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Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 2
November—December
2015
Program Manager Welcome & Update
Inside this issue:
Program Spotlight:
Northfield Mount
Hermon Upward
Bound
2
Member Spotlights:
Katy Purington
Jessica Sanon
3
Program Spotlight:
More Than Words
4
Member Spotlights:
Zoe Banning
Alex Buonfiglio
5
Program Spotlight:
Sociedad Latina
6
Member Spotlights: 7
Gilary Arias
Betsabe Monge Ayuso
Program Spotlight:
Buzzards Bay
8
Member Spotlights:
Lauren Vunderick
Lynne Ribeiro
9
Members in action
10
Alumni Spotlight:
Evan Scarlett
11
November Member
Development
12
December Member
Development
Upcoming Events
13
Stay Connected &
Happy Holidays
14
ear Commonwealth Corps members, host sites,
alumni, and friends.
With the new year approaching, we would like
to thank our Commonwealth Corps Members for the
18,000 hours of service they have given through
December of this year. Along with our 17 host site
partners, these members have been impacting their New CC Program Assistant Amy
communities in our economic opportunity, education, Mulvena (center) with current CC
members John Sadoff (left) and Will
health and nutrition, and youth development focus Marshall (right) at the 826 Boston
areas across the state.
“Books for Breakfast” event.
Our CC Members have also been developing
their professional experiences and learning new skills. Most recently, the Corps
gathered for statewide trainings on Remarkable Service Leadership in November and
for Member Reflection Sessions in December. We also kicked off our member-led
training series before Thanksgiving with a informative webinar on creating and
distributing effective flyers and look forward to supporting more member and alumniled trainings.
In addition, MSA is pleased to welcome Amy Mulvena as our new
Commonwealth Corps Program Assistant. As a former AmeriCorps and staff member
at Tenacity, she brings a passion for service and has already built connections with
members and supervisors and helped us expand our program support and trainings.
We are wishing the entire Commonwealth Corps community a happy holidays
and new year and are thankful for all that you do. All the best for 2016.
Sincerely,
Susie Flug, Commonwealth Corps Program Manager and
Amy Mulvena, Commonwealth Corps Program Assistant
Commonwealth Corps Members in Action:
CC member Yvonne Prevost shows off the
crafts made by the after school children at the
Fall River YMCA Educational Achievement
Center.
CC member Katy Purington (right) at the NMH
Upward Bound senior day, where CC members
from multiple sites helped high school seniors
make progress on their college applications.
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Page 2
Program Spotlight:
Northfield Mount Hermon Upward Bound
“Our members
make it possible
to provide higher
quality and more
intensive
services. We will
be able to serve
more students
and increase the
effectiveness of
our services
greatly through
their service. Our
members have
been delightful
members of our
team, bringing
their good humor,
positive energy
and new talents
to our mission.”
Northfield Mount Hermon
(NMH) Upward Bound’s mission
is to help low income/first
generation high school students
be successful in high school and
college.
Our two Commonwealth Corps
members, Katy Purington and
Jessica Sanon, have gotten so
much done. They have been
tutoring,
advising,
leading
enrichment sessions, taking
students on college and cultural
trips, helping with college
applications, creating service
opportunities, doing research,
recruiting volunteers, creating
new fundraisers, developing our
social media tools, partnering
with our parents, creating
curriculum and much more.
We are amazed at how much
more we can do with the help
of our Commonwealth Corps
Members. They bring such
creative ideas, enthusiasm and
energy to all kinds of projects.
Katy Purington has been
developing several new tools
that we will use for marketing
our program, reaching our
alumni and donors and getting
newsletters out. She is learning
new platforms like Canva, Mail
Chimp and Zappier, which are
expanding our capacity to
communicate and fundraise.
Jessica has created short videos
for students, helped with
recruitment of volunteers,
helped plan a parent event, and
created
financial
literacy
materials. She also is creating a
short video we can use for our
CC Members Katy Purington (left) and Jessica Sanon
(right) at a volunteer recruitment event for NMH.
year-end campaign. Though she has never previously
worked on Apple computers, nor made movies, she
embraced the challenge, knowing it would give her
new skills she could use elsewhere. Both Katy and
Jessica and are also helping to recruit additional
students who will benefit from our services.
We applied to become a host site again this year
because we knew that the talent, energy, hours and
great ideas members bring will strengthen our
program and we are seeing their impact daily. Our
students are benefitting from so much more
attention and support than we could provide.
Several events have been created that will help fund
new initiatives and support our scholarship fund.
Our members took students to many wonderful
cultural events this year, a treat for students who
often don’t have access to live theatre, music,
opportunities for service and inspiring speakers.
We have seen that our members form relationships
with our students and professionals in the public
schools where they serve. Our members are being
positively impacted every day by these relationships
that will continue to deepen throughout the year.
Their skills at increasing organizational capacity are
developing all the time. Also, Jessica is applying to
graduate schools and using the support of
supervisors to help her with her application process.
NMH Upward Bound is much stronger because of
the service provided by our two wonderful
members.
~Gisele Litalien, Director of NMH Upward Bound
Volume 4, Issue 2
Page 3
Member Spotlight: Katy Purington
I came to the Commonwealth Corps position
at NMH Upward Bound straight out of
college. I was a bit unsure of what career I
want to pursue, so I committed myself to a
year of service to give back to my
community while I continued to determine
what my next steps would be.
At NMH Upward Bound I serve as an
Commonwealth Corps Assistant Advisor. I
supervise our scholars during our homework
hours and sometimes help them with their
homework. I am responsible for the
newsletter and other mass emails. Through
my position, I keep about 700 people
informed about the program. I have also led
two college interview trips for the seniors,
and in the spring I will lead college tour trips
for the sophomores and juniors.
I grew up in a tiny rural town in Western
Massachusetts that had almost no diversity
and very few people. Serving with NMH
Upward Bound has opened my eyes to
communities very near my hometown with
problems that are much different and much
more complex than the ones I knew growing
up. I am constantly inspired by the resiliency
of the students I work with, and while the
effects of this program are rarely
immediate, I have already seen our scholars
grow in knowledge and maturity.
Because of the Commonwealth Corps, I
have learned skills in leadership, tutoring,
and communication, and I have also
become part of a welcoming community
where both scholars and advisors are given
the support they need to thrive.“
Name:
Katy Purington
Host Site:
NMH Upward Bound
Age:
22
Original Hometown:
Colrain, MA
Current city/town:
South Deerfield, MA
Member Spotlight: Jessica Sanon
After graduating from college, I honestly did
not know what I wanted to do. I was
searching on the career service website at
UMass and noticed Upward Bound was
looking for an Assistant Advisor through the
Commonwealth Corps program. It was then
that I realized I wanted to give back to the
same program that helped me while I was
in high school. I wanted to take on a year of
service to provide college preparatory assistance to high school scholars.
In the future, I am looking to attend graduate school in fall 2016 for public policy/
social policy. I realized that there is much
needed to be done to give students of color
the educational access and opportunities
that society restricts them from having. As
much as I love mathematics, I figure I can try
to combine both passions and figure out
ways to increase the number of black students within the STEM field (science, technology, engineering and math).
While serving at NMH Upward Bound, two
major accomplishments I have achieved
throughout the last few months are organizing a movie-dinner fundraiser to provide
scholarships for our graduating seniors to
use towards college expenses and making a
video project used during Giving Tuesday
highlighting our scholars’ hopes and dreams
with the help of Upward Bound.
Because of Commonwealth Corps, I am
meeting a lot of humbling students who
are trying to defeat a system set up for
them to fail. Instead, they are scholars and
survivors of a disadvantage educational
system. Because of Commonwealth Corps,
what I want to do in the future is becoming
clearer.
Name:
Jessica Sanon
Host Site:
NMH Upward Bound
Age:
22
Original Hometown:
Boston, MA
Current city/town:
Sunderland, MA
Page 4
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Program Spotlight:
More than Words
“After only three
months of serving
at MTW, Alex has
become a
fantastic resource
in all areas at
MTW. He has
taken the
volunteer
program to the
next level and
has expanded
our marketing
and outreach
efforts. He has
great instincts
with the youth
and serves as a
positive role
model.”
- Marcella
Raines, Boston
Site Director,
More Than Words
More Than Words (MTW)
empowers youth who are in
foster
care,
court-involved,
homeless, or out of school, to
take charge of their lives by
taking charge of a business. More
Than Words is hosting 2 full-time
Commonwealth Corps Members
who serve as Community
Outreach
&
Marketing
Coordinators in Boston and
Waltham.
Through their service, they help
MTW
build
an
engaged
community of volunteers and
champions in the community,
supporting youth to manage
their online and retail bookselling
business and achieve outcomes
in education, employment and
self-efficacy through conducting
mock interviews, education
coaching,
and
increased
employment
options
posttransition. In addition, they are
leveraging
800
volunteers
throughout the year who will
increase overall support for the
organization.
Our Boston CC Member, Alex
Buonfiglio, is eager to learn and
takes feedback and implements
it immediately. Alex interacts
well with our volunteers and
donors. Alex has truly adapted
to the MTW culture and ensures
that he is engaging our youth and
gives them the responsibility to
lead. We are benefiting from
having Alex serve with us, and
we have definitely seen growth
with Alex.
This service
The More than Words team at a Capital One event
that partnered with Boston Cares.
experience is helping him define his next career
steps, potentially a career in development.
Zoe Banning has been a welcome addition to the
Waltham team. She has effectively increased our
number of individual and group volunteers, which
has in turn greatly contributed to our ability to
serve and empower our youth and to exceed our
goals. It was exciting to see Zoe jump right in and
assist the Waltham team to quicken the pace of the
interview and vetting process. We look forward to
Zoe’s continued contributions and development as
a part of the Waltham team.
MTW is in its fourth year as a host site. Our CC
members have allowed us to be widening our
volunteer and donor base by continuing to nurture
the relationships with existing volunteers and being
more deliberate in reaching out to new corporate
partners to build additional relationships. Each
year, the members expand MTW’s vision, mission
and visibility within the communities in which we
are established. Our CC Members expose our youth
to positive caring community members who are
invested in helping them move their lives and their
business forward by giving of their time.
~ Kylie Stone, Foundation and Corporate Relations
Manager
Volume 4, Issue 2
Page 5
Member Spotlight: Zoe Banning
I chose to serve as a Commonwealth Corps
member because I am passionate about
community service and wanted an
opportunity to give back. I also chose to
serve because I wanted to learn more about
the nonprofit industry through attending
Massachusetts Service Alliance reflection
sessions and trainings.
Two things I have accomplished during my
term of service thus far that have impacted
More Than Words are as follows. First, I
have increased the number of weekly
individual volunteers working with our
business
and
youth
development
departments. Second, I helped facilitate the
application process for More Than Words to
be chosen to participate in an event hosted
by Brandeis University called “DEIS Impact A
Festival of Social Justice.“ More Than Words
staff and youth will be doing a presentation
and open discussion entitled “Empowering
Youth Through Business and Education: The
Story of More Than Words“ on Monday,
February 1st, 2016.
An example of how my service has impacted
me so far is I have gained valuable
administrative and social media marketing
skills that will help prepare me for the
future. I have also gained a broader
understanding of More Than Words as an
organization and what it takes for a
nonprofit organization to run successfully.
Because of the Commonwealth Corps I got
another opportunity to volunteer at More
Than Words after doing so through Boston
Cares once a month and then on my own
weekly throughout high school and college.
I also got an opportunity to take my
experience as a former volunteer and apply
it to my role as the Commonwealth Corps
Community Outreach and Marketing
Coordinator in order to make a volunteer’s
experience, whether as an individual or
part of a group, the best it can be.
Name:
Zoe Banning
Host Site:
More Than Words
Age:
23
Original Hometown:
Wayland, MA
Current city/town:
Wayland, MA
Member Spotlight: Alex Buonfiglio
What drew me to want to take on a year of
service through the Commonwealth Corps
was that I simply wanted to be a part of
something bigger than myself. I have always
been passionate about someday being able
to utilize my business degree and knowledge
in the nonprofit sector. Joining the Commonwealth Corps was a great first step in
that direction.
Since I started serving at More Than Words,
I feel like I have impacted the organization
greatly by continuing to help grow their volunteer department. Volunteers have been
such an integral part of More Than Words,
and I have been steadily and eagerly bringing in as many hard working and kind-
hearted volunteers as the organization can
effectively support.
Beyond just growing professionally, serving
at More Than Words has impacted my personal growth in ways I could have never imagined. I have the youth to thank most for
that growth. Spending time learning from
them has helped me grow personally in a
variety of ways and they have been such a
positive influence on my own life.
Because of Commonwealth Corps, I can
firmly say I have grown immensely as a person.
Name:
Alex Buonfiglio
Host Site:
MTW
Age:
23
Original Hometown:
Wakefield, MA
Current city/town:
Wakefield, MA
Page 6
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Program Spotlight:
Sociedad Latina
The mission of Sociedad Latina
is to work in partnership with
youth and families to build the
next generation of Latino
leaders who are confident,
competent, self-sustaining and
proud of their cultural heritage.
"Betsabe has
become
the bridge
connecting
families."
Through
their
service,
Commonwealth Corps members
have been responsible for
recruiting 50 adult volunteers
who
connect
youth
to
education, work readiness, civic
engagement
and
arts
opportunities. Commonwealth
Corps members assist with
volunteer training, volunteer
appreciation,
and
documentation. These efforts
help build the capacity of our
highly successful Pathways to
Success youth development
model to work with a greater
number of youth from Boston’s
Latino and Mission Hill/Roxbury
communities.
Our two Commonwealth Corps
members help enhance our
volunteer
engagement
processes by creating targeted
outreach
materials,
implementing recruitment plans
for adult volunteers, hosting
volunteer appreciation events,
and assisting our Volunteer
Coordinator with expanded
volunteer training and support.
Both Betsabe Monge Ayuso and
Gilary Arias
have family
members who were formerly
involved in our programs. This
has
provided
a
greater
opportunity to impact our
One of the Sociedad Latina CC members, Betsabe Monge
Ayuso, presenting at a donor event.
community, as they are committed, passionate and
have an understanding of the community we
serve. They have embraced our vision,
have brought skills that have enhanced our work and
have strengthened our relationship with youth,
volunteers and families within our community.
Our Commonwealth Corps members have
demonstrated tremendous professional and
personal growth since the beginning of their service
year. At first, Gilary Arias stated that she struggled
with public speaking. However, she has developed
great facilitation skills in such a short time and seems
to enjoy speaking in public now. Additionally,
Betsabe was nervous when she began serving with
us and felt that she might have a hard time adapting
back into the professional word. Betsabe quickly
became very confident and has been a
great connection and influence, connecting with
families in the community. As a parent who has
children who were formerly in our programs,
Betsabe is able to incorporate her experience in
conversations with families, and this has made a
significant difference in such a short time.
The Commonwealth Corps has provided an
opportunity to both expand our work and provide
members with an opportunity to develop experience
and skills through these partnerships.
~Juan Maldonado, Director of Arts, Culture & Civic
Engagement
Volume 4, Issue 2
Page 7
Member Spotlight: Betsabe Monge Agyuso
I have been part of Sociedad Latina for a
few years, due to the fact that my children
have been at Sociedad Latina for the last ten
years.
I chose to serve as a Commonwealth Corps
Member because I saw the need for parents
to get more involved and because parents
can reach different people in different ways.
As a parent, I saw the need to help parents
understand how important it is to get
involved in our children’s lives, education,
and work.
In my short time serving at Sociedad Latina, I
have made many accomplishments. One is
engaging parents in the organization by
launching a parent engagement program.
This program is aimed at reaching parents
who are traditionally not connected to their
children’s school.
I had the opportunity to present at Family
Orientation, a way that Sociedad Latina
informs parents of what the site offers and
of what their children do at Sociedad Latina.
I feel more engaged with the parents of the
youth that are part of the site now.
The Family Orientations have been
successful; it has been evident to me that
families are more engaged with Sociedad
Latina after attending them. Thankfully, I
had the support of my team to get
everything ready for the parents.
Because of Commonwealth Corps, I am
able to say “I Can.” Not only have I been
able to serve others, but also I have been
served
myself.
Serving
with
the
Commonwealth Corps, I have this feeling of
satisfaction, and I am learning along the
way.
Name:
Betsabe Monge
Ayuso
Host Site:
Sociedad Latina
Age:
46
Original Hometown:
Roxbury, MA
Current city/town:
Roxbury, MA
Member Spotlight: Gilary Arias
I came to know about Sociedad Latina in a
parents meeting that my parents attended.
At that time my sister was part of one of the
programs, and seeing firsthand the help that
Sociedad Latina offers to young adults was
amazing.
About a year later my friend sent me the
Commonwealth Corps service position, to
be a volunteer engagement assistant at Sociedad Latina, and I was extremely excited.
In the process of applying I came to know
about Commonwealth Corps and their vision
and the amazing impact they make in the
community. I then decided that I wanted to
be part of such an amazing program and
give to my community all the help I could to
create a better world.
I have been able to conduct recruitment orientations, go to recruitment fairs and talk
about Sociedad Latina and what I do and
also create volunteer materials that will
benefit the organization. One of the highlights of my service was when I was conducting an orientation for Tufts University
Students about Sociedad Latina and how to
be involved. I was a ball of nerves. In the
end, it ended up being a success. I feel I did
a good job, and the students decided they
wanted to become volunteers.
Something I have learned in my service with
Sociedad Latina is that we are a family for
the staff and for the youth we serve. I have
also been able to learn different skills, such
as volunteer position description development and volunteer manual creation.
Because of the Commonwealth Corps, I am
able to understand the true meaning of
serving others.
Name:
Gilary Arias
Host Site:
Sociedad Latina
Age:
23
Original Hometown:
Boston, MA
Current city/town:
Boston, MA
Page 8
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Program Spotlight:
Buzzards Bay Coalition
“I am
exceptionally
proud of the
dedication,
creativity, and
drive of our
Commonwealth
Corps members.”
The Buzzards Bay Coalition is a
non-profit organization working
to protect clean water for all
the communities of the region.
We are hosting two full-time
Commonwealth Corps service
members. These members help
students, families, and the
public explore their local
environment, as we believe that
outdoor
exploration
helps
support academic achievement,
as well as good and personal
and environmental health.
Our Commonwealth Corps
service members, Lynne Ribeiro
and Lauren Vunderink, have
been instrumental in both
helping us launch new programs
and also engaging a higher
number of people than ever
before. In just the first few
months of their service year,
they have provided dozens of
outdoor exploration programs,
helping over a thousand kids
and families get outside and
discover
their
local
environment.
A native of New Bedford, Lynne
has
been
extremely
instrumental in engaging new
audiences from within her
community
in
outdoor
exploration. This September she
led our Itty Bitty Bay Explorers,
a free program for families with
pre-school age children. In
comparison, we had more than
double
the
number
of
participants from previous
offerings,
including
many
families who were new to our
organization.
Buzzards Bay Coalition CC members Lynne (left) and Lauren (right) at the August CC member orientation.
Lauren, from Rehoboth, has played a major role in
helping our organization develop an online database
of locations and events for outdoor exploration
across the region. This resource will provide students
and families with easy ways to get out and explore
their environment. Lauren has personally visited
over 100 parks, trails, and beaches in the region.
The impact of our Commonwealth Corps members
goes beyond just the programs and projects they
undertake. Our service members helped recruit and
manage dozens of volunteers at our learning centers
and in the community. Those efforts will allow us to
further expand our impact both this year and in
years to come.
The way in which Commonwealth Corps service
members, both at our site and across the state,
serve their communities is inspiring and humbling.
~Rob Hancock, VP of Community Engagement at the
Buzzards Bay Coalition
Lynne and Lauren with a new animal friend.
Volume 4, Issue 2
Page 9
Member Spotlight: Lauren Vunderink
After graduating from Connecticut College
last May, I was drawn to the ethic of service
and professional development opportunities
that the Commonwealth Corps encourages
and provides. This is a unique opportunity
for me to engage with the challenging and
crucial work of community improvement
while gaining valuable experience with a
nonprofit environmental organization.
While serving as an Environmental Educator
at the Buzzards Bay Coalition, I have been
exposed to many different facets of the Coalition’s operations. My main focus on the
Community Engagement team has been to
engage the public in outdoor educational
programs; I have lead or assisted with programs for pre-school to college aged students, as well as families and older adults. It
has been fascinating to design educational
programs for the various age groups, and to
see, firsthand, what kids of all ages find engaging.
The other major project I have been assisting with is the Coalition’s Discover Buzzards Bay endeavor. This will be a significant
part of the website redesign. The Discover
Buzzards Bay website will be a valuable tool
for the community that will help people utilize the natural resources in this area, fostering a connection between the people and
their land through fun, free, active, and family-friendly outdoor recreational opportunities. The skills that I am learning through
serving with the Coalition have empowered
me as an educator as well as enhanced my
organizational and community outreach
abilities.
Because of the Commonwealth Corps, I
have begun to fall in love with this gorgeous part of the world, met many inspiring people in the New Bedford community,
and have a strong foothold in starting a career dedicated to public service.
Name:
Lauren Vunderink
Host Site:
Buzzards Bay
Coalition
Age:
22
Original Hometown:
Austin, TX
Current city/town:
Rehoboth, MA
Member Spotlight: Lynne Ribeiro
I had been familiar with AmeriCorps programs and always been impressed with their
service in my community. I had never heard
of Commonwealth Corps until I was at a Buzzards Bay Coalition trail run, led by a CC
member. Then I noticed on Buzzards Bay
Coalition’s website an open Commonwealth
Corps position. I looked into Commonwealth
Corps and immediately thought it was the
right fit for me. I had been thinking about
leaving my job to go back to school and felt
this was a great transition to that phase of
my life. I have been volunteering in my community for quite some time and was excited
to serve at Buzzards Bay Coalition.
It’s been great to both lead and co-lead Bay
Adventure programs and link with people in
the community. People really enjoy themselves and love learning something new
through our educational efforts. I also feel
accomplished every week after I have created and emailed our Docent Bay Buzz Newsletter to our docents and volunteers. I feel
that my communication skills are improving.
I am inspired when I run into a child who
has attended one of our educational programs. It’s great to hear how much they value the program and see and feel the connection. I know I would like to continue
teaching, however, I am not sure I would
want to do so in a traditional school setting.
I am learning so much and know for sure I
want to continue learning and to go back to
school.
Because of the Commonwealth Corps, I will
continue to educate and challenge myself.
Name:
Lynne Ribeiro
Host Site:
Buzzards Bay
Coalition
Age:
39
Original Hometown:
Mattapoisett, MA
Current city/town:
New Bedford, MA
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Page 10
Members in Action!
Coaching4Change's last
fellow-run activity for the Fall
program. One of the fellows,
Marc, and his group led an
engaging game of Ultimate
Frisbee with everyone from
the program at Southeastern
Vocational Technical High
School.
Buzzards Bay Coalition
CC member Lauren Vunderink
led an educational program at
Minot Forest Elementary School
in Wareham for a group of
Chinese exchange students.
CC Member
Lynne Ribeiro
(right) helped
to lead a Bay
Adventure
program,
teaching adults
how to Quahog
at Burgess Point
in Onset.
CC members (from left) Jenna
Engelsen, Katy Purington, Karonika
Brown and Jessica Sanon, volunteered
at Senior Day at NMH Upward Bound
on Columbus Day 2015.
CC Member Eric Johnson (left)
with two Boys and Girls Club of
Greater Lowell students on an
EMC factory tour.
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Page 11
Alumni Spotlight: Evan Scarlett
I joined the Commonwealth Corps because I
saw it as an opportunity to have a direct impact in the non-profit world in my first year
out of college. There are so many tremendous programs statewide that support
youth in important ways, and the Commonwealth Corps serves as a crucial resource for
these organizations. The Commonwealth
Corps connected me to an important social
cause and allowed me to expand my professional skillset while making a tangible difference in my community.
As a Commonwealth Corps member, I
served as the Community Outreach and
Marketing Coordinator at More Than
Words. More Than Words is a non-profit social enterprise that empowers systeminvolved youth between the ages of 16 and
21 to take charge of their lives by taking
charge of an online and retail used book
business. In 1,500-plus hours of service, I
facilitated group and individual volunteer
opportunities, boosted our social media and
marketing presence, established partnerships with supporting organizations, and expanded our pop-up shop model. Throughout
my year of service, I played an active role in
making MTW more efficient and effective
and helped youth gain critical skills in order
to transition successfully to adulthood.
Looking back, I am most proud of my efforts
in growing our mobile marketing strategies.
Although we have two brick and mortar
storefronts in Boston and Waltham and ship
out hundreds of orders online through Amazon, eBay, and several other online markets
on a daily basis, I believe the MTW model
has a tremendous amount of potential in
terms of its bandwidth and capacity. By running a series of pop-up shops with MTW
youth throughout the Boston area in locations such as Copley, Boston University, and
Faneuil Hall, we were able to expand our
presence, spread our mission, and boost
our business all at once. Additionally, these
pop-up shops served as a fantastic tool for
MTW youth to gain customer service, marketing, and networking skills.
My role at MTW has evolved since my time
with the Commonwealth Corps. After my
service, I was hired as a full-time employee
and am thrilled to continue my involvement
with such a fantastic program. As a Business
Training Manager, I supervise youth during
operations shifts, teaching them the ins and
outs of the job, as well as coaching and
evaluating their levels of professionalism
and engagement. It’s remarkable how powerful a program like MTW is for young
adults; in less than a year’s time I have seen
youth transform their lives and make significant strides in their education and employment pathways. I am so grateful to have the
opportunity to wake-up and empower
youth on a daily basis, and my experiences
at More Than Words have solidified my
commitment to helping others become
their best selves.
Name:
Evan Scarlett
Age:
24
Original Hometown:
Carlisle, MA
Term of Service:
2014-2015
CC Host Site:
More than Words
Service Location:
Boston, MA
Current residence:
Boston, MA
Because of the Commonwealth Corps, I am
committed to a lifetime of service and have
gained a deeper appreciation for what I can
learn and how I can grow through the process of teaching and mentoring others.
Opportunities for Alumni: Sharing Your Skills and Experience
We welcome Commonwealth Corps Alumni to share their stories via newsletter spotlights and other venues,
as well as to share their skills and experience with current CC Members and alums. If you are interested in
leading a training, webinar, or conference call on a relevant topic, please contact CC Program Manager
Susie Flug (sflug@mass-service,org). MSA is also always happy to write letters of recommendation or complete loan forgiveness forms and is looking for your ideas on how we can expand alumni programming.
Commonwealth Corps Newsletter
Page 12
Member Development Opportunities: November 2015
Remarkable Service Leadership Training
In November, MSA held trainings on Remarkable Service Leadership with
internationally-known trainer Shoshanna Cogan. CC Members attended in
Worcester, where we were hosted by the United Way of Central
Massachusetts, (top left) or in Boston, at the Nonprofit Center (top right).
Topics included: 1) Leadership Self-Knowledge – including strengths, defaults,
and challenges when partnering with supervisors, in teams, and in the
community; 2) Balancing for Success – both as an individual (including self
care/stress management) and while involved in group projects; and 3)
Strategic Vision. Engaging leadership content was mixed with interactive
group activities, such as the “Peace Pole” team activity shown above.
Volume 4, Issue 2
Page 13
MSA Member Development Opportunities: December 2015
CC members attended the December reflection session,
graciously held at one of our host sites, the Fall River
YMCA. Members were able to receive a tour of the
beautiful facility, share stress management techniques,
and reflect upon the Midyear Member Performance
Evaluations.
Other CC members attended the December Reflection
Session in Boston at the Federal Reserve Bank of
Boston. Members were able to reflect upon past
successes, discuss the midyear reviews, and share
strategies and advice for service. All while enjoying
the picturesque views from the 31st floor.
Our first member-led webinar was presented by
Marion Calabro on Effective flyer making and
distribution. Marion did an excellent job walking
members through various flyer creation programs and
sharing her expertise on how to distribute them in the
most effective way. We are looking forward to other
members sharing their own skills in more member-led
trainings in the future. Way to set the bar high, Marion!
Upcoming Events for Current Members & Supervisors
Remember to check the CC Resources Page regularly for details and registration information.
Save the Date for MSA’s January/February Events and Deadlines:

January Member Trainings: CC Transitions-Sustaining Your Service and Development

Wednesday 1/13 10am-1:30pm in Boston or Friday 1/22 10:30am-2pm in Worcester

January 16-18: Service opportunities honoring Dr. MLK Jr., such as Project 351 Launch Day on 1/16

February 2nd: Midyear Host Site Meeting, required of all host site partners

February Member Reflection Sessions: Please fill out the scheduling poll in January!

Mid– February: MSA Host Site Partner Applications for 2016-2017
Massachusetts
Service Alliance
100 North Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Contact: Susie Flug
Commonwealth Corps Program Manager
P. 617-542-2544 Ext. 202
F. 617-542-0240
Email: [email protected]
The Commonwealth Corps, a state-funded
program administered by the
Massachusetts Service Alliance, engages
Massachusetts residents of all ages and
backgrounds in a stipended term of
service designed to strengthen
communities, address unmet needs and
increase volunteerism.
Learn more at
www.mass-service.org
Stay Connected...
Whether
you’re
a
current member, host site
partner, alum, or other
supporter, we invite you
to stay connected with
the
Commonwealth
Corps and MSA.
Feel free to email
Program Manager Susie
Flug
([email protected]) with questions
or updates, and please
connect with us via
Facebook, LinkedIn, and
Twitter.
Alumni and supporters
are always welcome to
share their skills and
experiences with current
members.
Click Here!
Click Here!
Click Here!
Click Here!
Happy Holidays to
the entire
Commonwealth
Corps community!
Thank you for your
continued
commitment and
service! We hope
your holidays will be
filled with joy and laughter
through the New Year.