First post of 2015: What's coming up and the war on poverty, 50 years later
Here we are, 2015!! As I mentioned in my last post about how I didn't want 2014 to end, I started off this year with a somewhat pessimistic thought, thinking that there was no conceivable way that this year would be better than the last. While we're only 8 days into this year, it's been pretty great so far, and I really can't complain.
Coming back into the office this week after having two weeks off was a bit disorienting, at best. Never mind that I had 80+ emails in my inbox waiting for me! Add to the fact that the night before I was to be back in the office, I was wrapping up a four-day trip to Ohio, visiting my family and having second Christmas (sisterly work obligations kept us in Berea for the holidays). But the thing about life is that sometimes you just have to soldier on, and that's exactly what I did. And boom- tomorrow is Friday, which means the weekend to rest and regroup. We have some big events coming up this year: our annual "All Hands" gathering next month, in which all of our partner site coordinators will come to Berea, and it's two days of intensive training, sessions, workshops, meetings, and networking. But it's going to be amazing! :) I'm really looking forward to meeting folks, as I have still to meet many of our site coordinators, as well as reconnecting with those I've already crossed paths with. Then, about 2 weeks after that, there's a summit in Pikeville in which all the VISTAs within our regional "umbrella" will be attending. It's all-expenses paid and it includes a visit from the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Apparently, she is impressed with the work we Kentucky VISTAs are doing! I'm looking forward to the opportunity to potentially meet her, as well as venturing yet again to a part of Kentucky I've never visited before! In addition, Grow App now has an iPad, and it's been entertaining to navigate all our social media platforms. I still feel silly taking pictures with it, especially when I forget to remove the cover and wonder why all I see is black! Ha! You really do learn something new every day...
And finally...remember those mountains? Later this month, we're going back! Respite, here I come! :)
So that's where I am. Tomorrow, back to reports and newsletter tweaking. So grateful that I still love what I do and that I get to keep doing it for the majority of this year!
I'll close with this: On this day 50 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson announced the war on poverty in his State of the Union address. This announcement eventually paved the way for the AmeriCorps VISTA program to come into being. I posted a clip below of this speech; we watched it at PSO, and I was really inspired by it. I guess I still am. This program is enabling thousands of twenty-somethings to become young leaders, to become change agents in their communities, immersing them into something that is so much greater than themselves. Each year, the CNCS asks the question: Who will take part in this work? I'm humbled that I was selected to be among the thousands that replied "I will."
Coming back into the office this week after having two weeks off was a bit disorienting, at best. Never mind that I had 80+ emails in my inbox waiting for me! Add to the fact that the night before I was to be back in the office, I was wrapping up a four-day trip to Ohio, visiting my family and having second Christmas (sisterly work obligations kept us in Berea for the holidays). But the thing about life is that sometimes you just have to soldier on, and that's exactly what I did. And boom- tomorrow is Friday, which means the weekend to rest and regroup. We have some big events coming up this year: our annual "All Hands" gathering next month, in which all of our partner site coordinators will come to Berea, and it's two days of intensive training, sessions, workshops, meetings, and networking. But it's going to be amazing! :) I'm really looking forward to meeting folks, as I have still to meet many of our site coordinators, as well as reconnecting with those I've already crossed paths with. Then, about 2 weeks after that, there's a summit in Pikeville in which all the VISTAs within our regional "umbrella" will be attending. It's all-expenses paid and it includes a visit from the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Apparently, she is impressed with the work we Kentucky VISTAs are doing! I'm looking forward to the opportunity to potentially meet her, as well as venturing yet again to a part of Kentucky I've never visited before! In addition, Grow App now has an iPad, and it's been entertaining to navigate all our social media platforms. I still feel silly taking pictures with it, especially when I forget to remove the cover and wonder why all I see is black! Ha! You really do learn something new every day...
And finally...remember those mountains? Later this month, we're going back! Respite, here I come! :)
So that's where I am. Tomorrow, back to reports and newsletter tweaking. So grateful that I still love what I do and that I get to keep doing it for the majority of this year!
I'll close with this: On this day 50 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson announced the war on poverty in his State of the Union address. This announcement eventually paved the way for the AmeriCorps VISTA program to come into being. I posted a clip below of this speech; we watched it at PSO, and I was really inspired by it. I guess I still am. This program is enabling thousands of twenty-somethings to become young leaders, to become change agents in their communities, immersing them into something that is so much greater than themselves. Each year, the CNCS asks the question: Who will take part in this work? I'm humbled that I was selected to be among the thousands that replied "I will."
Comments
Post a Comment