dominique, a new VISTA in Watertown SD.  Please take a moment to check out the blog I am creating for our glacial lakes volunteer program through Volunteers of America.  If you like it, please consider "following" it, becoming a fan on facebook, etc.  Thanks so much!




http://http://glacialakesvolunteer.blogspot.com/

Baseball Player Trumpets Volunteerism

Here is a nice story about Curtis Granderson, a center fielder recently traded to the New York Yankees (yuck!), who is also know for his philanthropy and passion for community service. Interestingly enough, Granderson is one of the chief spokespeople for Action Plan, a partnership between Major League Baseball and Volunteers of America.

Maybe I'll see if he'd like to come out to Sioux Falls and speak to some future major leaguers!

Use of food stamps up

I hope you all had a chance to read the article in Sunday's New York Times about the recent increase in the use of food stamps and the corresponding decrease in its stigma. If there's a silver lining associated with the increased demand for what's officially termed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, it's that more people now realize that not everyone who needs food stamps is a lazy bum trying to avoid employment.

A map displaying food stamp usage rates by county nationwide accompanies the article. Rates are displayed for all residents, children, whites, and blacks. Each county's change in food stamp use since 2007 is also provided.

The highest rates are found in Indian Country, the Rio Grande Valley, the Ozarks, Appalachian Kentucky, and the Mississippi Delta.

New poverty data

The Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program released its 2008 poverty figures last week. Nationwide, the rate of poverty increased from 13.0 percent in 2007 to 13.2 percent in 2008. The rate in South Dakota, on the other hand, dropped slightly from 13.2 percent to 12.7 percent.

Ziebach County, part of the Cheyenne River Reservation, is still the most impoverished county in the entire country with a rate of 54.4 percent. South Dakota has three counties among the top 10, with an additional four in the top 50:

• Ziebach County, 54.4 percent, #1
• Shannon County, 46.0 percent, #4
• Todd County, 40.1 percent, #7
• Buffalo County, 37.7 percent, #14
• Corson County, 34.9 percent, #27
• Mellette County, 34.3 percent, #35
• Bennett County, 33.8 percent, #38

The first five counties on this list are part of reservations; Mellette and Bennett counties formerly were a part of the Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservations, respectively. Both still have sizable Native American populations within their respective borders.

The Census Bureau published a thematic map displaying rates of poverty by county. It's interesting to not only look at the distribution of poverty throughout South Dakota, but also its concentration (or lack thereof) in particular areas of the nation.

Homeless... in Chamberlain

The Argus Leader published an article in today's edition about a homeless woman in Chamberlain. Judging by the reader comments, there are still many misconceptions about the presence of homelessness outside of metropolitan areas and the question of whether people choose to be homeless (or live in a hotel room or a car).

Homelessness is found in cities large and small, from New York City to here in Mission. And I will also add a cold climate does not lead to shelter for all. I used to live in Juneau, Alaska, and it was not hard to locate the "walkers" like the woman mentioned in the article, even during the winter.

Go Falcons!

Congratulations and best wishes to the Todd County High School football team. They defeated Pine Ridge 41-20 Monday night to win the Class A Region 3 title. Tomorrow afternoon, the Falcons will make their first state semifinal appearance since 1983 when they travel to Milbank to face the Bulldogs. The winner goes to the Dome next Saturday. Go TC!

Make A Difference Day

Make A Difference Day was October 24th this year, but since several VISTAs were out of town on that day, we did it before hand! Overachievers!

On October 19th, four VISTA members volunteered to help prepare and serve breakfast at The Banquet in Sioux Falls. According to their website, The Banquet "is a feeding ministry that serves hungry people in our community in the spirit of dignity and respect." Dinner is served Monday through Friday at The Banquet, in addition to a lunch every Saturday and breakfast every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On a given evening, 350 to 450 people show up for dinner. During our time on October 19th, I would estimate we served close to 200 people.

While volunteering, VISTAs tackled different duties, like Tami Francis pouring milk, water, and coffee, Melissa Fose washing dishes, and Amy Majeres being the "runner" for the food line. In addition to being a rewarding experience, serving at The Banquet gave VISTAs an opportunity to see povery in Sioux Falls up-close. Reality can be the best motivator, and I think I can say with certainty that every VISTA left The Banquet with a renewed sense of inspiration and more determination to "build capacity" and eliminate poverty.

It definitely moved me to "make a difference."

Check out some of what we did on the Flickr page.

Foundation Center

For those looking for grant funding, the Foundation Center is a good place to start. However, what the user receives for free is extremely limited. Instead of trying to convince your sponsoring organization to shell-out $1,295 annually (good luck!), visit one of the state's three cooperating collections - for FREE!!!

The South Dakota State Library in Pierre is home to one of the collections. I spent three hours there this morning seeking out funders I wouldn't have otherwise been able to locate with the resources available to me. The staff was extremely helpful, I didn't have to pay for printing, and there wasn't a time limit.

For most VISTAs here in South Dakota, a cooperating collection is close by. I called the State Library last week to learn more about what they had to offer. The only thing they asked of me was to please call or e-mail a day beforehand to ensure staff would be available to assist me. This request may have been because I live 100 miles away; however, I'd still give them a call just to make sure.

A missed opportunity?

Bob Herbert has a great op-ed in today's New York Times on the difficulty faced by recent college graduates finding work. Even more interesting has been the reader comments.

I'm posting this piece on the blog because I think it affects us VISTAs in a couple ways. First, some of us plan to move on to graduate school after complete our year (or more!) of service. But second, the current economic environment should be funneling more of the "best and brightest" into national service programs like AmeriCorps and Teach for America.

Unfortunately, at least judging by the reader comments, I don't know if this is even a consideration for most folks. And as someone who was born, raised, and educated on the East Coast with absolutely no desire to ever return, the number of people who think the country becomes a great void outside of the megalopolis is shocking. Well, maybe not shocking because, like I said, I grew up there. Maybe "sad" is a better word.

What is shocking to me is many of those leaving comments suggest recent college graduates move abroad to work. It's not that this is necessarily a bad idea. There are many benefits to even a temporary relocation overseas (e.g. exposure to a different culture, learning a new language). But to not see this country's current economic climate as an opportunity to effect some good is sad to me.

One shouldn't expect, whether the unemployment rate is 3 percent or 10 percent, to land their dream job with an accompanying high salary immediately upon graduation. Then again, I'm biased. There's nothing wrong with delayed gratification. And I am the eternal optimist; life always works itself out.

Volunteer Sioux Falls

Greetings!
I meant to get this post up earlier...but here you go! This past weekend, Volunteers of America, Dakotas sponsored a portion of the city-wide Volunteer Sioux Falls project, specifically the Pettigrew Heights cleanup. We had 13 volunteers that painted one of the rooms at the Volunteers of America, Dakotas' Bowden Youth Center.

It was a dull white color, and now it's tan and aqua blue thanks to our wonderful volunteers! VISTAs Brian Cochran and Tami Francis were there to help, and Daniel was a co-ambassador for the Pettigrew Heights cleanup project. Way to go Daniel!

Shown in the photo above, two signs were made to thank the volunteers for their work. One of the kids from the Bowden Youth Center made one specifically for the volunteers painting a room, and some other kids made one for all Pettigrew Heights Cleanup volunteers.

Check out more photos on our Flickr page from Volunteer Sioux Falls.

A Hearing in D.C.

Hi everyone, I hope you are doing well with your VISTA year. My name is Tracy Lini, and I am working with the Association on American Indian Affairs in Rockville MD. One of the perks of working just north of our nation's Capital is my ability to see prominent events.

On September 15th (last Tuesday), I was invited to attend a hearing at the House of Representatives! I went to see the Hearing on the Implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act at the Rayburn House Office Building which is located directly across the street from the Capital Building. This building has a unique shape and is a huge labyrinth of corridors and rooms. To enter you had to be screened the same as at the airport. At least I didn't have to take off my shoes! After many many rights and a few lefts I found myself at the correct room.

It was a small room, but looked the same as a Hearing does on television. There were many people taking notes, a camera filming us, and printed testimonies to view as the witnesses read them directly. Everyone in attendance agreed that the the Foster program needs to be improved - both for the safety of the child, and to guarantee that child can get a quality education. The main witnesses were a man speaking on behalf of inner-city Chicago, a woman speaking on behalf of the Native American Tribes in the United States, and a young lady that was placed in the Foster program in her teens, but was never given financial assistance to go to college.

It was a rare and exciting to see the House in action. It was a very interesting experience, and I am glad I was able to attend.

Service at the St. Francis House

As our service project on 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, five Sioux Falls VISTAs volunteered at the St. Francis House.

Daniel Prendable, Amy Majeres, Tami Francis, Brian Cochran, and I served dinner and stayed for fellowship with the folks of the St. Francis House. Both Brian and Tami brought a friend to serve with us, Aliyah and Gus.

The St. Francis House is a homeless shelter located on the east side of Sioux Falls, at 1301 East Austin Street. Its mission is to offer a safe place and meals for the homeless in the community. The St. Francis House also offers its guests a chance to start and maintain a savings account.

The House is a private nonprofit organization that relies heavily (if not completely) on donations. So, check out their wishlist or donate your time to help out!

I know that I had a great time at the St. Francis House, and I think my fellow VISTAs did too! Thank you, St. Francis House, for a great experience!

To see more photos of our service, check out our Flickr page.
Learn more about the St. Francis House.

Poverty up, income down

The New York Times reported yesterday that the poverty rate, as calculated by the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, rose to 13.2 percent in 2008 from 12.7 percent in 2007. This is the highest the poverty rate has been since 1997.

Whether one lives in poverty is determined by family size and income. Therefore, it's no surprise median household income dropped in 2008 from the year before, falling from $52,163 to $50,303. A decrease in nominal, or actual, income is one thing; however, when considering real, or inflation-adjusted, income, the drop is even more severe.

If you're interested in the full Census Bureau report, please click here.

***

On a related note, the Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program produces poverty rates for every county and county equivalent in the United States. In 2007 (the most recent year for which data are available), South Dakota's Ziebach County had the highest rate of poverty in the country at 55.9 percent. Ziebach County is part of the Cheyenne River Reservation.

South Dakota has three additional counties among the top 10 with the highest rates of poverty nationwide:

• #2, Buffalo County, Crow Creek Reservation, 50.3 percent
• #4, Shannon County, Pine Ridge Reservation, 47.4 percent
• #7, Todd County, Rosebud Reservation, 42.8 percent

Keep in mind there are over 3,100 counties and equivalents in the United States. The living conditions on reservations are often compared to those of third-world countries; economic indicators certainly substantiate these anecdotal reports, including my own here on the Rosebud.

What's even more fascinating (and sad) is the level of economic disparity just here in South Dakota. Lincoln County, home to a portion of Sioux Falls and its suburbs, tied for the sixth-lowest poverty rate in the entire country in 2007 at 3.7 percent. South Dakota's statewide rate was 13.2 percent.

Any guesses as to the county (or general area of the country) with the lowest rate of poverty?

Get Rich Slowly

This is a good web site that offers simple and helpful hints about how to manage your money (or lack of) effectively. I especially like the "blog" section. Advertising for another blog on this blog! Imagine that!

One man's story

I found this heartbreaking story on Minnesota Public Radio's website:

"What my family is learning from poverty" by Vincent Pellegrino

This is only one family's experience with unemployment and poverty. Think of the hundreds...thousands of families that fall victim to these circumstances, especially during this recession.

Now think of all the families you help by offering one year of service. You are doing good things! Keep on, keepin' on!

Be alert...with Google's help

Greetings!

I have found a great tool and decided that I should share it. If you haven't signed up already, Google Alerts is fabulous! And, you don't have to have a Google account to do so.

I signed up to see alerts regarding:
- Volunteers of America, Dakotas
- AmeriCorps VISTA
- Poverty
- Sioux Falls, SD
among other things..

It's a great (and easy) way to stay up-to-date, even when you're really busy!

Disclaimer: Not everything you receive will relate to your alert topic. Sometimes I get anything with 'Dakota' in it. Oh well! :)

BHAHFH on facebook

Click on over to facebook & become a fan of Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity.

You will receive updates on our events & progress on our builds!

It is a great way to spend your cyber time.

Leadership Sioux Falls

The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is conducting an eight-month community leadership training program. One session is scheduled per month between October 2009 and May 2010. It's a significant time commitment; however, this program may be ideal for those VISTAs serving in Sioux Falls. Tuition is $425.

Old Essay Advocating for National Service

Recently, I read an essay by American psychologist and philosopher William James titled "The Moral Equivalent of War." The essay was published in 1910, but based on a speech James gave in 1906 at Stanford University. In it, James argues against overt militarism and war in general, and for a national service similar to AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. That's why it is relevant to us.

Before presenting some of James's views, let me be clear: I am not non-military nor am I naive enough to think that our citizens and values can be defended without sometimes threatening to use force or actually using force. War is most definitely as option for defense, but it should not be the first option, nor should we be eager to engage in war. Diplomacy should be the foundation of any foreign policy. Okay, enough political talk, back to James's essay.

He says:
"Patriotic pride and ambition in their military form, are, after all, only specifications of a more general competitive passion. They are its first form, but that is no reason for supposing them to be its last form. Men now are proud of belonging to a conquering nation, and without a murmur they lay down their persons and their wealth, if by so doing they may fend off subjection. But who can be sure that other aspects of one's country may not, with time and education and suggestion enough, come to be regarded with similarly effective feelings of pride and shame."

He continues here to make his case for national service for all Americans:
"If now-and this is my idea-there were, instead of military conscription a conscription of the whole youthful population to form for a certain number of years a part of the army enlisted against Nature, the injustice would tend to be evened out, and numerous other goods to the commonwealth would follow. The military ideals of hardihood and discipline would be wrought into the growing fibre of the people; no one would remain blind as the luxurious classes now are blind, to man's real relations to the globe he lives on, and to the permanently sour and hard foundations of his higher life."

In this final excerpt, James explains to his readers the benefits of national service programs, such as AmeriCorps:
"Such a conscription, with the state of public opinion that would have required it, and the many moral fruits it would bear, would preserve in the midst of a pacific civilization the manyly virtues which the military party is so afraid of seeing disappear in peace. We should get toughness without callousness, authority with as little criminal cruelty as possible, and painful work done cheerily because the duty is temporary, and threatens not, as now, to degrade the whole remainder of one's life. I spoke of the "moral equivalent" of war. So far, war has been the only force that can discipline a whole community, and until an equivalent discipline is organized, I believe that war must have its way. But I have no serious doubt that the ordinary prides and shames of social man, once developed to a certain intensity, are capable of organizing such a moral equivalent as I have sketched, or some other just as effective for preserving manliness of type. It is but a question of time, of skillful propagandism, and of opinion-making men seizing historic opportunities."

All of this is true for us, especially that last sentence. When James says "opinion-making men," he means Presidents and members of Congress for us now. We've seen this proved several times, most recently with the Serve America Act. When American leaders ask Americans to serve, both in military and civilian service, we've responded.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I think James's essay if fascinating because we're both attracted to national service. I hope you all enjoy this essay and these thoughts. Please offer your comments. Have a good week!

Find the Money!

An editorial in today's New York Times urges Congress to find the money to fully finance the Serve America Act, passed earlier this year by Congress and signed by President Obama. I would be disappointed if Congress didn't deliver on its financial promises to expand national service programs such as AmeriCorps, but I would not be surprised. Let's hope that responsible leaders such as Iowa Senator Tom Harkin "stand firm" to deliver the expansion of service opportunities put forth in this important legislation.

Heartbreaking

As Brian Laurent mentioned earlier this year, Barbara Ehrenreich wrotes often about poverty. In her most recent article, Ehrenreich chronicles the daily life of Kristen and Joe Parente, a Delaware couple with three children struggling to get by on a daily basis. The story is awful and heartbreaking, but it is real. Poverty is paralyzing and difficult to deal with, physically and emotionally.

AmeriCorps VISTAs serve to eliminate poverty. We have to work harder, because I don't want to read more stories like this.

I'm sorry for the bummer post. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Not At All Disappointing

Check out this article from baseball writer Jerry Crasnick explaining why Orioles fans have reason for optimism.

Go O's!!

Disappointing, But Not Surprising

This article discusses the recent increase in family homelessness in the United States.

Vietnam anyone?

According to a brief blurb in this morning's Argus Leader, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls is asking for two volunteers to represent the community during the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2009 Mekong Build in November. Sounds like a great opportunity!

Or, if you're looking to volunteer for Habitat with a cultural twist but remain close to home, come on out to Mission. We'd love to have you. (Yes, I'm shameless...)

How to Sell Helping Others

Good Morning! In today's issue of The New York Times, columnist Nicholas Kristof writes an article about humanitarian aid and how humans choose to help other humans, or choose not to help. At the beginning, Kristof talks about the humanitarian aid meetings at the G-8 Summit in Italy for world leaders. But near the end of the article, he says several things useful to us as VISTAs.

"As some research suggests," writes Kristof, "people give in large part to feel good inside. That works best when you write a check and the problem is solved. If instead you're reminded of larger problems that you can never solve, the feel-good rewards diminish." Near the end he asks, "I also wonder if our unremitting focus on suffering and unmet needs stirs up a cloud of negative feelings that incline people to avert their eyes and hurry by."

So, how are these thoughts relevant to what we do as VISTAs? Well, part of "indirect service" includes enticing people to contribute to the organizations we work with in some capacity, whether through donating their time or their money. To convince these people to donate, we have to effectively market our services to them, so they don't feel as if they are wasting their time and/or money. This means selling the problems in our communities, and Kristof argues that individualizing "suffering and unmet needs" makes volunteers and donors feel like their contributions will actually help someone this moment, rather than attempting to solve a massive problem in which their contributions will barely make a dent.

Honestly, I'm hesitant to "sell poverty," partly because I feel like I'm using and manipulating other's lives without their consent so my organization benefits financially. I'm still not entirely comfortable with that. But, learning effective marketing strategies to help others can be part of a valuable VISTA service year, and Kristof's article gives us ideas to reconsider as we work to "build capacity."

I hope everyone has a great day!

What Is a Master’s Degree Worth?

For those of us considering the pursuit of a graduate degree after VISTA, this article in the New York Times and the accompanying comments were fascinating.

The finish line

The Inaugural Racin' on the Rosebud is in the books. Forty-five runners and walkers participated Saturday on a sunny, breezy morning. There were definitely some challenges that sprung up: food that hadn't been ordered, a volunteer who overslept, and another sick with a migraine. But everything came together just in time for the runners' arrival.

The actual races went off without a hitch. The 1 Mile run only had two runners, one male and one female, so they each walked off with a trophy. The 5K was the main event, with 43 runners and walkers participating. They were from throughout South Dakota, Nebraska, and, of all places, Connecticut.

Ivan Marsh, an ultra-marathon runner from Ashland, Nebraska, was the overall 5K winner with a time of 18:39. Lottie Grimshaw, the South Dakota girls cross country champion, was the first female across the finish line with a time of 23:27.

And, our very own Daniel Prendable finished in 7th place overall with a time of 25:54! Let's wish him luck as he begins training for September's Sioux Falls Half Marathon.

So, I'm thrilled with how the race turned out. I think I would change a couple minor things; however, Saturday should provide a good template for the 2nd Annual Racin' on the Rosebud next year.

Raceday Eve

The Inaugural Racin' on the Rosebud 5K/1 Mile Race & Walk is upon us! Frankly, I can't believe the day has finally arrived. As expected, planning has ramped up considerably this week. I just picked up the t-shirts. They look fantastic! I took a chance with the color, but they're sharp. Thanks to my brother for designing the logo.

I'm expecting a decent turnout. I'll admit I was worried no one would show up. I mean, I'm in a sparsely populated area and Mission isn't exactly on the way to, well, anywhere. But between the folks who pre-registered and the folks I know signing-up in the morning, there should be a nice-sized crowd.

And let's wish best of luck to Daniel who will be running in the 5K! I sure hope he included hills in his training...

Day Two as a VISTA

The past seven days have been quite a whirlwind!

One week ago, I was eating dinner with fellow VISTAs at Pre-Service Orientation. We weren't actually VISTAs until we took the oath on Friday afternoon. Between these two events, I learned A LOT.

Today, I am finishing up the second day at the office. I arrived Monday morning ready to take on the world. I hit the ground running and jumped into the world of social media. In the near future, Volunteers of America, Dakotas will have a Facebook page, and hopefully a blog and a Twitter account as well.

As a development/marketing VISTA, much of my days will involve publications, events, social media and much more!

And, in case you are wondering, I will help fight poverty by promoting the organization's programs, which fight poverty each and every day.

I can't tell you how excited I am, so hopefully you can already see it.

Until we meet again,
Melissa

Cedar Rapids AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon

NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda are working alongside Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps members in this year's Build-a-Thon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Much of Iowa was under flood waters one year ago. According to this article, 20 homes should be built during the week.

Too Poor to Make the News

Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Nickeled and Dimed," has a great op-ed piece in this morning's New York Times. In it, she discusses the current recession's impact on those who were in impoverished situations already. She makes a good point by stating much of the media's coverage has focused on those who had been in decent financial shape but have since lost a job or a house. Meanwhile, those who missed out on recent economic booms have been ignored as their plight has deepened.

Something to train for

Attention current and future runners: The Sioux Falls Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday September 13th. Besides the 13.1-mile race, there will be a two-person half-marathon relay and a 5K.

The half-marathon course begins at Howard Wood Field and continues downtown before meeting up with the bike path. If my memory is correct, besides the area around Falls Park, the course is relatively flat.

The best part is the cost: only 30 bucks through the end of July! So, lace up those sneakers. You know you want to!

Marathon man

Well, I completed the Mickelson Trail Marathon in Deadwood yesterday morning - and lived to tell about it! Except for some mist in the highest elevations, conditions were close to ideal for such a long run.

I didn't know what to expect time-wise coming in because of the elevation (between 4,600 and 6,000 feet about sea level). I felt really good during the first half, which was all uphill. It was between miles 17 and 19 when my brain had to override my body. I got some food and liquids in me around mile 20, which made a world of difference. At mile 23, I was at 3 hours and 30 minutes. I figured I could pull off a sub-4:00 finishing time if I could manage 10-minute miles the rest of the way. Usually, that would be a piece of cake for me; however, the marathon isn't my usual distance.

I was at 3:40 at mile 24 and around 3:49 at mile 25. Oh, it hurt! But I had my goal, and after running so far, I didn't care if I ended up in the hospital afterward. I wanted to finish in under four hours!

The clock over the finish line read 4:00:21 when I crossed. However, that was the gun time. Thank goodness this was a chip-timed event. "My clock" didn't start until I (or, more specifically, my shoe) crossed the start line. I checked my official time before heading back to the hotel, which was...

3:59:46!!! I had a whole fourteen seconds to spare.

The craziest thing about this race is how I felt afterward. Sure, I was (am) sore, but I was in awfully good spirits. And I was downright giddy for the remainder of the afternoon.

So, that's that. Running a marathon is a major time commitment because of the training involved. And my body took a beating. But even though I'm more of a half marathoner, I won't rule out another full marathon in the future.

Special thanks to Amy, Brian C., and Daniel for their appearance at the finish line. Your presence there meant a lot!

P.S. Here's an article about the race from the Rapid City Journal. Over 2,000 runners participated!

Urban Agriculture Update

Here is a recent article from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader on our Urban Agriculture project at Lowell Elementary. I am very excited about this project am look forward to watching the students "grow" over the summer. AmeriCorps VISTA is a partner in this project, so all VISTA members are welcome to get involved. Please let me know if you have any questions.

VISTA lunch today, Black Hills tomorrow!

Hey everybody! Back Again! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the cabin tomorrow evening.

In case you're wondering, and I know that you are!, the Sioux Falls VISTAs are getting together today for our monthly VISTA lunch. We'll catch up on what everyone's been up to, talk about the retreat, and discuss different ways to get involved in the organizations we serve with. That means we'll see each other for 4, possibly 6, days in a row. Yikes! I hope we don't strangle each other by the close of the week.

See you all tomorrow!

5 Wins in a Row!

For anyone interested (and I know you all are) I thought you should know that the Baltimore Orioles have reeled off a five game winning streak! Very exciting! To add to the excitement, the O's recently called up their best prospect in 20 years, catcher Matt Wieters. Their best young position players (Wieters, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones) look great, while their young pitchers (Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz, Jeremy Guthrie, Jason Berken) are progressing on schedule.

I'm sure you'll all have tons of questions about my Orioles, so please don't hesitate to ask. For anyone interested in joining the Baltimore bandwagon, jump on now, because it'll be filling up shortly.

See you all next post. Until then...Go O's!

Back in the Habit

I love the Todd County Tribune. They've been very enthusiastic about my submissions for publication. My recent press release about the Todd County High School National Honor Society's day on a Habitat for Humanity construction site was published in this week's edition. Included were photos of the group and the homeowner. Very cool!

The only downsides were the misspelling of Habitat in the headline ("Habit") and an error in one of the captions. I had sent over the information without typos, so I'm not sure how that happened. But I can't complain about more publicity for Habit... I mean, Habitat.

RSVP volunteer honored for service

This article isn't from South Dakota, but from my home state of Delaware. An award was given to an RSVP volunteer who has spent 12,000 hours over 34 years taking phone calls for a crisis hot line. Amazing!

Dollar Value of a Volunteer Hour

For those of you trying to put a dollar amount to your organization's volunteer labor, you may find this site useful:

http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/volunteer_time.html

Independent Sector seems to be the primary source for these type of data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is referenced in a note in one of the tables. I gave the BLS a call because I couldn't locate the source information on their website. I'm most comfortable using government statistics when writing a grant. However, the BLS doesn't publish these data and referred me to Independent Sector. So, it all sounds legitimate.

Not surprisingly, the hourly rate for volunteers here in South Dakota is low compared to the nationwide average. Wages are comparatively low here. But the 2007 value of $14.27/hour is still significant if you ask me.

Obama gives $$ to Americorps

VISTAS:

Here are some links that I would post on the blog about Obama siging a bill and giving $$ towards Americorps. How cool is that?

Daniel fowarded some other links to me and I will post them here so all of you can check them out.

Have a fantastic Day!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_national_service

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/21/A-Call-to-Service/?loc=interstitialskip

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1283

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1301

It's been a great week in Mission... and it's not even Friday yet!

Being a Year-One VISTA, I've had to take heart in the small accomplishments since arriving in Mission in November. I realize I'm still in a stage of laying groundwork for my remaining time here, as well as for those who may follow after I leave. This week, however, has brought a host of tangible results.

We recently hosted a group of first-year Stanford University School of Medicine students for a week. I drafted a press release detailing their time volunteering here on the Habitat job site and down at the IHS hospital in Rosebud. Not only did the Todd County Tribune publish it, but it was on the front page of yesterday's edition!

Today, the March issue of the Sicangu Eyapaha, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's monthly newspaper, arrived with an article I wrote about our upcoming fundraising run/walk in June. An article dispelling some myths about Habitat should appear in the April issue.

But the biggest news of all is today's word a grant proposal I wrote several months ago will be funded! I'm absolutely thrilled. I had never written a grant proposal before starting at Habitat, so to have it accepted for almost the full amount requested is just awesome. I've since attended grant writing training; between that and the confidence gained from this successful proposal, I'm hoping this is only the first of many grants to come our way.

I've been told by both of my co-workers how happy they are to have me here. They've always praised my work. But it has been a challenge not having something concrete to show for my efforts. So, the articles and especially the grant have provided me with items I can point to and say, "Here's what I did." And it certainly makes it easier to describe my job to folks who may not know much about VISTA!

You are Wonderful!

Hello all South Dakota VISTAs! You are all wonderful and this is very exciting to have this set up. Keep up the great work!

Morgan

Welcome!

Greetings fellow VISTAs... and to the world!

I thought creating and maintaining a blog detailing our time as VISTAs here in South Dakota would be a great way to not only share our experiences with each other, but with future VISTAs as well. Plus, it will give us an opportunity to tell our stories to others in the state and elsewhere who may not be aware of what we're all about.

My inspiration was the blog published by the VISTAs in Indiana. I'm not exactly sure what direction ours will take; however, considering the wide range of our positions and our locations, this site should turn out to be quite eclectic.

VISTAs, please take a look at what I've setup thus far. Shoot me an e-mail with your thoughts and suggestions. After all, this is our blog.