VOICES

VISTA

OF
uniting campuses. empowering
students. impacting NC communities

fall 2010
Fayetteville State University
Center for Community Justice and Service
Learning
September is Hunger Action Month, and we’re asking all Americans
this country is tremendous – but so is to take action to fight domestic hunger.
the impact that you can have. “www.feedingam The need in
erica.org”

Throughout Hunger Action Month,

Feeding
America’s nationwide network of more
than
200 food banks is calling upon communities
to
take action through the “30 Ways in
30 Days”
campaign. Whether it’s by advocating
and
raising awareness, making donations,
or giving
of your time and energy, find the way
that’s
right for you to make a difference during
Hunger Action Month.

1 in 6. That's the number of Americans

who Take the Change your
will struggle with hunger today. Donate a
Pledge Facebook dollar to
Status Feeding
America

Find your
local food Join the
Hunger in
bank & Get huddle to Encourage
your state:
Involved Fight Hunger Five
Learn More
Friends

Cook a meal
with Your
Child

Tweet about
hunger Find Volunteer Spread the
opportunities word

Kraft It’s not too late!

Coupons
Hunger
In your local Take the Pledge Action Month
newspaper
Food Drive

SOUP BOWL See full Hunger Action Month Calendar

at www. hungeractionmonth.org

Annual Canned Take the Hunger Action Month

Pledge!
For more information call
Food Drive
Submit your pledge
Today at www.hungeractionmon 910-672-2485
th.org
Guilford Colleg
e vs. Greensbor
o College

Greeting VOICES of VISTA readers!

This newsletter is dedicated to showcasing the outstanding service that is
being accomplished by NC Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTAs across North
Saturday 9.4.20
10
10 7pm/2 010 Carolina and Virginia. As the statewide unemployment rates of these two have
Bring 2 cans or 2010 -0 9/
non-per
football game for Da teisha /0 8/
: 09ble food items to the
a m -5 :3 0 p m
doubled since 2007, it is now more important than ever to work together to
Ti m e : 8 :3 0
collected throug admittance. Donations are also
hout campus in
marked boxes.
find solutions to our economic challenges, and strive to better the lives of all
!
F O O D D R IV E !!

Support The Mo
vement Against
Hu tnge
Imagine wha
it wouldrbe

like to not hav

e enough North Carolina and Virginia residents.
food.

For ma ny
is a very rea
peo ple this
l problem.
In this edition you will read about how this group of VISTAs is using social
More than
1.4 MILLIO
N people rec
eive media, creating and implementing meaningful service projects and initiatves
ks in North
m food ban
assistance fro
Carolina
ple, about 30%
are children
to alleviate poverty, and learn about our very own, self-proclaimed, “VISTA
Of these peo

vice and Rem

and 16%
embrance
are seniors
, the
ource Cen
UNCA Key
ter in West
Center nerd.”
On behalf of all of us here at VOICES of VISTA, thank you for reading this
Day of Ser the Emma Family Res
the 9/11
As part of d drive for
ting a foo y-
will be hos s this Wednesda
Asheville. ble food item
non-perisha
goods and

edition!
g canned
Please brin families in need.
Frid ay to help
munity
ter for Com g
le Key Cen rnin
UNC Ashevil ship & Service Lea
Citizen Phone: 828-
251-6400
du
tr@unca.e
Student Unio
n E-mail: keyc
Highsmith
Room 248

- Jonathan Romm, VISTA Director and Kara Quick, VISTA Leader

SEPTEMBER 6th — 6PM

BATTLE OF JUST What’s Inside What Happened at the VISTA Fall Retreats? pp.2-3

VOICES
IC E Why Being a VISTA Rocks p.4
Between a Board Cert
ified Prosecutor and
a Board Certified Defe
Stories of Poverty Fighting From NC & Beyond pp. 7-8

VISTA
nse Attorney
OF

What is justice? See you in Belk Auditoriu

m!
....and more from across the states!
How just is our system?

What is a good citizen.?

[Left: Event posters designed by VISTAs: Top to bottom: Fayetteville State, Guilford College,
Is death justice?
UNC Asheville & Mars Hill College.]
Please note: In this issue, blue boxes around words or phrases are hyperlinked.
 VISTA Fall Regional Retreats VISTAs Get Up Close and Personal With Poverty, Food Insecurity & Tigers

Exploring the Wild, Wild West Food for Thought in the Triad
Robin Lenner, Warren Wilson College VISTA Neil Hoefs & Nicole Hampsten, Duke University VISTAs
The 2010 western region VISTA retreat was held at the UNC Asheville With nearly two months of experience under their belts,
campus on Monday, Sept. 13. UNCA VISTA Laura Furey and Warren NC Campus Compact VISTAs in the Triad area traveled to
Wilson College VISTA Robin Lenner organized the retreat with a UNCG for a fun-filled day of learning and service. VISTAs
focus on professional development, an introduction to from across the state have hosted volunteer fairs, planned
food insecurity, and a related service project addressing national days of service, written grants and coordinated a
local food issues. whole slew of service projects with an emphasis on food
The retreat began with a presentation insecurity and poverty. While VISTAs are still actively learning their
from Debra Miles, Executive Director of respective roles, a culture of collaboration has gone into effect,
the Center for Diversity Education, where one great idea is replicated and fitted appropriately to several campuses.
on fostering conversation and respect UNCG VISTA Emily Kamischke pulled together a retreat focused on food insecurity
among cultures. Anna Littman, Program issues. Dr. Marianne LeGreco, professor in the Communication Studies department, de-
and Volunteer Coordinator for Appala- livered a passionate and informative presentation on food insecurity issues, such as food
chian Sustainable Agriculture Project, deserts and innovative approaches to enable food security. In the afternoon session, Dr. Lauren Halderman,
gave the second presentation. ASAP is a professor of nutrition, discussed effective ways to address food insecurity using community needs
non-profit agency providing advocacy assessment.
and education to build healthier com- As NC Campus Compact VISTAs continue their year of service to America, they’ll not only plug away at
munities, support farmers and local the tasks outlined in their Volunteer Assignment Description, but help bridge the gap between the
food markets, and preserve the agricul- community and their respective campus. The scope of food insecurity issues has yet to be fully outlined
tural herritage of Southern Appalchia. or understood; however, with a firm grasp of the needs of the community, the whole can become greater
For their afternoon teambuilding than the sumer of its parts, and the potential for change can be realized.
service project, the group headed to
Evergreen Community Charter School to break ground on a brand new school garden. VISTAs spent sev- Goal-Setting and Tigers at
eral hours prepping the garden’s winter beds. Terry Deal, the school’s environmental education teacher,
mentioned fundraising difficulties, such as raising money for “Seedfolks” by Paul Fleischman. Before leaving UNC Chapel Hill
Evergreen, the nine Western region VISTAs decided to purchase “Seedfolks” to donate to the school. Banjo Dryman, UNC Pembroke VISTA
Three weeks later, Robin delivered the set of 30 books to Evergreen in front of the entire middle school. VISTAs from across the Triangle and Eastern part of
“Seedfolks” is particularly relevant to the VISTA experience, as it describes how one garden transforms a the state came together at UNC Chapel Hill for a day
neighborhood and forges powerful community ties. It is a source of inspiration for all VISTAs as we strength- of reflection and networking. Kate Kryder from Caro-
en our own communities and bring people together. lina Leadership Development facilitated a goal-setting
activity where VISTAs explored their values and their
vision for a meaningful year. Dr. Noal Ranells, Agricultural
Economic Development Coordinator for Orange County,
and Dr. Alice Ammerman, from the UNC School of
Nutrition, spoke about food insecurity and its prevalence
and impact locally and internationally.
For their service project the group headed to
Pittsboro’s Carolina Tiger Rescue, a wildlife sanctuary
whose mission is saving and protecting cats in captiv-
ity and in the wild. The VISTAs were separated into two
groups, men and women, as there were several tigers
with strong aversions to males. The majority of the
afternoon was spent teambuilding through helping UNCP VISTA Banjo prepares for weed-pulling at Carolina
maintain and landscape the property. Tiger Rescue.
2 Left: Robin delivers books to Evergreen. Right: VISTAs work to remove overgrown weeds at The Earth Garden. 3
 Five Reasons Why Being a VISTA Rocks
A look inside the social media resource world of AmeriCorps*VISTA
Robyn Stegman, Mary-Baldwin College VISTA
Social Media Mondays
If you’re a social media nerd like I am,
then you will love monthly Webshops on
social media and web-based tools you
can use during your VISTA service. Each
WebShop is led by technology experts
and VISTAs who provide you with on-the-
ground tips and experience to improve
or start your work using social media for
social good.
There are hundreds of webinars on so-
cial media these days, but this is the only
one catering to VISTAs. The webshop pre-
senters make sure you get the informa-
tion you need for your service and they are available
to answer any questions you may have online after
each webshop. This is one of the best social media
resources out there and VISTAs get it for a sweet, low
price: free.
Find information about upcoming Social Media
Monday events and get recordings of all past web-
shops (including webshops on Facebook and Social
Media Success featuring yours truly) on the VISTA
Campus resource page.
VISTAbuzz
If you’re on Twitter you should
make sure to follow @VISTAbuzz
for the latest information about
VISTA projects, training opportun-
ties and resources. If you’re a Face-
book user, then the VISTA Face-
book page is for you. Get updates, inspiring quotes
and stories about the successes of your fellow VISTAs
in the community. “Like” the
Facebook page to be kept up to date.
VISTA Volunteer Reporters
In honor of their 45th anniversary, VISTA sent out
three reporters to create videos about their VISTA
service. They came back with stories and interviews
that showcase the power of VISTAs to change lives
and communities. Each month VISTA posts new sto-
ries for their reporters. You can see these videos on
their YouTube site.
If you would like to be a part of this project, VISTA
will loan you a FLIP video camera to begin recording
4 5
your story. You can apply to be a VISTA reporter by
contacting Elizabeth Matthews.
VISTA Viewfinder
The VISTA Viewfinder is a monthly newsletter just
for VISTAs. Each month the focus is on a particular
issue such as refugees, microenterprise, or veterans
and provides resources, discussion, and stories of
VISTAs working in those fields. It’s a great resource
for information on policy, best practices, and ex-
amples of successful models. You can find the latest
VISTA Viewfinder and archives of past issues here.
Make sure to sign up and get the VISTA Viewfinder in
your inbox each month.
V is for...Flickr Contest
Did you know each month you have a chance to
win a VISTA hoodie? Submit your VISTA photos to
the “V is for...Flickr contest” and you could be select-
ed as one of their monthly winners. Check out their
Flickr gallery. See what other VISTAs have submitted
and submit your own photo that represents your
VISTA service. What does the VISTA “V” mean to you?
There are many other
resources to be found
on the VISTA Campus
and beyond. There are
not just five, but
hundreds of reasons
why being a VISTA
rocks.
question on the blog too, just by clicking on the question mark in the same blue box.
Twenty Years of Student-Led Service-Learning
Carolyn Byrne, UNC Chapel Hill
In partnership with the Campus Y and the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE),
the APPLES Service-Learning program celebrated its 20th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 20. Twenty years
ago, a small group of students led by Tony Deifell, UNC class of ‘91, noticed a lack of connection between
students’ classroom learning and their service work in the community. These students had an idea to
integrate service-learning into the academic curriculum, and out of their efforts the APPLES Service-
Learning program was born. In 1991, APPLES offered its first six service-learning courses to the student
body. Through the next few years, APPLES expanded the number of courses offered, added a series of
fellowships, spring and summer internships, alternative break trips and a first-year program, Service-
Learning Initiative.
The APPLES reunion included two decades of program highlights from students and alumni speakers,
opportunities to reunite with colleagues, meet current APPLES organizers, hear about current APPLES
programming as well as view a new short film featuring APPLES connections to students, faculty and
community partners.
Other weekend events included “The Record Speaks: UNC’s History of Social Justice,” an oral history
performance showcasing the rich history of the Campus Y and SCALE, table discussions around current
issues in education, healthcare, the environment and more, and a keynote address by Majora Carter. A
pioneer of successful urban green-collar job training and placement systems, Carter spoke about entre-
preneurs around the country who support her idea that “you don’t have to move out of your city to live in
a great one.” Using this format, Carter talked about activism and making it accessible to all people, noting
that there are things we can all do to make our communities better, safer and stronger.
Best O’ the [VISTA] Blogosphere
VISTA
Did you know NC Campus Compact VISTAs have their very own blog?
Life
It’s true. In case you haven’t been tumbling through it lately, here’s a
small sample of what you’ve missed. So far, we’ve...
Found out that
The life and times of 33 VISTAs & public
NC Campus Compact service workers
AmeriCorps*VISTAs. can get loan
Fighting poverty. Making a payments
difference. Rocking out. reduced
Ventured into VISTA Celebrated our VISTA
Office Space (literally) Director’s birthday
Explored Idealist.org’s Guide to
Non-Profit Careers
FINE FOLK
(for our students & post-VISTA planning)
Planned ahead for our half-price GRE
for AmeriCorps Alums
Have something interesting or useful that you’d like to share on the VISTA
blog? Click on the envelope icon in the “VISTA Life” box on the blog to
submit an article/resource without even signing up on Tumblr! Ask a
 Northern Exposure: Who IS Robyn Stegman?
Perhaps you noticed her social media article on page 4 of the newsletter, or maybe you’ve
seen her name on e-mail lists, and wondered, who IS Robyn Stegman? Wake Tech
Community College VISTA Dallas Thompson has the scoop.
Intrepid amateur reporter Dallas Thompson crafted
a list of questions for our own Mary Baldwin College
VISTA, to find out more about the most northerly NC
Campus Compact VISTA member!
Dallas: Who are you? (Author’s note: Nothing like
starting out with the obvious.)
Robyn: My name is Robyn. I’m a service nerd and
current AmeriCorps*VISTA at Mary Baldwin College.
DT: Why did you decide to do a second year with
VISTA?
RS: My first year of service was at the Michigan
Community Service Commission where I served with
Learn and Serve-Michigan. My first year of service
gave me a great introduction to CNCS and to the
service field.
DT: What’s your favorite thing about being a VISTA?
RS: VISTA has changed my life in many unexpected
ways. When I started as a VISTA I didn’t know that a
rich community exists of former and current VISTAs
and AmeriCorps members. It has been so
enriching to be able to connect with members from
across the country on Twitter, on the VISTA Campus,
and in person. I had no idea how many members
and former members there were even in my own
community. This past December when I was in the
emergency room for a cat bite, I provided my
healthcare information only to find out that both my
doctor and one of the assistants were
AmeriCorps Alums. The amount of connections
made each day because I am a member is crazy.
DT: What’s your most favorite food?
RS: Cheese. It’s the real reason I could never go
vegan. (Author’s note: Amen!)
DT: And what’s your favorite hobby?
RS: Doing good is definitely a favorite hobby of
mine. When I’m not serving as a VISTA I usually am
working on one of several projects I rope myself into.
Most recently I started the Yak Bell Project and I’m
working to raise $24,000 for Room to Read to build
six libraries in communities that have never had a
library before. That’s kept me pretty busy. I suppose
my other hobby would be reading. I recently started
Brew Pub Book Club, a book club at a local
6 7
bar in town and we’ve become the rebel book club
of Staunton, VA. I think about 50% of the book club is
discussion of the book and the other 50% is random
tangents on societal gender roles and Taoist phi-
losophy. It definitely is one of the highlights of my
month.
DT: Last, but definitely not least, what’s one thing
that everyone should know about you?
RS: I sign all of my letters and emails “Peace and
Happy.” It’s a phrase I learned from two Burmese
nuns I met while in India. It reminds me that if I am
compassionate in everything I do I can bring peace
and happiness to the world.
To learn more about the Yak Bell Project, or to sup-
port Robyn, go to:
http://roomtoread.org/yakbellproject.
Fighting Poverty With Passion: VISTAs Share Their
Stories of Service From Across the State(s)
Jackie Jazwa, NC State
Twenty-nine students, one student team
leader, and four advisors from NC State
University traveled to Washington, D.C. for the
third annual Alterna-
tive Fall Break trip to
the nation’s capital.
Students volunteered
at D.C. Central
Kitchen, the Capital
Area Food Bank, So
Others Might Eat
(SOME), Carpenter’s
Shelter, and New Hope
Housing ths year.
Students also
participated in daily
service reflections, had
time to see historic
sites, and spent time
assessing the rate of
homeless
individuals around their hostel as they passed out food in the evenings. The team generated 371 hours of
service which also included 13 international students from India, China, Kuwait and Africa.
Laura Furey, UNC Asheville
The September 11th Day of Service food drive was the first event
I organized here. An email from VISTA Director Jonathan Romm
asking what we were doing for the day prompted some
serious last minute planning. We decided to host a food drive
from Wednesday 9.8 to Friday 9.10 with the donations benefiting
the Emma Family Resource Center in West Asheville. We
challenged offices and departments to collect items and bring
them to the Key Center, with the largest donor being recognized
in an email to all faculty and staff. Wednesday and Thursday were
a little nerve-wracking with a few donations trickling in here and
there. By the end of Thursday, Cori (the Key Center’s AmeriCorps
State and National member) and I were considering going to
Amazing Savings grocery store to stock up on a few items so we
at least had something to give. However, Friday came around and
the donations rolled in (the winning department, Campus Recre-
ation, had a move-in day cart full) from across campus, including
a personal delivery from Provost Jane Fernandes. By the end of
the day we had several full boxes totaling over 300 food items!
 Fighting Poverty With Passion: VISTAs Share Their
Stories of Service From Across the State(s)
Rebekah Garcia, Peace College
More than 4,000 students
from local universities joined
forces during the month of
August to put an end to world hunger. On Aug. 28,
37 Peace College students ventured to UNC Chapel Hill to
become part of this large movement and package meals
for the Raleigh-based international hunger relief organiza-
tion, Stop Hunger Now.
Our day began early, leaving Raleigh before 8 AM on
Saturday to make it to Chapel Hill in time for our shift to
begin. Before we even walked in the door of the gymnasi-
um that we would be working in for the next three hours,
we could hear the music blaring and feel the energy ema-
nating from the hundreds of other students that would
be volunteering with us. After we put on our extremely
stylish hairnets (if only such a thing really existed), we were split into groups that performed three differ-
ent tasks: (1) filling bags with a highly nutritious meal that included rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and
a vitamin-fortified flavoring mix, (2) sealing the bags for transportation, and (3) packaging the meals into
boxes that were then loaded onto trucks. Between completing our tasks, dancing to the music, and making
new friends, it was no wonder our shift felt like it was over before it even started. An estimated 30,000 meals
that will benefit families from across the globe were packaged during those three hours.
Over half of the meals packaged during this event were donated directly to Haiti and those effected by
the earthquake last year. It is incredible to see how much we can effect global poverty and hunger by just
donating our time, and what a crucial role that we play in determining what our world is going to look like in
the future.

VOICES
OFVISTA
A special thanks to all of

I am an AmeriCorps
the VISTAs who
contributed articles to
this issue, and to Becca

member, and I will

Bender at LRU for serving
as an editor!

get things
To all of our VISTAs:
We appreciate your
dedication and
commitment to service
and the energy and
enthusiasm you bring!

done.
- Kara Quick, VISTA Leader

NC Campus Compact
CB 2257
Elon, NC 27244
www.nccampuscompact.org