Tag: Community Service Center

Trading Corn Fields for Pine Trees

Posted on by Titus Tomlinson

By Elizabeth Gronert

Before my year of service began, I had no idea what kind of impact the RARE program would have on my life. Upon learning of my final placement in Bandon, I thought of the changes to come. I would be trading cornfields and the Iowa River, for pine trees and the Pacific Ocean… I would be working in a community that needed my help… my job would allow me to pursue my sustainability passions… I would be living off a reasonable income… I would be working towards an education stipend to help pay off my student loans…all I had to do was move half way across the country for a year. Not too shabby of a deal.

So my partner, pup and I whittled our lives down to what would fit in a mini van, Subaru forester and car topper. Packed to the brim, we started our journey across the country. As soon as I was on the Oregon South Coast the incredible opportunity RARE was giving me began to set in. Like many rural communities, Bandon is a hidden gem. The South Coast in general is hard to get to but once you arrive it is more than worth it. Since the focus of my placement is tourism destination development, it was very easy to start my year of service with a passion to develop and promote the South Coast.

The opportunities you can have in RARE, both professionally and personally, is really unparalleled. When I started my position I was thrown into this huge network of movers and shakers in the area. Within my first month, my professional network had quadrupled (in the least). Where I once sat in on meetings, I now lead some of them. Where I once created plans in college, I was now seeing them through implementation.

These communities feed off of the excitement and passion a RARE member brings to the table. It reflects in the endless opportunities people present you with, as well as the ones you can create for yourself. If you are looking for an opportunity to grow as a person and make a difference, RARE is the program for you.

A bit about Elizabeth Gronert:

  • Currently serving as South Coast Tourism Development Project Coordinator with the Oregon Coast Visitors Association – A Travel Oregon Sponsored Placement
  • Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science, Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, Certificate in Sustainability, University of Iowa, May 2017
  • People may be surprised… “when they learn that I have hand fed a jaguar while in Belize.”

Does community development work interest you?  Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon?  Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program via our website: https://rare.uoregon.edu/application-process/member-application-process/

 

Never Say No

Posted on by Titus Tomlinson

By Norah Owings

Talent is a small city 20 miles from the California border tucked between Ashland and Medford in the Rogue Valley. It often doesn’t stand out from the large city of Medford that boasts most of the infrastructure and needs of the valley or the niche market of the Shakespearean Ashland. However, if you happen to take exit 21 off I5 you just might fall in love with this dedicated and passionate community just like I did.

Adjusting to a new community is hard, especially when you’re in an area you’ve never been before. You need to learn the culture of the area, any important people who can help you, as well as figuring out where the best grocery store is. It may take you a week to get your bearings, or you could be like me and not full adjust until month 4. Although you might not feel fully comfortable and not know exactly what you’re doing, the best thing I learned during my time in Talent was to never say no to any opportunity you’re invited to. Whether that is city council every other Wednesday at 6:45 or the small community group that meets in the town hall to discuss zero waste or weed abatement. It may feel awkward and weird at first, but it will help you in the long run understand your community and see who the key players are.

One of the first things I agreed to was to have a booth at the annual Harvest Festival, which was less than a month into my project. It was one those situations where you really don’t want to, you don’t even know what the Harvest Fest is and you don’t even know what you’re exactly supposed to have at this booth. But in the end you throw something together show up an hour early to set up and have an amazing day. I got to talk to citizens, volunteers, council members, and staff all within a 6-hour period in a place that I never would have if I hadn’t agreed to have a booth.

The first city committee meeting I went to was the complete opposite of my Harvest Festival experience. It was HEATED. I was also the only person in there who wasn’t part of their group. Within the first 10 minutes I was like what did I get myself into?! There were arguments about things I had no idea about and deep discussions about plans they had been working on for months. However, I learned that some of these people I would be working alongside with for my entire program. A group of dedicated volunteers wanting to make their community the best town in Jackson County.

No matter the occasion or whether you think you should be there if you’re invited to something or you see an event that you’re interested go! This is your time to make the contacts and learn about your community. The individuals in those first meetings I see now on a weekly basis and have become great colleagues and friends. It has made me one of the passionate dedicated volunteers working to create a better Talent.

A little bit about Norah Owings:

  • B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy and a Minor in Natural Resources – Oregon State University
  • People may be surprised when they learn that I appeared in Time Magazine
  • One of my most significant accomplishment was my internship at the Corvallis Environmental Center. I was hired to intern for community outreach and event planning for the annual Cooped Up in Corvallis where people got to tour local chicken coops.