A VISTA’s Year in Review
By Shimee Gomes, Americorps VISTA
November 4, 2022
The Americorps VISTA program provides full-time members to nonprofits, other community organizations and public agencies to bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty. Members spend at least one year in full-time service addressing the needs of low-income communities.
There are thousands of VISTAs working tirelessly right now and I am so proud to say I was one of them. I learned so much during my year at Imagine LA: office etiquette, data entry, donor development practices, event planning, and honed my graphic making skills. However, there are six lessons that stood out to me as this year ends. A lot I knew, but I never knew quite like this.
Things I’ve Learned:
There are whole worlds and languages you don’t know – Until you explore a new field; you don’t know what you don’t know. The language and jargon behind the complexity of housing and the unhoused is varied and takes time to learn. The complexity of navigating the benefits system is a different kind of beast. The more I learned, the more I was daunted. The work our social workers do is so critical, and they are the bedrock of our program.
There are always new things to learn no matter how experienced you are – For example, I had to do a lot of cold calling when I worked on a political campaign, while those skills help me to this day, they can always be better. We had the opportunity to learn about best donor practices by a seasoned professional and it’s the little tricks of the trade that give you the edge.
Mentorship is key – I’ve known this for a while, but it’s never been more evident than when I spoke and interviewed all the mentors and mentees for our blog, and I saw firsthand the life changing capabilities of sharing our personal knowledge. We all have something to learn from everyone. Diversity is critical in understanding others, ourselves, and developing empathy.
Communicate, collaborate, and celebrate – It doesn’t matter how sure or unsure you are of something, always ask. There's never any harm in double checking! Your co-workers each bring something unique to their jobs – talk to them about their opinions, their background, their projects. It can help you at any time, even if you don’t see it yet. People put so much of their time and effort into what they do – be grateful when you can – one text, one heart emoji is always better than nothing.
Speak up - “If it was a good idea someone else would have thought of it already.” NO! You don’t know that! What if you inspire others with just one question, one sentence, one “maybe we could...” What if you spark a debate that leads to change? You’ll never know if you don’t say what’s on your mind.
People are working harder and doing more than you ever imagined – The number of hours and effort people put in to make others’ lives better is higher than you think. There is so much passion, so much heart in so many people – you just have to look. I’ve volunteered and donated for multiple organizations throughout the years, but I never stop being amazed at the consistency at which people continue to give and give and give. Our capacity to care is unlimited.
