AmeriCorps Week: Meet CE’s AmeriCorps VISTA members

Many people have heard of the national community service organization AmeriCorps, but did you know that Creativity Explored actually has TWO AmeriCorps service members working to support artists with disabilities? 

Alayna Cate and Hannah Werthman are Creativity Explored’s 2020-2021 AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America). Both of these ladies do amazing work for CE’s partnerships and business development. Since the second week of March is AmeriCorps Week, we decided to interview both of our VISTAs about their time serving in AmeriCorps with Creativity Explored.

LEFT: Alayna Cate wearing her Cheryle Rutledge “hearts” face mask and Art + Action “Come to your census” T-shirt

RIGHT: Pencil drawing portrait of Alayna by Ming Choi

LEFT: Hannah Werthman holding up recently purchased works by Nita Hicks and Camille Holvoet.

RIGHT: Mixed media portrait of Hannah by Clementina Rivera.

Question 1: Why did you choose to serve in AmeriCorps?

Alayna:

“I have always considered serving in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, but the timing was never right. I was never able to find the right fit, until now. After graduating with my masters degree in public policy last spring, I entered the early pandemic job market to find my options relatively scarce. Perusing the AmeriCorps job board, I found Creativity Explored, and it was a perfect fit! My interests in nonprofits, the arts, public service, and education were all combined with CE, and I’m so glad I was chosen for the role.”

Hannah:

“When I finished graduate school in June of 2020, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector but I wasn’t sure which path I wanted to take. The job market was really tough to break into at the time as unemployment was skyrocketing. Since I was just out of school I wanted to keep my newly acquired skills sharp and put to good use. When I read the job description for Creativity Explored I just knew that it would be a good fit for me. Choosing to serve with AmeriCorps during this transitional period of my career allowed me to explore my path and grow, while supporting an incredibly deserving organization.”

Question 2: What kinds of things do you do as an AmeriCorps VISTA?

Alayna:

“I work on all kinds of projects at CE from pitching licensing deals, light graphic design and editing, writing for press and media, and coordinating logistics for a large upcoming exhibition. Primarily, though, I am serving as CE’s current Art and Business Development VISTA to recruit and maintain partnerships across the board. I conduct lots of outreach to partners as well as organize and improve CE’s partnership engagement processes. One fun thing Hannah and I will be doing at the end of the month is hosting a Partnership Appreciation Week event where we will invite partners, large and small, to join us and be appreciated. More to come on that front!”

Hannah:

“The goal of my service is to increase local awareness of CE and create opportunities for CE artists. I work across departments to expand CE’s services, community networks, funding, board, and future opportunities for development. So far, I’ve worked on grant writing and fundraising work with the development team, strategic planning with the board and ED; artist recruitment, advocacy, and community outreach with the marketing team; and community activities with the program team.”

Question 3: How has your VISTA service at Creativity Explored impacted you?

Alayna:

“It has helped me grow immensely. Not only have I learned valuable professional skills and strategies, but I’ve been able to put them to use while serving as a VISTA here. I feel much more confident in looking ahead at my next opportunity to demonstrate my skills and proven abilities, and that is largely because CE has given me the chance to lead while serving. It has been a strange experience, of course, due to the virtual circumstances and overall strangeness of the world, but Creativity Explored has done such an amazing job at overcoming all of these recent obstacles that I wouldn’t trade it for anything!”

Hannah:

“CE’s work celebrates our neurodiversity through creativity and relationship building. The artists at Creativity Explored are so talented and inspiring that it’s easy to feel motivated everyday that I serve CE’s mission. Being surrounded by creative people everyday, both staff and artists, has reignited a passion for creativity within myself. I am not only learning skills that are making me a better nonprofit professional but my time at CE is making me a better human being.”

You can read Alayna’s and Hannah’s bios by visiting our People page and learn more about AmeriCorps or how you can serve communities in need by visiting the official AmeriCorps website.