Final Quarterly Meeting-Farewell!

Wow, I can hardly believe my first year of AmeriCorps service is coming to an end. The first months went by slowly, learning all there was about the position and the organization. But the last several months went by so much faster, filled with activities, planning and getting the office ready for the next crew of AmeriCorps.
The Missouri Clean Water AmeriCorps are such a great bunch of spirited, intelligent and fun people. I have enjoyed all the times we met up and shared stories, successes and lessons learned.

On August 10th, we met up for our last quarterly meeting to sum up the year and go through AmeriCorps required Citizenship Training. Our director, Steve, asked Margaret, our new administrative assistant, to lead the training. However, in all her wisdom, Margaret believed that we all, after having just spent of year of service to our communities, might already know a thing or two about great citizenship. We instead had a conversation about citizenship and shared stories from our year and talked about the future. I think AmeriCorps positions inherently attract good citizens, people who want to participate in their community, be involved and make a difference for the better.

This year of AmeriCorps service has introduced me to many sides of Columbia, MO that I would not have otherwise known. I have met many great people and learned of the multitudes of services Columbia has to offer. I love going about Columbia and almost always running into someone I know. We have interacted with so many students and citizens through tabling displays, creating volunteer events and giving educational presentations. Hopefully we have made an impact in their lives, at least in a small way so that they will consider their actions and the effects of those actions on their watershed.