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| Bozeman Fire Fighters and MTCC AmeriCorps VISTAs |
On September 11
th National Day of Service and Remembrance 2015,
MTCC AmeriCorps VISTAs gave back to their communities all over Montana and northeastern Wyoming. Every
year Compact VISTAs participate in the September 11
th National Day of
Service, and this year they did not disappoint. From Gillette, Wyoming up to
Havre, Montana VISTAs volunteered at special events and led and supported local service projects. Here is
what our amazing VISTAs did:
Bozeman: Cards, Letters and Treats
to First Responders
VISTA members In Bozeman created a program that engaged 500 local
children to create thank you cards for their fire stations. They were
able to garner free supplies from local businesses (ACE Hardware, The Children’s Museum,
Costco and Staples) to create cards and received a donation of free donuts
from Granny’s Gourmet Donuts. On September 11
th they delivered all
of the cards and treats to four Fire Stations in the Bozeman area; the fire fighters were very grateful for the recognition.
Bozeman: Community Café Clean Up and KidsPack lunch
preparation
The rest of the VISTAs in
Bozeman participated in the KidsPak program, which benefits students who lack
access to healthy/proper amounts of food. They also helped organize the local Community
Café’s food pantry which benefits low income schools by providing lunch and
dinner services to a few low income schools.
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| MTCC VISTA members and a Food Corps AmeriCorps member in Kalispell. |
Dillon: In Case of
Emergency
Down in Dillon the MTCC VISTA planned a disaster preparedness simulation. The goal
was to educate the staff at her organization, the Women's Resource/Community Support Center on how to react in a disaster situation, while
also engaging the
Montana Western college students as mock victims of a disaster.
Kalispell: Red White and
Blue Run
The VISTAs in Kalispell volunteered at
Flathead Valley Community College’s Red,
White, and Blue Color Run that was held in honor of the 9/11 day of service.
Proceeds from the event benefited the Veteran’s Association Endowment Fund.
Billings: 14th
Annual Community Celebration of Life
The MTCC VISTA member in Billings participated
in the Annual Community Celebration of life, where in, community members helped
clean-up the south side park and then attended a ceremony that included
speeches from military members and awards given to those in service.
Gillette, WY: Girl Scouts American
Heritage Badge
The MTCC Girl Scout VISTA in Gillette, Wyoming helped a local troop gain their
American Heritage Badge. This included educating the girls on what happened on
9/11 and then helping them reflect on the importance of the event to our country.
Havre: Havre Remembers
Our members in Havre put together a service event at
MSU-Northern to
honor Havre’s service members and also victims of 9/11. Their local Salvation Army
addressed the current forest fire disaster and collected donations for fire fighters
and victims. Finally our members received 1500 American flags, from the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, which they used to decorate their campus on September 11
th.
Missoula: Disaster Response
Simulation
Several of the MTCC VISTAs based in Missoula put together a disaster seminar
to address the proper way to address an emergency situation. Keynote speaker
Sgt. J.C. Denton discussed the importance
of safety when involved in a high stress/emergency situation.
Missoula: Veteran Scholarship Fundraiser for
Montana Code School
The rest of the members in Missoula raised funds to create a
scholarship to the Montana Code School which will begin its Pilot Class this
year. They solicited donations from local businesses including; the University
Center at UM, The Dram Shop, The Montgomery Distillery, Five on Black and the
Big Sky/Sentinel High School Booster Clubs. They were able to gather $1,644.89; this
amount will benefit a veteran scholarship at the code school.
Hamilton: Veterans Benefit
Materials
The VISTA in Hamilton with
UM Bitterroot College collected information from veterans organizations
all over Ravalli County and created a display at Bitterroot College. The
college now has a centralized location with all of the services/benefits available
to veterans.
Great Falls: Great Falls
Community Food Bank
The MTCC VISTA member in Great Falls helped out the Great Falls Community
Food Bank by helping to unload trucks and organize donations. She also helped
with the creation of 200+ backpack meals for students with limited access to
food.
Overall, MTCC's members made positive impacts in each community where they serve. I hope these examples of exemplary
service and program creation inspires everyone to step-up and become a
larger part of their community.
Emily served as both an AmeriCorps Leader at Montana Campus Compact, and later as a staff member! Of the service year, Emily said "I was able to witness inspirational community service occurring across the vast state of Montana. MTCC college student members served a breadth of community needs: from health classes at the Poplar Wellness Center with Fort Peck Community College to the TRIO peer tutoring at UM Western in Dillon. MTCC fostered collaborations between non-profits and college campuses to meet community needs and encouraged student members to be proactive citizens. I feel fortunate to have met many engaged and charitable Montanas while working for MTCC."
