The S-Files: Recent Episodes
Serve Wisconsin
Welcome to The S-Files, which is sponsored by Serve Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s National and Community Service Board. The S-Files is your look into the impacts and stories of AmeriCorps members and volunteers serving throughout the State of Wisconsin. Each episode, we will be digging into their Service Stories, or S-Files, to learn about the people and programs whose service is meeting critical needs across Wisconsin and enriching the lives of the people and communities they serve.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sherlean Roberts, who is currently serving her third AmeriCorps term with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) - ClubCorps. Sherlean discusses how she is assisting students participating in their Graduation Plus program by providing mentorship and guidance from the early stages of the college application process through college graduation. Sherlean describes the different ways she is supporting both a cohort of current college students at Marquette University as well as high school students at The Ready Center and during visits to Milwaukee high schools. Sherlean discusses the ways she strives to form connections with students to strengthen the support she can provide to students, understanding the value of this assistance from her own participation in the program as a student. Listen in to learn about how Sherlean has forged meaningful connections and grown as a mentor for her students, which she plans to build upon during her fourth AmeriCorps term that she will be starting this fall.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sabina West, who is serving with the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) AmeriCorps Program. Sabina discusses serving during the inaugural year of the program and the different ways the Library Corps program is providing support to students. She describes the information technology literacy activities she did with students at three different Milwaukee schools, helping them build skills for their current grade and that they will use long into the future. She then spoke about the after-school programming she did with students at her assigned library branch, with their activities based around a theme for each day of the week. Additionally, Sabina discusses how MPL AmeriCorps members will be providing enrichment activities to students at multiple summer school sites based upon a curriculum they individually created, with hers designed around astronomy. Listen in to learn how Sabina helped set a foundation for both the future academic success of the students she worked with this year and for the Milwaukee Public Library AmeriCorps Program as a whole while serving as part of their initial cohort of AmeriCorps members.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Wes Broske, who is serving with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School at the Monona Grove School District, where he had previously worked with some of their students as an educational assistant. Wes describes working with students across their seven schools, including teaching nutrition lessons at their four elementary schools and working with middle school students on lessons on preservation and fermentation. He discusses working further develop school gardens throughout the district, hoping to expand them at several locations and increase student access to learning in the gardens. Wes also describes working to get local foods into schools, both locally through Harvest of the Month items in the Monona Grove School District and throughout the state by helping connect farmers and school food service directors through the Wisconsin Local Food Database by serving as the manager for the East Central region of the state. Listen to learn how Wes is making connections with students, farmers, and other AmeriCorps members as he continues developing lessons and ways for students to increase access to local foods and school gardens.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Peyton Keith, who is serving with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School at the Bayfield School District, where she herself graduated from high school having grown up in a tribal community just outside of Bayfield. Peyton discusses the nutrition and gardening lessons and field trips she has done the first few months of this school year with the students she serves, a large majority of whom are tribal members, including the cultural connections they make during their activities. She describes working with her students to harvest items out of their school garden, their aquaponics system, and a field trip to gather wild rice and how they have used these items and other local produce to create pizzas, apple cider, apple chips, and other items for nutrition lessons. Peyton also discusses connections that have been made with local farmers, including having them sharing information with her students and getting more locally sourced items into the school meal program. Listen to learn how Peyton is making a difference in her local community and the plans she has for future activities inside and outside the classroom to continue making connections with her students.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service stories of two AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, Jim Jenkins and Peggy York, who are serving with RSVP of Dane County. We start our conversation with Jim Jenkins, who describes the numerous volunteer service activities he has done over the last roughly eighteen years, including disaster response and preparedness training with the Red Cross and the Triad program, being a volunteer driver, and years of service on the RSVP board. We then sit down with Peggy York, who discusses her service on the Assessment Committee and Triad Committee, as well as sharing about the volunteer service her grandmother did with RSVP of Dane County as one of its earliest volunteers in the 1970s. Listen to learn about how both Jim and Peggy are making a difference through promoting safety for senior citizens and helping to support many other RSVP programs that impact people throughout Dane County.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers with RSVP of Dane County as it celebrates its fiftieth anniversary serving the people of Dane County. We sit down with RSVP of Dane County program directors Margie Zutter and Diana Jost to discuss the impact their AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have had through over eight million hours of volunteer service over the last fifty years and the multiple projects they are currently doing to support people in local communities. They describe several service efforts their RSVP volunteers are doing, including driver services for medical appointments, home delivered meals, the Triad safety program, the Homeworker program creating handmade items for people in need, and those volunteering with numerous sites and organizations throughout the county. Margie and Diana also describe the service their RSVP volunteers are doing through intergenerational programs and assisting students, including with their Computer Buddies and pen pal programs, as well as the service of their Foster Grandparents Program AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. Listen to learn about the multiple ways the service done by AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers with RSVP of Dane County have made a difference for the community and the impact it has had on both those served and the volunteers themselves.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer Judy Mayer, who has made a difference serving through RSVP of Dane County at multiple sites and with several programs since 2008. Judy describes the numerous ways she has found to impact the community through RSVP of Dane County, assisting people from students to senior citizens through her service with the Computer Buddies and Home Delivered Meals programs, as well as through volunteering at the Habitat ReStore of Dane County, the Henry Vilas Zoo, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Agrace Thrift Home Store, and with many other efforts. Listen to learn about how Judy has made meaningful connections with people across her variety of service experiences and why she recommends that people try out volunteer service experiences and find their own way to make a difference for others.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Bethany Mallek, who served over the last year with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) AmeriCorps Community Corps at the Portage County Literacy Council. Bethany describes her service teaching classes for adult English language learners and U.S. Cultural Orientation classes for refugees that are now living in the Stevens Point area. She discusses several aspects of planning and leading each of these classes, including how she has worked to adapt the lessons to fit the experiences of the participants. Listen to learn about how Bethany has forged participant connections and a supportive environment in these classes, which she is excited to continue to lead as she begins her second AmeriCorps term this fall.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Sarah Webb, who served over the last year with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) AmeriCorps Community Corps and served the previous two years with MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin at the Volunteer Center of Racine as their Youth Volunteer Coordinator. Sarah describes her service connecting students with volunteer opportunities as part of the Youth Volunteer Corps program, both during the school year and as part of the youth volunteer summer camps she has been coordinating over the last few months. She also discusses several trainings she has organized for youth this summer, including CERT disaster training, First Aid, and their initial Junior Citizen Police Academy, for which she drew upon her own prior experience as a police officer to create. Listen to learn about how Sarah dramatically increased student participation in volunteer activities during her service, including her recognition nationally in 2021 at the Youth Volunteer Corps Summit Awards Ceremony with their Catalyst Award for the impact of her service.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers service of Ed Hansen, who was honored this summer at the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards with the AmeriCorps Seniors Lifetime Impact Volunteer for his volunteer service with RSVP of Rock County. As part of this conversation, we also speak with their Seniors Volunteering for Seniors Coordinator, Patty Hansberry, about the impact that Ed has had through their program. Ed discusses the service he does as a volunteer driver with their Seniors Volunteering for Seniors program, as well as over several years on the RSVP of Rock County board, including his current role as its president. Ed and Patty also describe how the AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers with RSVP of Rock County were able to continue assisting people during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they hope to continue helping others in the future. Listen to learn about the numerous ways that Ed and other AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers with RSVP of Rock County have made in their local community.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by Carol Schumacher, who was recognized at the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards as the Volunteer of the Year for East Central Wisconsin for her volunteer service with the Women's Empowerment Series in Fond du Lac. Carol discusses the multiple efforts she leads and the programs she assists as the Volunteer Director for the Women’s Empowerment Series, including their Volunteer Work Program and Dressing For Success. She also describes how she created and leads their puppeteer troupe called Positive Puppetry, which addresses feelings, communication, and other topics, helping children and others learn about these areas and open up about difficulties that they have faced. Listen to learn about the numerous ways that Carol has made a difference for the women and children participating in the programming provided by the Women’s Empowerment Series.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by Joe Byrnes, who was recognized at the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards as the Volunteer of the Year for Southwest Wisconsin for his volunteer service with the Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. Joe assists numerous low-to-moderate income individuals and families each year by providing free tax preparation services and serves as the Program Coordinator for VITA, coordinating their team of more than 25 volunteers. He describes how he and the other VITA volunteers are making a difference for people throughout the region and the transitions they made to continue serving people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen learn about how Joe has helped the VITA program expand the number of locations and people that it serves, including the tangible results for the community, including helping return over $1,000,000 back into the community as families and individuals received their eligible tax credits and full income tax refunds.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by Debra Moore-Gruenloh, who was recognized at the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards as the Volunteer of the Year for Northeast Wisconsin for her years of service with Special Olympics Wisconsin. Deb has been a key volunteer in multiple roles for Special Olympics Wisconsin since 1987, volunteering over 1,000 hours annually. She describes how she first began volunteering as a coach and how her service has grown into taking on several leadership roles and supporting Wisconsin athletes with intellectual disabilities through coaching and volunteering for regional, state, national, and world competitions. Listen to learn about the numerous ways that Deb has made a difference for individuals participating in Special Olympics programming and the memories she has made during her decades of dedicated service.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Kaitlyn Zenner, who served over the last year with ECLIPSE (Early Childhood Literacy Intervention Program Services and Evaluation) through the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Kaitlyn discusses her service helping 3-5 year-old children at Days Gone By Early Learning grow in the areas of language, literacy, social interaction, and initiative skills. She describes the activities she did within their classroom, including with the child that she was paired with to provide specific literacy interventions. Listen to learn about how Kaitlyn built upon her previous experience conducting research on literacy interventions at UW-Eau Claire's Human Development Center during her AmeriCorps service, as well as how she will build upon lessons she learned during her service after receiving a Fulbright grant to further her experience instilling literacy skills.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service stories of two AmeriCorps members, Shirley Aspinall and Nicole Chavez, who are serving with Marshfield Clinic Health Systems AmeriCorps Community Corps at Milwaukee Riverkeeper. Shirley describes her role as Communications Coordinator, promoting efforts to the public to recruit volunteers for water quality monitoring, river cleanups, and other projects, as well as assisting community education efforts. Nicole describes her role as Sustainability Coordinator, which focus primarily as serving as the volunteer coordinator for the Plastic Free MKE coalition and multiple efforts to inform the public. Both of them describe their service helping to organize and participate in the annual Earth Day river cleanup, which had 4,300 volunteers at 82 sites clean up 106,000 pounds of trash along the different waterways. Listen to learn about how Nicole and Shirley are assisting efforts to improve the quality of Milwaukee’s rivers through educating the public, training and coordinating volunteers, and connecting people to their local waterways.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Michael Smith, who is currently serving with Public Allies Racine/Kenosha (PARK) at the Racine Public Library. Michael discusses the different programs that he has overseen at the library to boost literacy efforts and to support the community. He also shares about the activities he has done with his fellow PARK AmeriCorps members, including projects supporting nonprofit organizations in the Racine and Kenosha area, as well as ways they came together as a cohort during their activities at the beginning of the year. Listen to learn about how Michael both followed his mother’s steps in becoming an AmeriCorps member with Public Allies and is forging his own trail toward becoming a librarian through his service.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Maysee Lao, who is currently serving with the North Central Community Action Program (NCCAP) AmeriCorps Program at the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS). Maysee discusses multiple public health efforts that she is supporting while serving at WIPPS, including COVID-19 vaccination clinics through the Hmong and Hispanic Communication Network (H2N) and research on multiple public health issues, including the use of services by caregivers of Hmong individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Maysee additionally discusses supporting learners from multiple age-groups through the Central Wisconsin High School Leadership Program and with LENA Start, which helps parents and young children develop language and conversation sills to close the language gap that correlates with future success, and with the. Listen to learn about how Maysee has been gaining valuable experience as an AmeriCorps member while assisting the communities she serves that she hopes to bring to her future studies in medical school and her career as a doctor.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Jean Abreu, who is currently serving her second term with the North Central Community Action Program AmeriCorps Program. Jean discusses her two years serving students at the Enrich, Excel, Achieve (EEA) Learning Academy in the Wausau School District, returning to assist students in the classroom after retiring from being a high school biology teacher. We discuss how she has worked with students in completing their coursework in the non-traditional computer-based setting, including bringing her biology expertise to the students and how working with the students was adapted due to COVID-19. Listen to learn about how Jean has continued to reach students in her retirement through her AmeriCorps service, as well as the benefits she has found through serving with AmeriCorps.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Robin Muhs, who is currently serving with Schools of Hope and served last year with Achievement Connections, with both programs operated by the United Way of Dane County. Robin first discusses her current service with Schools of Hope at Huegel Elementary School as a literacy tutor, describing the different activities she is doing with her students. Robin then speaks about her previous AmeriCorps service with Achievement Connections, where she served as their volunteer liaison to help connect high school students needing assistance with Algebra and Geometry with remote math tutors during the COVID-19 pandemic, including her own tutoring with students at West, East, and La Follette High Schools. Listen to learn the ways that Robin’s AmeriCorps service has both impacted the academic growth of her students and her own personal growth and development for working with students in the future.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps alumna Amanda Wysk, who served with College Possible Milwaukee for two years and has continued helping others as part of the program’s AmeriCorps Alumni Council, which helps to mentor those that are currently serving. Amanda first describes her two years serving with College Possible Milwaukee, beginning with her first term of service as a Senior Coach, helping low-income students at two high schools navigate the college application process. She then discusses her second term of service as a College Coach, where she provided in-person support to college students at UW-Milwaukee and remote support to college students throughout the Southeastern United States that had been served during high school by College Possible Milwaukee. Amanda then describes her efforts volunteering as part of the College Possible Milwaukee AmeriCorps Alumni Council, providing mentorship and additional support to the current AmeriCorps members serving Milwaukee students. Listen to learn the ways Amanda was impacted by her AmeriCorps service helping students striving to graduate from college and how she continues to serve those assisting these students.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps alumnus Ben Rangel, who served with College Possible Milwaukee for two years, and the continued impact his service has had on how he strives to cultivate community in multiple ways in Milwaukee. Ben first discusses how he forged relationships with students and helped them throughout their process of applying for college during his AmeriCorps service. Ben then describes how his AmeriCorps service led him down a path to being part of the Trinity Fellows at Marquette, where he continued his connections with national service as the AmeriCorps Member Development Coordinator at City Year Milwaukee as part of the program. Ben then discusses how his AmeriCorps service continues to influence his work and volunteering today, including becoming a high school government teacher, founding and producing the Bridge the City podcast with other AmeriCorps alumni to empower Milwaukee residents to make local change, and serving on the College Possible Milwaukee AmeriCorps Alumni Council to help mentor those that are currently serving. Listen to learn the ways Ben was impacted by his AmeriCorps service and how it has influenced the multiple ways he strives to cultivate community and encourage positive action today.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Lisandra Saldivar, who is serving with Public Allies Racine/Kenosha (PARK). Lisandra discusses the various service activities she has done at her host site, Focus on Community, including facilitating events that support the strengthening of local families and working with students in the classroom to provide life skills training focused on an effort to prevent substance abuse and inspire healthy life choices. She also shares about the activities she has done with her fellow PARK AmeriCorps members, including projects supporting additional nonprofit organizations in the Racine and Kenosha area, as well as ways they came together during their early team bonding activities. Listen to learn how Lisandra has been able to use her service as an opportunity to invest in the community that helped raise her and create deeper connections that will continue into the future while helping others.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members that are serving with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School Program. We start our conversation with Catherine Masters and then sit down to speak with Gwen Murphy, both of whom are serving this year at Rooted in Madison and working with students in the Madison Metropolitan School District. We discuss how they are engaging students in nutrition lessons, working with students in school gardens, tasting seasonally available foods, providing seasonal recipes and resources to families, and connecting with local Wisconsin farmers. Listen to learn how Catherine and Gwen have been connecting their lessons this fall and winter to harvesting and healthy eating and their plans for growing new foods and memories with their students this spring and summer in the gardens and the classroom.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Emily High, who is serving with Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School. Emily discusses the various nutrition activities and lessons that she has done with the students she serves in the Shell Lake School District, including growing and harvesting different vegetables, introducing new foods to students through taste tests, and games to keep nutrition lessons engaging for students. She describes their participation in events including the Great Apple Crunch and Wisconsin Chili Lunch Day and how she is helping foster relationships with local farmers as part of her efforts. Listen to learn how Emily is helping to create meals and memories with her students as part of her efforts to foster nutrition education and create connections in the community.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Bryce Killibrew, who is serving with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM) - AmeriCorps Academic & Career Planning program. Bryce discusses how he is assisting students in Milwaukee by providing mentorship and guidance through multiple aspects of the college application process. Bryce describes being on both end of the spectrum as both a student that participated in the program and now being able to give through his AmeriCorps service after having once been in the shoes of the students he serves. Listen in to learn how the mentorship Bryce is providing to students is helping to give them a blueprint they can follow as they hope to continue their academic journey following graduation.
In this episode of The S-Files, we will be exploring how two AmeriCorps members with the Marshfield Clinic Health Systems AmeriCorps Community Corps program that are helping to provide needed items to people in the communities they serve, including healthy local foods and diapers. We begin our conversation by talking with Maddie Kinscher, who is increasing access to fresh nutritious foods at Central Rivers Farmshed in Stevens Point. We then speak with Monica Ducksworth, who is coordinating the diaper bank program at the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, after having previously served two other terms with MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin at the Milwaukee Academy of Science. Listen in to learn how these AmeriCorps members are mobilizing volunteers, organizing drives and outreach efforts, and helping to build healthier and more supported communities through their service.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members serving with the Marshfield Clinic Health Systems AmeriCorps Community Corps program to learn about how they are helping to foster community and striving to improve the mental health of those served by their host sites. We are starting our conversation by talking with Sierra Fink, who is serving this year with Community Corps at the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes in Appleton, WI. We then continue by speaking with Jeff Duke, who is serving at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers, WI. Listen in to learn how both Sierra and Jeff are bolstering the efforts of these organizations to positively impact their communities and fostering healthy connections through their service.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps member Chelsea Korzenieski, who is serving with Marshfield Clinic Health Systems AmeriCorps Recovery Corps in Ladysmith. Chelsea discusses how she is assisting individuals impacted by substance abuse and helping them work towards their recovery goals. Listen in to learn how Chelsea is helping people take positive steps on their individual recovery journeys. Chelsea channels her own experience of being in recovery to make a difference for others as they strive to achieve their recovery goals.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps VISTA members serving as part of the initial cohort of members with Serve Wisconsin's AmeriCorps VISTA initiative. We first speak with Kailee Remez, who is addressing food insecurity at Carroll University. We then continue our conversation by speaking with Tony Schultz, who is working on several initiatives through his VISTA service at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council. Listen in to learn how these AmeriCorps VISTA members are addressing poverty and strengthening the capacity of organizations as they address different concerns throughout the state.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members that are serving with the Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program. We start our conversation with Kelsey Sanders, who is serving this year at the Racine Zoo after previously serving as an AmeriCorps member in Florida. We then sit down to speak with Brian Butt, who recently completed his degree in zoology and is bringing this passion to his service at the Racine Zoo. Listen in to learn how Racine Zoo AmeriCorps Program members bring both engaging scientific programming and ambassador animals to students in the Racine Area School District and participate in the care of the animals at the Racine Zoo.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are going back to look at the service done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by Lisa Penterman, who was a recipient of the COVID-19 Response Service Award at the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards. Lisa was recognized for the impacts of her AmeriCorps service with the Be Well Fox Valley AmeriCorps program while serving at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. We discuss several aspects of how her service helped people facing food insecurity during the pandemic, including helping operate mobile food banks, conducting pantry order reviews, and doing outreach to members of the public about FoodShare. Listen in to learn about the impacts of her service for the public and for herself, as we discuss highlights from her time as an AmeriCorps member and how it influences the work she is currently doing at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin following the completion of her AmeriCorps service.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are going back to look at the service done by AmeriCorps members with Marshfield Clinic Health Systems AmeriCorps Volunteer Wisconsin since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of the impact of their service, MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin was honored with a COVID-19 Response Service Award at the 2021 Governor’s Service Awards. Since the ceremony this summer, MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin has folded into the larger MCHS Community Corps program, whose AmeriCorps members started serving this fall.
We start our conversation with Shelly Kaiser, who was the program director for MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin, to get an overview of the different types of service that their AmeriCorps members have done to respond to COVID-19. We next sit down with AmeriCorps member Mario Fregoso, who served with Volunteer Wisconsin last year and is continuing to serve as part of MCHS Community Corps at United Way of Dane County supporting their Wisconsin 211 program.
Listen in to learn how MCHS Volunteer Wisconsin AmeriCorps members helped others through answering COVID-19 calls at 211, assisted food pantries and other non-profits, facilitated safe opportunities for volunteers to help in their communities, and many other response efforts during the pandemic.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are continuing a multi-episode look at how organizations have mobilized volunteers to assist the Afghan guests staying at Fort McCoy and respond to disasters here in Wisconsin. Our second episode focuses on regional coordination efforts by two organizations that are helping to create local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) through Serve Wisconsin’s Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant. We start our conversation with Jen Schmitz from River 2 Ridge Disaster Resilience, which is our West Central Wisconsin VGF grantee. We next speak with Aimee Wollman Nesseth from the Northwestern Wisconsin Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition from Wisconsin Emergency Management, which is our Northwest Wisconsin VGF grantee. Listen in to learn how these organizations are communicating across their newly developed regional and local VOAD networks to support efforts assisting the Afghan guests, including how they have brought together the organizations in their region. You can also learn about how these organizations have used their volunteer networks and organizational resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are starting a multi-episode look at how organizations have mobilized volunteers to assist the Afghan guests staying at Fort McCoy and respond to disasters here in Wisconsin. Our first episode focuses on statewide coordination efforts and how multiple organizations and agencies are working together to facilitate these volunteer efforts. We start our conversation with John Stuhlmacher from Team Rubicon, who is currently the chair of Wisconsin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). We next speak with Shane Goss from Wisconsin Emergency Management, who serves as the State Voluntary Agency Liaison. Listen in to learn how these groups have helped coordinate the volunteers response across the state to not only assist the Afghan guests, but also to the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. You can also learn about how they have worked with Serve Wisconsin to support the creation of local VOADs to enhance this response through the Volunteer Generation Fund.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are exploring the service done by AmeriCorps members with WisCorps during a visit to Myrick Park in La Crosse. We start our conversation with Matt Brantner, WisCorps Executive Director, discussing the conservation and disaster relief projects their members complete throughout the state and how they are trying to make nature more accessible through their service. We next sit down with WisCorps AmeriCorps members Shannon Columb and Ashley Nowak, who both recently started a second AmeriCorps term as Environmental Educators. Listen in to learn how the AmeriCorps members serving with WisCorps are impacting how Wisconsinites can experience nature through the projects they have completed statewide and by providing environmental education for our youngest students and children of all ages.
In this episode of The S-Files, we are checking out the service stories of two AmeriCorps members that recently started their second term serving with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction AmeriCorps Farm to School Program, which received the 2021 Governor’s Service Award as AmeriCorps Program of the Year. We first sit down with Maddie Smith, serving at the Oregon School District, and then speak with David Lee Schneider, serving at the Howard Suamico School District. Listen in to learn how Farm to School AmeriCorps members provide nutrition education, manage school gardens, integrate local foods into school meals and tastings, and connect farmers and school food service directors through the recently launched Wisconsin Local Food Database.