AmeriCorps Service Defines Your Future

Justin Rempe enjoying some well-deserved time at the lake.

As a senior at the University of Iowa, Justin Rempe knew a lot. He knew he would attend law school, he knew he wanted to use his degrees to help people, and he knew that he wanted to take a gap year before going to law school. Something he knew nothing about, though, was AmeriCorps.

“I had never heard about AmeriCorps, but a professor recommended it to me. I searched for positions on the portal, I found Iowa Legal Aid and thought that’s great, it’ll allow me to use my degree to help people and give me an opportunity to meet lawyers and other legal professionals. It felt like a perfect way to utilize my gap year.”

Justin is far from alone in being surprised by what AmeriCorps is. If you talk to most AmeriCorps alumni or members, they will likely tell you a something akin to Justin’s story: “I had no idea it existed, but once I found it, it was exactly what I was looking for.”

Those same people will also be the ones to tell you just how beneficial national service was for them. For Justin, his time with Iowa Legal Aid’s Hotline for Older Iowans program helped give him the confidence to continue pursue his career goals and reinforced his desire to do public interest work. Despite the emotional toll his service entailed (or perhaps because of it), Justin completed his year of service with a clearer vision of his future.

“Being a first-generation college student, I didn’t know for sure if I was cut out to be a lawyer. Additionally, you do not really know what you think and how you will react until you are in a situation,” says Justin, who is a now a year away from graduating from University of Iowa College of Law. “Helping older Iowans every day was very rewarding. Many calls were emotionally taxing, as I could be talking to people on one of the worst days of their lives. But going through that and learning about myself was beneficial in many ways.”

Justin is right: AmeriCorps service can be taxing. As an AmeriCorps member, you work to solve community issues at community levels. This means you get an upfront, uncompromising, and oftentimes ugly reality of what life is like for individuals in need. This is where AmeriCorps service gets heavy and can be emotionally difficult for members. But, according to Justin, it is also where the overwhelming amount of good comes from too, both for the community and the member.

“Knowing that you have the capability and skills to help someone through a terrible time—helping them navigate the court system, navigate contracts, help them solve problems and get them the resources they need—it is very rewarding. It builds your confidence up and prepares you to problem solve community and human issues. Being able to effectively help others makes the difficulties more than worth it.”

And it is persevering, together, through those difficult times that we are able to see the best parts of humankind. Justin’s favorite memory from his service highlights this.

“I was on a call with a woman who was going to get evicted that day. So, it was a very urgent ordeal. My job was to get her info down so Legal Aid lawyers could determine whether or not they could represent her. While waiting for an attorney to get back to me, we got to talking, and she was incredibly supportive and invested in learning about my future in law school. Her genuine interest and care about my story, all while she was going through a very difficult time, was something that will always stick with me. It shows the depths of humanity.” If you want to have a meaningful impact on a community, check out AmeriCorps. If you want to build yourself up—your skills, your confidence, your network—do AmeriCorps. If you want to see the need in the world, and want to work directly to address it, do AmeriCorps. As Justin put it, “There will undoubtedly be tough days, and it is not an easy experience, but it is absolutely a worthwhile experience.”

Building Out the World through Connections and Service

Zach served two summers with Volunteer Iowa as a VISTA member, streamlining our Get Connected Volunteer Hub.

Making connections has always been top of mind for Zach Cantrell. In high school, he helped organize an event that encouraged Des Moines area students, parents, and professionals from all school districts share their dreams and build connections with each other. It was called the Big Dream Gathering. That event helped Zach realize that community building and creating connections go hand-in-hand. Zach, it seems, has always had an understanding of this, so when he decided to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA for a summer, he was looking for an opportunity that would allow him to harness the power of connection-building.

He did just that, spending two summers (2022 and 2023) working to make the Volunteer Iowa Get Connected database a more streamlined and efficient environment for Iowans and Iowa-based organizations.

Get Connected is a free statewide online portal that allows volunteers and organizations to easily connect. Organizations can post any and all opportunities they have available, and volunteers can search for them based on location, interest, time commitment, and many other factors. Visit the Get Connected website to see firsthand the project Zach worked on while serving.

By going through and updating organization profiles, Zach ensured that anyone who comes to Get Connected is being presented with all the possibilities that exist to volunteer.

“A lot of orgs had old contact information, or old links on their listings. If an interested person is unable to follow up on a volunteer opportunity, they may decide they do not want to volunteer for that org anymore,” Zach says.  “By spending time updating the site, I was ensuring that connection-building could take place in communities all over Iowa.”

Not only was Zach making Get Connected a better place for potential volunteers, but he also worked to create resources for organizations to help them with their volunteer recruitment efforts.

“I had some organizations that would tell me how much they appreciate Get Connected as a resource, and that it has helped their organization a ton. Knowing that the work I was doing on Get Connected made a tangible difference for organizations all over Iowa made my service all the more impactful.”

And speaking of “all over Iowa” Zach mentioned an unexpected benefit he received from his service. “I have lived in Iowa my whole life, but I never had a great picture of the entire state. Through connecting with and researching nonprofits all over the state, I was able to build a much clearer picture of the state, along with what is going on and what needs to be addressed in communities. It felt like when you are starting a new videogame, and the world constantly opens up to you the more you explore it.”

There were other profound benefits for Zach. He noted that it helped him build confidence in his professional skills. “Getting experience in real-world skills like creating materials that are going to be shared publicly, working on a database, and having trust from my supervisors in getting the work done all gave me confidence in my abilities, which will help me wherever I go after graduating.” When asked what advice he would give someone who is interested in serving, Zach was quick to say just do it. “Shoot your shot and go for it. Find a service term that is only a few months and do your best. If you don’t like it, at least you tried it and can move on. But if you do like it, you have been exposed to opportunities to meet and work with phenomenal people, and it’s guaranteed you will be doing something that helps individuals and communities in some capacity. If you are passionate about helping others, and improving communities, you should definitely try AmeriCorps.”

AmeriCorps helped Maggy find her career path

Written by Grace Katzer

Maggy Hovden

Few AmeriCorps members end up living where they serve, but for AmeriCorps alumni and Decorah native Maggy Hovden, Maggie’s Place quickly turned into a home where she found long lasting relationships and a future career. 

Maggie’s Place is a community for pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness in Phoenix, AZ. Like other AmeriCorps members serving with Hovden, she spent her 1700-hour AmeriCorps service living with the moms and the babies at Maggie’s Place from June 2022 to July 2023. 

“[Serving with Maggie’s Place] made me hold a mirror up to myself and recognize my flaws, my strengths, my gifts, my weaknesses, and I think it did that for everybody else who I was living with,” Hovden said. 

Hovden joined AmeriCorps shortly after graduating the University of Iowa with a double major in global health studies and Spanish and a minor in Latina/o/x studies. Moving over 1,500 miles across the country may have felt daunting, but Hovden said she would do it all again to make the memories she has now. 

“My best friends to this day are the people that I served with in Arizona,” Hovden said. “We were all in our 20s, figuring out the next phases of our lives, but we were all brought to this AmeriCorps program because of our love for service.”

Hovden defined her service as getting to be a part of something much greater than herself. The women at Maggie’s place — AmeriCorps members and moms alike — would joke with one another, cry with one another and celebrate with one another, sometimes all in the same day. 

“In one day, I would sit with a mom as she received the worst news possible,” Hovden explained. “And then a few hours later, I would be in the living room as one of the babies took their first steps and we all rejoiced together.”

Some of Hovden’s favorite moments in her service happened in that home. One time, she recalled, Hovden found herself in a labor and delivery room with one of the women she was living with. After a long birth, Hovden was asked to cut the umbilical cord of the baby. “Being the only person in the room was such an honor, like seriously, the greatest honor of my life,” she said. 

That honor stayed with Hovden and one year after helping deliver that baby, she visited Arizona to celebrate their one-year birthday and was reunited with one of the many moms she worked with during her service. 

Hovden left Phoenix in July 2023 to spend time in Decorah with family before leaving to pursue a Master of Social Work at the University of Chicago. So, of course, she signed up for yet another term of AmeriCorps service — this time, at a food pantry for a 300-hour service term. 

“[When] working at the food pantry I definitely saw different populations I was unaware of growing up in Decorah,” she recalled. “I really didn’t think that that many people in my town could be food insecure.”

Hovden said serving back-to-back AmeriCorps taught her the similarities between Maggie’s Place and local food pantries, which pushed her further toward a career in social work. Now, she is a prospective intern at the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, and one day hopes to receive a birth doula certification and work to reform and rebuild child and family systems in the U.S.

AmeriCorps helped push her into a life in social work and bettering communities, which is why Hovden recommends anyone interested in AmeriCorps to do their research and “just do it.”

“It was just such a unique, special time and I just couldn’t recommend it enough.”

AmeriCorps opened up a field of opportunities and possibilities

Written by Grace Katzer

Nick Ostrem (left) at the Capitol with Disaster PrepWise members and Rep. Adam Zabner for Volunteer Iowa Day at the Capitol.

Nick Ostrem joined AmeriCorps with a degree in public health in his back pocket and a plan: he was going to help build the first Public Health AmeriCorps program in Iowa. With a great team based out of the University of Iowa College of Public Health, Ostrem was able to create an ever growing, successful program.

“I hadn’t expected to do AmeriCorps, but the opportunity presented itself and the things that it offered were the things that I was looking for, actual real world job experience in Iowa City,” Ostrem said. “Everything suddenly fell into place really nicely.”

Ostrem served two back-to-back VISTA terms with Disaster PrepWise, a program that helps people develop disaster management plans before a disaster or emergency situation happens. Ostrem is now a program manager for the program after completing his service in January 2024.

Ostrem directs a team of UI public health students to go out in their respective communities and educate families and local leaders about Disaster PrepWise. The most rewarding part of it all, Ostrem said, is watching his AmeriCorps members grow in the field.

“We’re sitting in an entire building full of people who want to go out and be a public health practitioner,” he said. “The goal of the Public Health AmeriCorps is to train the next generation of public health practitioners — it’s the perfect fit.”

It was just a couple years ago Ostrem himself was sitting in public health lectures at the UI. Students who join AmeriCorps get real-world experience that a classroom cannot provide on its own. “There are so many things I do in my day-to-day life I never would have imagined as a student,” he said. “The actual experience of working in the field is so different, and that’s what we’re providing people here.”

When Disaster PrepWise was formed, Ostrem said he could not predict where it would be today. He certainly never expected that in March 2024, AmeriCorps members would meet with him after talking to the mayor of Mount Vernon, or meeting with firefighters and paramedics from a nearby town.

Joining AmeriCorps post-graduation opened up the doors for Ostrem to create real change in Eastern Iowa, whether that be in rural towns or in some of Iowa’s largest cities.

DeLaney Frater, UI College of Public health student, spoke to the university about her involvement in the program. “My service time with Disaster PrepWise AmeriCorps and Heritage Area Agency on Aging has certainly shown me what teamwork truly means, while exposing me to the definition of a healthy professional work environment I know I will someday try to pursue and replicate,” Frater said in an excerpt published by the UI.

AmeriCorps will always come down to building community, Ostrem added. “When you live in a community, but if you don’t go out and talk with them, are you really a part of it?” he said. “When you actually get in front of people and talk to them, you feel more engaged and they feel more engaged with you.” Ostrem never planned on joining AmeriCorps, but his service contributed to a career in public health right after graduation. ​​“If you’re somebody who doesn’t necessarily know where you’re going, AmeriCorps allows you to make those connections, and open up a field of opportunities and possibilities.”

AmeriCorps service will give you more than you can ever possibly put in

Katelyn Noah, shortly after accepting her AmeriCorps position with Iowa Legal Aid, prior to graduating from ISU.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Katelyn Noah kept doing what she had been doing since her AmeriCorps service term with Iowa Legal Aid began in September: serving Iowans.

Iowa Legal Aid makes hope, dignity and justice available to low-income Iowans through legal assistance and education that protects fundamental rights, basic necessities and access to the judicial system; challenges policies and practices that harm low-income persons; and empowers clients to advocate effectively for themselves and their communities.

As an AmeriCorps member, Katelyn spent her time on the nonprofit’s Volunteer Lawyers Project program and their Hotline for Older Iowans program. She helped determine whether or not Iowans calling Iowa Legal Aid asking for help could, in fact, be served by the organization. If they could, Katelyn would then pass along the information to an Iowa Legal Aid attorney.

It is here that Katelyn mentions a notable takeaway from her term of service, “I got more out of my service than I gave.”

This is a common theme for AmeriCorps alums. Whether it is in interviews, in post-service surveys, or in general conversation, individuals who serve in AmeriCorps will tell you, overwhelmingly, that their service term gave back to them more than they ever gave to the program.

In reality, no matter where or how they serve, AmeriCorps members will inherently receive more from their term than they can give because spending time serving and supporting others has incredible benefits. When you are actively taking part in solving issues for people, you feel empowered and gain a confidence boost in your abilities to make real change in the world. When you serve, you are gaining a deeper understanding of the world around you.

It is that last aspect that Katelyn agrees with most.

“Even the people we could not help, I heard that person’s story. Many times, I was the only person they told that story to. And most of them were heavy. It was so enlightening and eye-opening to hear different perspectives from people who lived just a few minutes from where I live. I learned so much more about where I grew up by listening to the stories of people who are struggling. It is hard to remember every single case, but I remember how they made me feel. ‘Enlightening’ doesn’t do my service term justice.”

While gaining a better understanding of the surrounding world is what Katelyn believes was the most important takeaway from her service, there were plenty of others worth noting. For one, while in law school, she was able to have a unique perspective separate from many of her peers.

“Law school is difficult and stressful, but because I had the AmeriCorps experience beforehand, I could see the bigger picture and know why my schoolwork mattered. By doing well there, I would be able to serve future clients more thoroughly and effectively. My studies meant more to me because I saw all the good I would be able to do with it.”

Secondly, having the AmeriCorps experience ensured that her heart was in public interest work.

“I did the opposite of the norm; I was pretty sure I wanted to do public interest because of my service but needed to dip my toes into private practice to confidently cross it off my list. I wanted to be sure I wouldn’t love something else more than I loved public interest. It gave me flexibility in what I could experience while at law school.”

What else did Katelyn learn from her service? Resilience, strength, and grace from her clients; how to cope with extremely stressful situations; what a kind, capable, and passionate lawyer looks like; that working side-by-side with like-minded individuals creates extraordinary, personal bonds. All this, when combined with the fantastic coworkers she had while serving, made taking a job with Iowa Legal Aid upon graduating from law school an easy choice.

At the end of the day, Katelyn wants people to understand that AmeriCorps is an opportunity to learn about the world, and your place in it. “AmeriCorps is a life primer that really helps you determine what you want to do with your life. We shouldn’t always pay attention to all the pressures telling us to go do this or that or be successful this way or that way. Success comes from your heart and choosing to serve—spending time helping others—will help you find that kind of success. I could not have made a better decision for myself, even though it was a decision to benefit others.”

9/11 Acts of Service Story Spotlight: Tina Meth Farrington

September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a federally recognized day of unity and doing good. Its purpose is to encourage millions of people to remember and pay tribute each 9/11 through the spirit of unity and good deeds that help others and rekindle the extraordinary spirit of togetherness and compassion that arose in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. 

This year Volunteer Iowa invited people to share acts of service stories. By sharing acts of service, we can inspire others to get involved, and also recognize people for their service. 

Tina Meth Farrington shared how as Rotary Liaison for the Titan Interact Club, she leads high school students learning about their community and its needs. “When the students have an idea for community service, I help them accomplish the idea. I help them make a list of tasks that need to be performed, contacts to make and resources to tap into. I then step back and watch the project unfold. When finished, I have the students reflect on the experience; did it accomplish the goal of service, did they learn anything, how did it make them feel? The enthusiasm that the students have to then line up their next project using the tools they learned from the last project and their growth as people is rewarding.” 

When asked “What inspires you to be a volunteer,” Tina said “I volunteer because I see a need that needs to be met, a change that needs to be made and spirit that needs to be uplifted. I also understand that without volunteers our community/society will be stagnant.” 

Thank you to Tina and the high school students for your service and sharing your story.

Looking for a volunteer opportunity? Search Volunteer Iowa’s Get Connected to find local volunteer opportunities.

9/11 Acts of Service Story Spotlight: Perry High School Students

September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a federally recognized day of unity and doing good. Its purpose is to encourage millions of people to remember and pay tribute each 9/11 through the spirit of unity and good deeds that help others and rekindle the extraordinary spirit of togetherness and compassion that arose in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. 

This year Volunteer Iowa invited people to share acts of service stories. By sharing acts of service, we can inspire others to get involved, and also recognize people for their service. 

Dan Marburger shared acts of service from Perry High School students. “Every year for over 15 years, Perry High School students have taken the Wednesday of Homecoming week to do volunteer projects around the city of Perry, with community members that need things done, within the schools and all of the surrounding areas.” 

When asked “What inspires you to volunteer?” Dan said, “It is a way that we give back to our community that gives so much. We are grateful for everything they do for us here at school and we try to give back just a little every year.” 

Thank you to all the Perry High School students who volunteer and thank you Dan for sharing their acts of service. 

Looking for a volunteer opportunity? Search Volunteer Iowa’s Get Connected to find local volunteer opportunities.

9/11 Acts of Service Story Spotlight: Myleena Grenis

September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a federally recognized day of unity and doing good. Its purpose is to encourage millions of people to remember and pay tribute each 9/11 through the spirit of unity and good deeds that help others and rekindle the extraordinary spirit of togetherness and compassion that arose in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. 

This year Volunteer Iowa invited people to share acts of service stories. By sharing acts of service, we can inspire others to get involved, and also recognize people for their service. 

Myleena Grenis shared how acts of service have always been a part of her life since was young, and credits how her years of service “started with a glue stick.” When she was in elementary school, she recalls “my mom bringing home boxes and boxes of books from church, mass printed papers and a stack of glue sticks. I remember setting up a tv tray in our farmhouse and gluing endlessly to update the books. Even though the papers may have occasionally been glued upside down; I knew I was helping the church out.” 

Myleena says, “I can always remember volunteering somewhere. At the age of 6 I found a passion for helping others and offering a listening ear and decided to go into the field of counseling. Later in high school, I learned about the field of social work. I soon started to volunteer in the Human Services field throughout high school and college to learn where my passion would take me. I would work one or two part-time jobs, be a full-time college student and in addition volunteer at the youth shelter, domestic violence shelter, Special Olympics, or another agency. I wanted to immerse myself in the field and give back knowing how blessed my life was. These experiences shaped my career as a social worker and post graduate school I have been working as a Licensed Independent Social Worker serving as many people as I can. I encouraged my husband to participate in service work and we were involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and matched with one really special kid. Now 16 years later we are still connected and just watched his own sons over the summer. We actively involve our kids in service work, seek out the opportunities and have involved the Clear Creek Amana Middle School in the service journey as well; facilitating CCA GIVES a volunteerism club to engage students in giving to the school and community. Through my array of social work roles, I learned quickly the positive connections between mental health and service work. Those struggling with substance use disorders were able to find a sense of purpose while meeting positive peers. Working with adolescents I learned there is a desire to learn and share and we could build a positive community by finding small ways for everyone to help out.” 

When asked “What inspires you to volunteer?” Myleena said, “Service work is something anyone can do. It is an even playing field for everyone no matter what your background or capabilities are. No matter how much time it may consume you always feel an overpowering sense of gratitude and look at life with more gentle eyes. I do service work because it is the right thing to do and because it feels good.” 

Thank you to Myleena for your acts of service and sharing your story.

Looking for a volunteer opportunity? Search Volunteer Iowa’s Get Connected to find local volunteer opportunities.

9/11 Acts of Service Story Spotlight: Becky Koppen

September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a federally recognized day of unity and doing good. Its purpose is to encourage millions of people to remember and pay tribute each 9/11 through the spirit of unity and good deeds that help others and rekindle the extraordinary spirit of togetherness and compassion that arose in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. 

This year Volunteer Iowa invited people to share acts of service stories. By sharing acts of service, we can inspire others to get involved, and also recognize people for their service. 

Becky Koppen of Central Iowa RSVP shared that RSVP volunteers created First Responder Appreciation cards for all the workers in their local fire departments, police departments, sheriff’s departments, and the emergency room departments in two hospitals. The volunteers made over 300 cards, signed, and distributed them on 9/11. 

When asked “what inspires you to volunteer?” Becky said, “RSVP is all about connecting volunteers age 55+ to rewarding and valuable volunteer opportunities serving the non-profit organizations in our communities. Our volunteers feel a sense of accomplishment when they give of their time and talents.” 

Thank you to Becky and all the RSVP volunteers for your acts of service. 

Looking for a volunteer opportunity? Search Volunteer Iowa’s Get Connected to find local volunteer opportunities. 

Learn more about RSVP in Iowa on Volunteer Iowa’s website.

Celebrating AmeriCorps Service with Chelsea Koeppen

Chelsea Koeppen is serving in her second term as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, working to create, implement, and sustain a youth mentoring program in the Vinton-Shellsburg school district.

Inspired by a neighboring school district, the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District saw an opportunity to engage the community in improving the lives of their students, and the results of their efforts are paying off. In October 2021, with the help of AmeriCorps VISTA member Chelsea Koeppen, the district implemented a school-based mentoring program, whose mission is to become a DIFFERENCE MAKER. 

The program engages committed and talented volunteers in a valued partnership with teachers and staff to enrich the lives of their students, with the aim of helping them become effective communicators, problem solvers, responsible citizens, and productive people. To do this, elementary students are partnered with caring adults from the community. The adult volunteers take on a mentoring role, spending one hour a week with their mentees doing activities like playing games, reading books, having lunch together, helping with homework, or just talking about their days.

Koeppen’s motivation for this program as an AmeriCorps VISTA member comes from her love and care for children and a desire to see them succeed.  “Students at young ages need positive adult relationships to help encourage school engagement and socialization. COVID-19 affected both of those things a lot, so the more positive interactions we can get children, the better off they will be.”

Starting a mentoring program from the ground up and ensuring it will last is a lot of work. Koeppen took inspiration from a neighboring school district—Independence—as she put together a handbook and began recruiting volunteers. “Recruiting community members to come in once a week and interact with children has definitely been the most difficult part,” Koeppen reflected. “There will always be students who can benefit from having a mentor.” The district has recently seen an influx of volunteers signing up to be mentors, but recruitment is never over. She hopes that the mentors who are currently serving, many who are prominent members of the community, will share their positive experiences and inspire others to become involved.

“All of our volunteers say that coming into school and hanging out with their mentee is the highlight of their week. They look forward to time spent reading and playing games with their mentee. This relationship is just as beneficial for the volunteer as it is for the student.” Koeppen went on to say that mentors report feeling a better sense of community, and a strong sense of pride in helping to develop young people.

Most importantly, teachers have noticed positive effects in the students who have been paired with mentors. Mentees who teachers noted were previously disengaged in class and not motivated to attend school are now excited to be in the classroom. They look forward not only to their time with their mentor, but to learning in the classroom. Students are more engaged, and are learning social skills, which leads to enhanced self-esteem for the children.

All those results are exactly what Koeppen had in mind when she began working on this project. “I saw an opportunity to affect my community, meet more community members, and grow personally while doing something with a greater purpose. Improving the lives of elementary students certainly checks all those boxes for me.”

The program is gaining momentum in the community. In addition to the increase in volunteers, a local bank recently awarded a grant to the program for the purchase games and activities for the mentors and mentees to use. If you want to learn more about Vinton-Shellsburg’s mentor program, you can reach out to Chelsea at Chelsea.koeppen@vscsd.org. To learn more about Mentor programs in Iowa and around the country, you can visit the Iowa MENTOR website, as well as the MENTOR National website.