MLK Day of Service in Rural Nevada!

[slideshow]This year in rural Nevada, 14 local AmeriCorps members from Nevada Outdoor School, planned a weekend of activities to give back in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

AmeriCorps members planned and hosted a local nonprofit community services fair to highlight and showcase the services offered in order to connect community members with those who provide essential services in the area. 18 nonprofits were in attendance, available to answer questions, and provide information to the attending community members.

Lisamarie Barnett, Nevada Outdoor School AmeriCorps member, described the nonprofit fair. “All the vendors showed up and were bustling around, arranging their tables and standing ready for the crowd. The representatives were all very outgoing and eager to answer questions and network with other organizations.”

After the nonprofit fair, AmeriCorps members organized eight additional volunteers to help the Red Cross canvass neighborhoods and inform residents about fire safety and preparedness. The outcome was excellent! 300 homes were canvassed in Elko, Nevada and 106 people came to the door and spoke with an AmeriCorps member or a volunteer. In Winnemucca, Nevada, the group canvassed a total of 200 homes and spoke with 52 people.

AmeriCorps member Kara Jensen, shared her thoughts about her day of service, “One of the things that surprised me was the ease I felt explaining to people what we were trying to accomplish with our canvassing efforts. Living in a community that has so recently been affected by house fires made me recognize how important fire safety knowledge is and why our service event was so needed. I was glad to be a part of that.”

Brenna Archibald, an AmeriCorps member also serving through Nevada Outdoor School, summed up the emotions felt by all those involved, “With one day or act of service we may not be able to change the world or the community immediately. However, the main point that we must all remember and I was happy to be reminded of on Monday was to keep serving. With constant efforts of service, as well as hard work and optimism, we CAN change the world. Monday was one step of many to improve the Winnemucca and Elko communities around us for everyone and I couldn’t have been happier to be part of it. I was reminded to forever keep serving and to also set aside myself as an individual. By focusing solely on others and working hard so that other people can be the beneficiaries of our efforts instead of ourselves, that is the ultimate experience and purpose of service.”

Thank you Nevada Outdoor School AmeriCorps Members for your service and commitment to our communities!

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