Developing Leaders for Life

“I feel like I just left church – so refreshing and encouraging!”

“I realize I am in the driver’s seat (of my life).”

“I will try to be more self aware of my frustrations or ignorance in conversation and how I can make changes to get more out of those conversations.”

These are just a few comments from the evaluations of a recent AmeriCorps*VISTA training session on communication. I think they express the general sentiments of the group that learning to be a better communicator is not only valuable... but rewarding!

I’ve found that nearly 25% of our VISTA members go on to be employed by their project sites or other nonprofits so I realized that we have a golden opportunity to not only improve our program but also build future leaders for our area nonprofits.

To this end, we’ve experimented with a series of professional development trainings that we call Developing Leaders for Life. They provide our VISTA members with opportunities to build their “core” skills, which are essential to success in most jobs - things like:

• good communication,
  
• clear awareness of personal strengths,
  
• an understanding of goal-setting & action planning,
  
• knowledge of group development &
  
• techniques for managing conflict, etc.

These workshops are hands-down one of our VISTA members’ favorite aspects of the program as they see the value both personally and professionally. And I just have to believe that, as a result of this program, our members deliver more for their VISTA sites. I think they'll go on to do better work no matter what they do for a job or in what capacity they serve their communities.

We are truly developing leaders for life who will make a splash on central Minnesota communities and service agencies!

Do you know of a nonprofit that could benefit from hosting a VISTA member? We're currently recruiting - check our website for more info!

Viva VISTA!

Right at this moment, there's a VISTA - not too far from you - working to fight poverty.

The VISTAs that we help place with central Minnesota nonprofits are doing some really amazing work. Just ask Chris Fastner, our VISTA coordinator - here are some stats he recently shared with us.

Last year VISTA members:

• assisted 43,544 households
• recruited 1,172 new volunteers
• logged 28,630 volunteer service hours
• secured more than $345,000 in resources to alleviate poverty

And it's not only the numbers that are amazing, it's the stories and projects these people are a part of that's the really cool part. From installing solar panels for low-income families to setting up a thrift store and creating special activities for at-risk youth... the projects vary just as much as the needs of the people they're helping.

For more information about what our 23 VISTA members are currently working on, download last Friday's news release or visit our website.

Thanks VISTAs, for your great work!

3 Girls, 2 Solar Panels, 1 Minute

In between important calls on the crimson Batphone, I finally caught up to Chris Fastner regarding VISTA impact. Turns out, as expected, that our poster child for poverty reduction is the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) in Pine River.

Since 2000, RREAL has battled fuel-poverty with the power of the sun. With four Initiative Foundation VISTAs rolling up their sleeves, RREAL designed its own residential solar heating system and installed it in more than 60 low-income homes at little or no charge.

Its goal is to complete 100 more installations in 2009.

The solar panels serve as a simple sidekick to a home heating system and reduce a family's heating bills by up to 25 percent, often eliminating their need for public fuel assistance. And it's all done with clean, renewable energy.

Their current VISTA is the talented Tina Schilawski, who put together this cool video of a solar installation. She's the one in the gray stocking cap. Yo.



RREAL was also the Initiative Foundation's 2009 Outstanding Green Venture. Here's the award video shown at our big event in April, which cast a light on one family's struggle surviving a Minnesota winter.

VISTA Shocker from Chris Fastner

Just got an “All Staff” e-mail from Chris Fastner, our VISTA program manager who offices across from me and inadvertently eavesdrops on my fascinating phone conversations. (And I, his.) His e-mail, with the simple subject line, “Impact,” was a jaw-dropper.

Did you know that the Initiative Foundation is a national service site for Volunteers In Service To America? (Furthermore, did you know that it’s the capital “I” and “T” that make the catchy acronym possible?) We place 25 full-time volunteers in nonprofit organizations across central Minnesota. Their projects are all over the board, but their common goal is to increase the ability of their nonprofits to fight poverty.

And holy cow, have they ever.

According to Chris, whose job it is to track such things, our VISTAs helped recruit 4,200 other volunteers, who punched the clock to the tune of 28,000 hours. The big team helped more than 43,000 households and raised more than $250,000 in cash and in-kind gifts.

Wow.

I know that’s just a bunch of big numbers to some of you, so I’ll see if I can track Chris down for a good VISTA story or two. You’ll be impressed, I promise.