Made In Americorps

Last week was National Americorps Week, and we are celebrating by shining a light on Lea Robinson. Lea’s participation as an AmeriCorps member while still enrolled in college was so positive that she chose to continue to serve after graduating. Currently, she coordinates Immigration and Refugee Services’ new Family Literacy initiative that officially launched on March 8, 2019. Family Literacy services provide informal drop-in tutoring for children, teens, and adults. Participants can receive assistance with English language skills, homework, financial and computer literacy, Spanish HiSET prep, naturalization preparation, job searching, and resume building every Monday & Thursday 3pm – 5:30pm and Fridays from 10am-3pm.

Working for CCANO’s Immigration and Refugee Services, Lea encounters people of all different backgrounds and builds bridges by training and guiding volunteers to help their local community flourish. She explained, “I love to see people come together to learn and change. Being an AmeriCorps member has taught me to be more accountable for my community. Before joining AmeriCorps, I did not know how important it was to be an active community member. Seeing the change that AmeriCorps members make within a community is eye-opening.”

By providing clients with access to needed resources, Lea empowers the community to grow stronger and more knowledgeable even after her Americorps commitment ends. She shared, “I tell people to join AmeriCorps because of the work that you will accomplish during your service. Through your organization, you have resources and a space to make changes in your community that are not always attainable just by yourself. You will also make friendships and memories that you will have forever.”