[Frostburg, MD]-- A Team of VISTA volunteers including OSM/VISTAs, Adrian Uzunian and Shannon Philbin serving with the George’s Creek Watershed Association (GCWA) and the Savage River Watershed Association (SRWA) travelled from far and wide last week and flocked to Jackson’s Mill, West Virginia. They drove from the northern reaches of Pennsylvania, the southern state of Tennessee, and all five states in between—gathering to celebrate AmeriCorps Week through a training event. 

“Training is a great way for us to come together to discuss how proud we are to be a part of AmeriCorps and grateful for the OSM/VISTAs who are doing wonderful work throughout the region,” said Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team Coordinator Allan Comp. 

The nationwide celebration of AmeriCorps Week was set aside to highlight the work of AmeriCorps volunteers throughout the nation. Since 1994, 637,000 men and women have joined AmeriCorps, and have given more than 770 million hours of service to their country.  The OSM/VISTA Teams are a part of the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Since founding, OSM/VISTAs based throughout Appalachia and the Rocky Mountain West have given a cumulative 260 years of volunteer service and brought about positive change in the communities in which they serve.  OSM/VISTAs serving with the GCWA have given 5 years of volunteer service and have worked to improve the quality of life for residents living in Allegany County.

“Volunteerism is not just about doing good or feeling good, but about making a concrete difference,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency that governs AmeriCorps and VISTA. Corvington complimented the Watershed Team last week at a reception for Comp by saying, “I can’t think of a better example than what we have here…this is an extraordinary demonstration in how service can make a difference.” 

Training provided OSM/VISTAs the opportunity to network and share both resources and experiences they’ve had during their year of service. They also learned and practiced skills like public speaking, grant writing, and event planning. Now, Adrian Uzunian and Shannon Philbin will return to Western Maryland and put these skills to work by writing grants, training volunteers and working on economic revitalization projects to better support the GCWA and SRWA.

AmeriCorps works through existing organizations, like the GCWA and SRWA, and helps them reach more people and better achieve their mission.  In 2009, the nation’s 75,000 AmeriCorps members recruited 2.4 million community volunteers to serve alongside them in some 3,300 nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations across the country. 

The George's Creek Watershed Association is a cooperative, inclusive, non-profit, grassroots organization comprised of residents dedicated to improving the lives of people who live in and visit the George’s Creek Watershed by being effective environmental stewards to our natural environment. 

www.gcwsa.org

The Savage River Watershed Association (SRWA) is a group of local landowners and other citizens dedicated to preserving and enhancing the rural nature and natural resources of the Savage River watershed by assisting interested landowners and public land managers with environmental stewardship efforts and educational outreach. 

www.SavageRiverWatershed.org