AmeriCorps Team Placements

2008-2009 AmeriCorps Placements: This year, the AmeriCorps team serves 11 agencies in the D.C. metropolitan area.

Children's National Medical Center (CNMC): The Burgess Clinic at CNMC provides medical, social, and mental health services to adolescents who are living with HIV/AIDS, or at risk of infection. Team member Morgan Little serves as the HIV Counselor and Health Educator, providing HIV testing and counseling, facilitating several HIV community outreach and prevention programs focused on youth, and conducting workshops on making healthy choices about sex.

Morgan: “’We must be the change we want to see in the world,’ a quote by Gandhi, has definitely summed up my year of service at CNMC. The experiences and the relationships that I have formed have helped me to better work in challenging situations and with diverse populations. It has provided me with patience and reinforced my passion for working in the nonprofit sector. At CNMC, I have the opportunity to work with passionate people whom I now consider friends as well as with youth who inspire me to stay creative and energetic. My placement has entrusted me to lead a number of health education programs like a contraception class and waiting room education, as well as HIV testing and counseling in the adolescent clinic. I have taken more initiative and become more independent, as well as a better advocate for myself and others. This year has promoted more growth in me professionally and personally, and I know that it has altered my life in the best way possible.”

Food & Friends: Food & Friends provides nutritious, home-delivered meals, groceries, and nutritional counseling to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses. Team member Henry Colangelo serves as the Client Enrichment Coordinator, conducting new client intake and meal delivery, organizing special projects such as the Holiday Gift Program and Annual Thanksgiving Day Feast, and coordinating recreational activities for clients and their families.

Henry: “This year has challenged me to think outside of societal norms and allowed me to grow in countless ways. As an AmeriCorps member at Food & Friends, I spend most of my days meeting with new clients living with HIV/AIDS or other life-challenging illnesses across the metropolitan area.  For many of them, obtaining and preparing food can be a monumental task. I have been both enlightened and saddened by some of the stories I have encountered during these home visits, but they all echo the same words: we need you.  This aspect of my placement, more than any other, has impressed in me the many faces of both the HIV/AIDS epidemic and health disparities in our society.  I will never forget those faces and they give me the motivation to continue this important work every day.” 

Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS): HIPS is a community-based organization whose mission is to assist individuals engaging in sex work in leading healthy lives by reducing risks associated with sex for gain, especially the risk of HIV/AIDS. Team member Sara Neill serves as the Prevention Programs Specialist, conducting outreach and education activities including running the mobile outreach van one weekend night a week, volunteer coordination, client trainings, and coordinating activities such as recruitment and facilitating client group sessions for Safety Counts, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intervention.

Sara: “My time with HIPS has been amazing. It has shown me that despite all the perceived differences people face, we are more alike than different. It has taught me how to be at peace with feeling uncomfortable, and to turn discomfort into growth. It has also instilled a deeper appreciation of the human character. Despite overwhelming obstacles and interlocking oppressions, there are many inspiring individuals who remain determined to see life as a beautiful adventure.”

Joseph’s House: Joseph’s House provides a home, nursing services, and community for formerly homeless men and women living with AIDS in metropolitan Washington, D.C. who are terminally ill and in the last weeks or months of their illness. Team member Will Cole serves as the Resident Advocate, providing social support and advocacy, assisting residents with daily living activities, and providing companionship to the residents.

Will: “Joseph's House provides end-of-life care for formerly homeless men and women, most in the final stages of AIDS. Much of my job is providing companionship--sitting with residents, helping them with daily tasks, and hearing their stories. It's a beautiful place, one filled with laughter and compassion. The work is not always easy, but in confronting death, you will feel more alive.”

Metro TeenAIDS: Metro TeenAIDS is a community health organization dedicated to supporting young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Through education, support, and advocacy, Metro TeenAIDS prevents the spread of HIV, promotes responsible decision making, and improves the quality of life for young people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Team member Allison Kimmel serves as the Outreach and Education Specialist, facilitating a peer-educator program for young men who have sex with men and young transgender women of color, providing HIV testing and counseling, coordinating the D.C. Concerned Providers Coalition, conducting HIV educational presentations, facilitating a program at the youth drop-in center one night a week, and conducting outreach.

Allison: “I knew entering my AmeriCorps year that I wanted to work at a nonprofit organization, in an area different from where I came from, and in HIV prevention.  But I did not know that this year would push me outside my comfort zone and challenge my thinking on youth, sexuality, and HIV prevention.  I have been given a tremendous amount of responsibility, which I do not think I could get in any other ‘job.’  Whether it is performing street outreach in the evening outside a club or teaching sex education in a classroom, I know I am learning invaluable information about the epidemic and D.C.  This knowledge will stay with me forever and inform my path in life.” 

Miriam’s House: Miriam’s House is a residence for homeless women living with AIDS, including some who have children. The mission of the organization is to provide a dynamic residential community that empowers recovery from homelessness, disease, and addictions in an environment of compassion, integrity, and accountability. Team member Adam Pepper serves as the Health Department Assistant, helping the residents with daily living activities, providing transportation to healthcare appointments, and providing compassion and companionship to the residents.

Adam: "Working at Miriam's House for the past few months has changed how I view homelessness, addiction, and recovery. At Miriam's House, we foster a community that enables women living there to restore their physical, mental, and emotional health. It is so exciting to be a part of a community centered around love, acceptance, and restoration. A large part of my job is hanging out and talking with the residents and helping to provide a stable, loving community. At Miriam's House, I have felt that I am part of a family and not just their AmeriCorps member."

Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM): NOVAM is a nonprofit organization that provides HIV/AIDS prevention and direct client services to the entire Northern Virginia area, with a special focus on the needs of young people at risk for HIV infection. The mission of NOVAM is to educate the community about HIV/AIDS; to combat the fear, prejudice, and complacency that surround the disease; and to provide direct services to meet the needs of those who are living with HIV/AIDS. Team member Molly Willis serves as the Youth Prevention Specialist, providing HIV presentations and assisting with peer educator training for youth, and conducting HIV testing and counseling and outreach activities.

Molly: “NOVAM provides an incredibly supportive atmosphere in which to learn and educate others about HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Through this position, I work with incredibly diverse populations from college bound high school students to juvenile delinquents. This work constantly reminds me that we all must continue to use our knowledge to educate others about healthy decisions which will ultimately reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. An AmeriCorps year of service teaches more than just the fundamentals of HIV/AIDS. It has forced me to challenge myself intellectually and emotionally. The experiences gained through this program will serve me well in my future endeavors and for that I am extremely grateful.”  

Our Place, DC: Our Place, DC supports women who are or have been in the criminal justice system by providing the resources they need to maintain connections with the community, resettle after incarceration, and reconcile with their families. Team member Ashley Keller serves as the HIV Case Manager and Educator, providing case management services, training incarcerated women as HIV/AIDS peer educators, conducting HIV 101 education sessions, and providing HIV testing and counseling.

Ashley: “Working at Our Place as an HIV educator has helped me to better understand the circumstances that lead to incarceration as well as HIV. I remember being nervous about going to federal prisons and working everyday with individuals that were incarcerated. My assumptions came from society and the media’s stereotypes about individuals with criminal records.  However, after meeting with clients, I began to realize that the majority of them had been dealt a rough hand in life, not just once, but repeatedly. The women I have connected with while teaching HIV classes in the federal prisons and the local half way house have been some of the nicest and strongest people I have met in my life. During my HIV 101’s, I have had the honor of quickly earning the trust of strangers as they disclosed the most personal details of their lives. My time at Our Place has helped me realize the correlation between sexual abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, HIV, and incarceration. The biggest lesson that I have learned is that we are all just one choice away from being in an incarcerated individual’s shoes, and those that have ‘healthy and safe’ coping mechanisms are blessed.”

Prevention Works!: Prevention Works is a nonprofit health agency dedicated to health promotion and disease prevention among drug users in the District of Columbia. Team member Rachel Gutfreund serves as the Harm Reduction Worker, providing HIV counseling and testing, outreach, and education to at-risk individuals. During the week, Rachel travels on the Prevention Works! outreach vehicle to provide needed services.

Rachel: “It is said that ‘harm reduction’ seeks to restore basic human dignity by dealing with the disease of addiction. I saw this philosophy put into action everyday while working as an AmeriCorps member with Prevention Works! There are two options when confronting drug use in society: we can ignore the problem or give people the information and equipment to make safer decisions. Prevention Works! is an organization that gives clients the respect, materials, and knowledge to make healthier choices for healthier communities. I have seen how poverty, racism, and social isolation are only a few of the harsh realities that make any steps towards a healthier life a victory. Helping people incorporate harm reduction into their own lives and learning from clients’ strength and perseverance has made me a more compassionate and aware person. Celebrating small successes and accepting failures along with my clients has been a valuable and unforgettable experience.”

Whitman-Walker Clinic: Whitman-Walker Clinic is a nonprofit health organization providing comprehensive, accessible health care and community services in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. This year, Whitman-Walker Clinic hosts two AmeriCorps members. Team member Brittany Walsh serves as the Community Clinic Educator, providing HIV testing and counseling, HIV health education, individual risk assessments, and STD screening, and has implemented a new HIV treatment peer support program for clients living with HIV/AIDS. Zach Phillips serves as the Community Health Educator, providing HIV testing and counseling, client referrals for positive test results, and volunteer coordination.

Brittany: “Settling into my placement at the Whitman-Walker Clinic, I was not sure how my past experience with HIV/AIDS would help my understanding of the epidemic in D.C. I came with knowledge of HIV/AIDS as it pertained to villagers in Africa, and to youth in Denver but I suddenly felt unprepared to live and work in D.C., an area with the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the U.S. It was not long before the mission of Whitman-Walker Clinic, the fast pace and continuous to-do list, and slew of passionate colleagues made it obvious how at home I would become. Even more so, the daily interaction and experience with clients, peers, and volunteers quickly painted a realistic picture of what it means be a District resident living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. I never expected to be as involved as I am, to feel the successes and setbacks right along with my co-workers, or to share in the moments that I have with clients. I had not anticipated being a part of something this powerful. Whitman-Walker Clinic continues to open my eyes to the needs of the under-served populations in D.C. In this environment, I am more inspired than ever to dedicate my life to service.”

Zach: "When I applied for this AmeriCorps program last year, I could not think of a better way to spend a year. I am placed at Whitman-Walker Clinic and it has been a fulfilling experience so far. I provide HIV testing and counseling and volunteer coordination at the Clinic. HIV testing has been a challenge for me. Not only is telling people they are positive difficult, I find that I put a lot of pressure on myself to do it right. However, the rewards of the job are immense and when I think about all the money I could have made this year, I realize that I cannot think of any better way to spend my time."

Women’s Collective: The Women’s Collective, formed in 1993, is the only local AIDS service organization created by and for women living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS. The organization provides HIV care management services, HIV prevention services, and policy advocacy for diverse groups of women. Team member Erica Lumpkin serves as the HIV Prevention Counselor and Educator, providing HIV testing, counseling, and referral services; conducting presentations and workshops for women on HIV prevention information and skills-building topics; and conducting outreach activities.

Erica: “Working with the Women's Collective is not only challenging and eye-opening but it also puts a real face on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in D.C. As the HIV Prevention Counselor and Educator, I received invaluable hands-on experience while providing services to those who are increasingly becoming affected by HIV/AIDS—Black women. Though I came into the program with a great passion for women's health and social justice, my time at the Women's Collective has deepened those passions, as well as significantly increased my understanding of the many challenges that racial and gender minorities face in health care and in general. As a result of my year of service, I am even more inspired and committed to providing help and care in communities that are often under-served and overlooked. I could not be more thankful for this life-changing opportunity.”