Bidding Farewell to our AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Specialist, Sofia Jousmaki
After a year of dedicated service, our AmeriCorps VISTA Sofia is completing her term. Beyond the positive energy she brought to the team, her work will have a lasting impact, from making our Core Volunteer onboarding so much more flexible to making our Reuse Art Gallery a reality. We're incredibly grateful for her amazing year and all the connections she made with volunteers and the community, it's hard to imagine our space without her constant smile and colorful hair!
We interviewed her about her experience over the past year as a VISTA volunteer at ACR. Read on for her reflections on her term and her lasting impact on the organization and to learn more about her goals for the future.
What has been your greatest impact on ACR from your perspective?
My greatest impact has been in continuing to help engage volunteer experience that deepens our community's connection to ACR's mission.
What were the main goals that you set out for your time at ACR and did you accomplish them?
Main goals I set out for myself during my VISTA term were to find ways I could engage volunteers for longer terms and where I would be best suited to help most effectively. During my term I helped implement Madison's [ACR Community Programs Manager] vision for a revamped, self-paced orientation which allowed me to work in video editing which is a fun hobby and got to use it for something productive for ACR.
Alongside that I met so many volunteers throughout the entire year, some for a Funky Fabric session to help their school requirements and see people make new friendships, others for every Monday for fun finds in the bins of needlework and quilting materials for a new quilt.
What will you miss most about being a VISTA at ACR?
I’ll miss having this routine, knowing which volunteers are coming in and what is happening for future groups for more engagement both off-site and in-center. I liked the changes to each week for what would best help Volunteer Land succeed in community volunteering, bring new people into reuse and creative expression as well as how a project bin can bring something interesting to ponder crafting with.
How has serving as a VISTA at ACR impacted you and your future career goals?
My path to counseling is not linear by design. I am purposefully seeking out roles that expose me to the vast array of experiences within the greater Austin community. I want to move beyond textbook knowledge and build a deep, authentic empathy for the professional and personal challenges people face. This lived experience is the foundation on which I hope to build a meaningful counseling practice.
What is your favorite memory from your time at ACR?
My favorite has to be the engagement I saw with the Paint & Meditate Make & Take I had set up the last day of May for Mental Health Awareness Month. It coincided with Barbara Paris’s mural unveiling which was a happy surprise to have so many people at ACR and plus wanting to create with reuse materials, hear about ways to support mental health in community and how things can be used for art. Alongside that was having a core volunteer invest their time into self exploration for the mental health passport event and convey their work to me; it was heartfelt to know that effort.
What are your plans for the future? Will we still get to see you around the center?
My future plans are continuing with school for the fall and spring to complete my master’s degree. I would like to stay involved in core volunteering as a way to help out and give myself a break from school.
What has been your favorite aspect of working with the ACR volunteering program?
My favorite would be interactions with volunteers, the big groups that came in from businesses near and far that found enjoyment processing ribbon, shells, paint, needlework and had something to add from their own crafts and what they could do to inspire their next project or learn something new from other volunteers.
How do you hope your work will be carried on into the future at ACR?
The last project being the Reuse Art Gallery, I hope more creative people want to test out their reuse styles to be featured as well keep this third space aspect of ACR thriving and engaging for everyone who wants to volunteer to the mission.
What’s the coolest or weirdest thing you saw come through Volunteer Land over the past year?
Personally, the re-wired metal detector and a kimono set that fit me perfectly would be the coolest I saw. Half a dozen stickers that left me laughing were a good pick me-up and the weirdest was the full bobcat face pelt, it was in good condition.
Huge thanks to Sofia for her hard work over this past year! She will be missed by volunteers and staff members alike but we know she has a bright future ahead of her as a counselor.
We are currently in the recruiting process for our next Volunteer Specialist VISTA - if you or someone you know would be interested in the position, check out the job description here!