Another Successful Year of AmeriCorps Service at ReNU

It’s been another great AmeriCorps season at the ReNU office!

This summer, ReNU was fortunate enough to be awarded four service members from three different programs through The Service Collaborative of Western New York (formerly WNY AmeriCorps).  If you are not familiar with The Service Collaborative, we encourage you to check out their website to see some of the great work they do.  ReNU has been a host site for AmeriCorps/Service Collaborative members since 2006, hosting VISTA service members for four years, and then branching out to explore the other programs that the organization had to offer. 

Each of our 2012 members brought their own skill sets, their own personalities, and their own passions to the table to create a great team of program staff.

Emily Grubbe – ABLE Member

Emily started with ReNU Niagara on May 21, 2012 as an ABLE (AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education) member serving 10 weeks in our office.  She came to us from Seneca, South Carolina where she recently graduated from Clemson University.  Her charge at ReNU was to assist in the planning and facilitation of the GreenRoots Leadership Development Program for both youth and adult tracks of the program.  She brought a great energy and passion for education to the office, as well as a little bit of southern charm.  During her time here she worked with the youth to design a festival that would encourage other youth to get off the couch and go outside, getting them to be more active.  She also worked to plan and pull off a film viewing event as a way to recruit residents for the adult track of the program.  Always willing to do more than was required, Emily was a huge asset to the office this summer and we wish her the best of luck with her graduate studies at the University of Kentucky!

John Newcomb – Summer VISTA Member

John was a little more local than Emily, as he was attending Buffalo State College and was looking for a productive way to spend his summer off.  John’s tasks at the ReNU office included the management of two garden spaces: the Highland Community Vegetable Garden and the Niagara University Campus Garden.   He was responsible for daily management of the garden spaces, which included: identifying and coordinating youth groups to assist with garden maintenance (watering, weeding, harvesting, etc.), working with community partners to plan garden/nutrition workshops for the Highland community, and many other tasks related to community gardening.   In addition, John was always willing to provide an extra set of hands to his fellow AmeriCorps colleagues.  John brought a great amount of professionalism and personality to the office this summer, and we wish him nothing but the best.

Dennis Darby – ServiceCorps

Dennis was one of two ServiceCorps members who filled the role one of our Vacant Lot Coordinator positions.  His main focus for his six-months with ReNU was on outreach and how to engage residents and organizations in participating in the newly formed Greenprint Niagara vacant lot coalition/initiative.  In addition, Dennis provided support to his fellow ServiceCorps and AmeriCorps members, assisting with the Highland Community Vegetable Garden as well as the Walnut Avenue Kitchen Gardens that were developed by a ReNU partner.  An avid volunteer with the Boy Scouts, the Magdalene Project and several other worthy causes, Dennis brought great value to the ReNU staff this summer as a long-time resident of the area.  Dennis has already been told that we look forward to his future involvement in ReNU and Greenprint projects, and we hope he does as well.

Natalie Cook – ServiceCorps

Natalie also spent her service as one of ReNU’s Vacant Lot Coordinators.  Her specific area of focus was more on policy and planning, where she utilized her background as a Graduate of the Masters in Urban Planning program at the University of Buffalo.  Natalie has been instrumental in the beginning stages of the strategic planning process for Greenprint Niagara, has provided great support to the Highland Community Vegetable Garden, and assisted with the maintenance of the community garden located at the Presti Apartments/Neighborhood Housing Services.  Most visibly, though, Natalie has helped to develop and expand ReNU’s social media presence; setting up our the blog you are reading this post on, as well as the ReNU Facebook page that just recently broke 100 ‘likes’.  She has never shied away from taking on additional tasks, has always managed to keep herself busy and productive, and has truly been influential in setting the stage for Greenprint Niagara to succeed.

In all, ReNU benefited immensely from the work this extremely effective program team was able to accomplish this summer.  We see nothing but great things coming from whatever future endeavors they pursue.  We wish all of them nothing but the best.  But, most importantly, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the commitment to service and to the Niagara Falls community that they have shown during their time with ReNU.