True North AmeriCorps members did truly amazing things over the last year. Individuals from all walks of life and a full range of experiences joined together to make a difference in our community. None of us could have anticipated the challenges a global pandemic would bring to this program year. When faced with unprecedented adversity, our members stepped up to take action. Here are a couple stories from our members:
“I have been working with a 1st grade boy who is currently in a foster home. When he first started coming to program, he ran away from staff, didn’t get along with other kids, didn’t listen to staff, and was terrified of getting in trouble. Since I started saying hello to him and doing check ins with him, he has begun to make amazing progress. His foster mom told us his behavior and listening skills have improved since he had started coming to program. At program, this student now helps clean up, communicates better when he is frustrated, works better with other kids, and says hello to staff first. It is incredible to see a kid make such progress and realize he is supported and can trust the adults in his life.”
“Our program came to an abrupt end when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US and Minnesota. I went from seeing the kids I worked with nearly every day to seeing them never. Our team came together more than ever during quarantine and decided that we could use our time to package and distribute bags of food for the families we worked closely with. The first “bag drop” occurred in April where we delivered a total of 64 bags of food and activities to our families’ doorsteps. We then decided to do this every 2 weeks and we have been doing this every since. The happiness and stability I believe it brings to our families is the best part. I wish I could see my kids, but knowing that their bellies are going to be full and their brains are still going to be moving is all I can ask for during an uncertain time.“
“I joined the True North AmeriCorps Emergency Response Initiative after several summer jobs fell through due to COVID. What started off a way to get out of the house and into the community for a couple of months, turned into an incredibly valuable experience. Every single day I went to my placement, I felt like I was making a difference in my community; being able to help children in the community adjust to living during the pandemic has been both challenging and eye opening. One of my most vivid memories from this experience was during an outdoor KEY Zone day. We were learning how to be safe and respect our limits while exploring in nature, and a young boy sitting next to me burst out crying because he was so sad that people were dying from COVID. We talked about kindness and doing our part to make the world better and safer now and going forward. Looking back, I realize that this moment encapsulates what I’ve learned during my time with AmeriCorps. All service is an act of kindness and it feels incredible to go home at the end of a long day and realize that you spent your time making the world a better and safer.”
