my middle name is flexibility

[marathoner452]

I work for the Red Cross, therefore my middle name is flexibility.

I have an ally at National Headquarters/Red Cross Deleware-Maryland VISTA Corps/wherever it counts that is willing to fight to keep me around. Apparently in the same meeting AmeriCorps both said they wanted more people and proposed cutting both the Red Cross and Big Brothers Big Sisters. I'm not sure if this is nationwide or just in Maryland. I'm also not sure if she's fighting just to keep the program around for this coming year or for beyond that. What we need to figure out is whether I need to re-up before July 1st or November to keep from getting cut. I started August 29th, so if it turns out to be November this just might work out.

I told her I'm willing to jump through whatever hoops they want me to if that means I can stay here. In the meantime, I'll start tying up loose ends around here and I'll be sure not to burn any bridges in case the impossibly cool happens and I get to stay here.

~Bethany

Comments

[batemanenroute.livejournal.com]

*crosses fingers*

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

If we can make it work, we will. I don't care how many hoops I have to jump through to do it.

Judy's behind me and so is Karen. The trick is the cutoff date-July or November? Like I said, if it turns out to be November I'm golden.

~Bethany

[drunah.livejournal.com]

What do you currently do for Americorps?

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

I work for the Frederick County (Maryland, just outside DC) Red Cross chapter.

Mostly I do community disaster education for kids. My big program this year has been a series of four presentations (winter storms, floods, tornados, lightning) at YMCA after-school elementary programs. My big programs for next year would be getting into the public schools and a disaster supplies kit drive.

The goal is to reach people with lower incomes/fewer resources with disaster preparedness information.

I do other disaster services stuff when they need it, like working staff services (screening volunteers for deployment) last September and 3 weeks in the back of a truck feeding people in New Orleans in March.

~Bethany

[drunah.livejournal.com]

Interesting stuff.

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

I am praying for you--and this--like a madman. Makes no sense to me why they'd want to cut those two awesome programs from AmeriCorps, though that'd explain why I never heard back from the Red Cross DE/MD program I applied to a couple weeks ago. I hope you do get to stay, for your sake, but I'm right there by your side no matter what happens.

~Adam

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

This is how I understand it:

An organization gets a VISTA for 3 years.
After 3 years the VISTA(s) are supposed to have made their program sustainable.
Therefore, after 3 years the organization doesn't get another VISTA.

This works just fine if you're talking about an organization with one branch, like Volunteer Carroll. The one office has a VISTA or VISTAs for three years, and then they don't get one anymore.

It doesn't work so well when you're talking about a large organization with multiple branches, like BBBS or the Red Cross. What happened here is that all the Maryland/Delaware Red Cross chapters applied for VISTAs.

Let's say the Red Cross VISTA program here started in the fall of 2002. Let's say Frederick had a VISTA that year but they didn't get another one until I came along, but Central Maryland, Southern Maryland, and Lower Shore all had VISTAs in that time. (This is purely hypothetical.) Therefore, even though each chapter may have had no more than 2 years worth of VISTA service, the Maryland/Delaware Red Cross VISTA program had them for 4 years, so it's time to end the program.

We're a big loophole basically.

The hope is that I can squeak in before they cut the area Red Cross chapters loose from VISTA. Since Karen thought that I started in November (too late) and I really started in August, this just might work.

As a side note, it might be because of Katrina that we were able to "get away" with an extra year in the first place. Too much going on with the Red Cross for them to look too closely.

~Bethany

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm praying for--that you can squeak in or "get away with" an extra year. I don't get why they wouldn't tell you the whole situation from the get-go or at least notify you of the nature of your term earlier. If not, I'm praying you can get in with the group in Baltimore or another VISTA job in the area. I don't see why another organization wouldn't want somebody as intelligent, diligent, and passionate as you.

~Adam

[marathoner452.livejournal.com]

That other organization might be in New Orleans.

It might be in Baltimore.

It could be anywhere in the country, for a matter of fact.

I'd rather stay in Frederick and be able to live at home and save up money for grad. school, but life is funny like that. Amazing things happen when you open yourself up to uncertainty.

I'm not saying I don't want you to be a part of that (quite the opposite), but if you're really going to be supportive you'll hope that I go where my service is most needed, whether that's close to you or not.

~Bethany

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

I do hope that you'll go wherever you're most needed and where you feel you can do the most good--I wouldn't dare just hope you'll get to stay home so we can be together. I want you, first and foremost, to do what you love, wherever you have to do it, and to be happy/content/satisfied. That's number one for me. In the back of my mind, I do hope we get to be together soon, but I promise I'll stand by you wherever you're called to go and whatever you're called to do. As I said last night, I will never put my desires ahead of your happiness. I know I came across as that in my last comment, but you come first.

~Adam

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

But like I've been saying, whatever happens, I'm in your corner. I promise.

~Adam

[roadwarrior220.livejournal.com]

I just had a thought. The staff at the Frederick Chapter obviously likes you and would like to have you around for a little while longer. Would they be able to write up a grant to get you to stay with normal pay? Or would that be stretching it?

It was just a thought, but I figured it's an option that I know you'd consider.

~Adam