ACR Welcomes First AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Harley!
In late August, ACR welcomed our first, ever AmeriCorps VISTA member, Harley Enzer, to our team! As a rapidly growing organization, we knew we wanted our next investment to be in helping low-income schools engage with us as a resource and access everything we have to offer. Harley will spend the next year in the role of VISTA Education Coordinator, working to expand our reach and programming in local K-12 schools. This is the first time we’ve been able to have someone dedicated to educator outreach and to say we’re excited about what will come of it is an understatement. Be sure to welcome Harley and thank her for her service next time you see her in the center!
Here’s a little more info about Harley:
How did you find Austin Creative Reuse?
I found Austin Creative Reuse through AmeriCorps. After learning about ACR and talking with Jennifer Evans, ACR’s Executive Director, I knew I would love it here. And I do!
What’s your favorite part about working at ACR?
I would have to say my favorite part is the social environment. I have never entered a new position and felt so instantly comfortable and appreciated as I do at ACR. Everyone has been so great and I can't wait to move to Austin in October and get to know everyone better!
Are you an artist, crafter, or maker? What mediums do you work with?
I love all and every aspect of any creative process. I enjoy creating art digitally through Procreate, and I enjoy writing stories (I currently have three book ideas I am working on). When I was younger, I dabbled in everything; sewing, sculpting, sticking things together with a hot glue gun to make a golden snitch from Harry Potter (that actually turned out amazing and I wish I still had it, but I made it as a gift). The hardest part of enjoying so many different mediums is wrangling my brain in long enough to finish one fun thing before going to the next!
What do you do when you’re not working at ACR?
Usually daydreaming about all the ideas I have within my head, rewriting storylines and “What if” scenarios. Outside of daydreaming, I love playing Dungeons and Dragons (Though I suppose this is just more daydreaming), which I do every week! Daily life consists of hanging out with my two cats, Moana and Quinn, and watching trashy T.V. with my husband. I love going to the movie theater (horror fan), adventuring the city, and finding new recipes to try in my air fryer!
What’s the craziest thing you found in donation mountain?
As I am still currently remote, I have not gotten the pleasure of finding anything crazy in donation mountain, yet! Though, I am hoping to find a Dungeons and Dragons book in there one day! (Or anything related to D&D)
Harley’s Bio
Born in Austin and raised in a small town outside of the capital, Harley is a self-proclaimed nerd for all things creative. Lover of all forms of art, she enjoys reading, drawing, and writing her own stories. Harley's favorite time and money sink is Dungeons and Dragons, which she plays every week! Humanitarian work and supporting animal rights are lifelong passions rooted in being raised on her family ranch and a year spent working on Skid Row in LA, providing services to those experiencing homelessness.
Design by Harley
About the AmeriCorps VISTA Program:
Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. VISTA members dedicate a year of full-time service with a sponsoring organization (that’s us!) to create or expand programs designed to empower individuals and communities in overcoming poverty. More information can be found at their website.
Are you or someone you know interested in joining ACR as an AmeriCorps VISTA member? We’ll be hiring a VISTA Volunteer Coordinator later this fall. Read more about the position and how to apply here.