The Rural Health Service Corps is an AmeriCorps National Service Program administered by the Rural Health Network of South Central New York. The purpose of the Rural Health Service Corps is to provide meaningful service and learning opportunities for people committed to improving the health and lives of those living in South Central New York State.
Rural Health Service Corps supports the AmeriCorps Equity Plan, with a focus on recruiting and retaining a diverse Corps.
Host Site: Broome County Council of Churches – CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: Leslie’s service at the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) involves providing food and resources to food insecure individuals throughout Broome County. Along with a warehouse, in which the food is processed and packaged, CHOW has 32 food pantries and 30 meal sites, all of which provide food free of cost to individuals. Leslie continues to work on numerous projects, many of which are new and exciting, with three other AmeriCorps service members at CHOW. Throughout her term, Leslie has served on the CHOWbus, a mobile food market which transports and sells fresh produce to individuals in food desert areas. The proceeds from the sales go toward providing lunches to children during the summer and winter breaks, as well as meals to their family members. Leslie also plans and assists in planning various events, the main one being the 32nd Annual Hunger Walk, which took place on October 19th, 2014. Currently, Leslie is visiting CHOW meal sites to acquaint herself with the individuals who use those services and eventually identify their needs and provide them with the resources and knowledge to seek assistance elsewhere if needed.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” -Rabindranath Tagore
Host Site: Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Access Specialist
Focus of Service: As a Health Access Specialist, Dzifa’s primary goals are to help rural communities access healthcare by connecting them with health insurance and to also increase health literacy in these communities. She does this by having one-on-one conversations with community members and by making connections with community leaders to determine ways in which they can find and connect with the uninsured.
Educational Background: Cornell University, B.S. in Biology and Society
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After her service, Dzifa intends to attend medical school and also obtain a Master’s in Public Health
Host Site: CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: Pauline’s position at CHOW involves a wide range of service activities, all of which contribute to increasing food security and overall wellness of individuals in various Broome County communities. Along with fellow AmeriCorps service members, she is responsible for serving on the CHOWbus, where produce is sold at cost or given for free to families, as well as the elderly. In addition to working on the bus Pauline looks forward to organizing projects and workshops at CHOW’s new wellness center, which will be equipped to have a food pantry, test kitchen, and space for meditation and yoga.
Educational Background: BA Environmental Studies, Binghamton University
Host Site: Mobility Management of South Central New York
Location: Vestal, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Mobility and Transportation Advocate
Focus of Service: Meggan helps with and provides information regarding transportation, and connects clients to reliable transportation. Mobility management is a person centered system where the management looks at the person as a whole and places them in the services in which they may need and makes the services work for the person rather than the person work for the services.
Educational Background: State University of New York at Binghamton, Master of Social Work; State University of New York at Binghamton, Bachelor of Science, Human Development; State University of New York at Broome, Associate in Applied Science, Early Childhood, Associate in Science, Liberal Arts-General Studies
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Meggan would like to find a job in which she could connect those within the community with resources, and to build up communities.
Host Site: Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Access Specialist
Focus of Service: As a Health Access Specialist, it is Chelsea’s job to work as a team with her fellow AmeriCorps Access Specialists to devise strategic and specialized plans for helping the uninsured residents of the surrounding rural communities gain access to affordable and/or subsidized healthcare. Chelsea is out in the Otsego, Delaware, Chemung, Tioga, and Rural Broome areas working directly with uninsured residents to give them information and help schedule appointments with Mothers and Babies Health Navigators. A major aspect of the work that Chelsea is doing is health education and literacy distribution. Chelsea meets not only with rural residents but also attends town hall meetings, and school and community events to educate attendants on the most current healthcare information.
Educational Background: BA Psychology and BA Philosophy from SUNY Oneonta
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After her year of service, Chelsea has plans to continue working in the healthcare field and advocating for sustainable healthcare policies. Chelsea plans on returning to school to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration within the upcoming year.
Host Site: Rural Health Network of South Central New York
Location: Whitney Point, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Care Access Associate
Focus of Service: Brooke Ann’s position within the Rural Health Network is directed towards improving access to health care services within rural Broome County. Her duties include leading efforts to assist uninsured rural residents by informing changes within the New York State of Health and making necessary enrollment resources readily available. Brooke Ann also manages the second year of the Rural Broome Counts project, a needs-asset assessment that focuses on the 11 rural townships of Broome County. For its second year, the Rural Broome Counts project will focus research efforts specifically on issues surrounding rural poverty.
Educational Background: Kutztown University; B.A. Anthropology, B.A. Music
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Pursue a graduate degree in Medical Anthropology.
Host Site: Food & Health Network of South Central New York
Location: Whitney Point , NY
AmeriCorps Position: Education & Outreach Coordinator
Focus of Service: As the Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Food & Health Network (FaHN), Olivia coordinates educational opportunities for FaHN partner organizations and the public, focusing on topics relating to food systems and food access. She also works with preschool and school-age children, teaching them about healthy eating, gardening and wellness. In addition, she helps manage FaHN’s blog and social media accounts.
Educational Background: B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications, Ithaca College
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Work in nonprofit communications and possibly get an MPA.
Host Site: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Location: Ithaca, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Program Assistant
Focus of Service: Katharine provides program support at a quickly-growing and exciting non-profit that brings together local farms and income-limited families to build a vibrant food system that meets the needs of everyone in the community of Tompkins County. She works to provide low-income families with access to fresh produce via subsidized CSA shares and educational resources.
On a day-to-day basis, you may find Katharine coordinating volunteer recruitment and retention; organizing tabling and outreach activities, and assisting in event planning and marketing. She also maintains the website and manages records and databases.
Educational Background: Cornell University; Bachelor’s of Science in Plant Science
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Undetermined
Host Site: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Location: Ithaca, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Marketing Events Coordinator
Focus of Service: Kaya works on Healthy Food For All’s print, digital, and social media marketing campaigns for farm-to-table harvest dinners. These events support low-income families living in Tompkins County with subsidized CSA shares and educational activities and resources.
Educational Background: BAFA from Alfred University
Post AmeriCorps Plans: To continue engaging positively with the my surrounding community
Host Site: Cortland County Community Action Program (CAPCO)
Location: Cortland, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Cortland Hunger Coalition AmeriCorps Associate
Focus of Service: As the Cortland Hunger Coalition AmeriCorps Associate, Tyler focuses on education and raising awareness in the community and to low-income individuals in the community regarding accessing healthy, affordable foods. Tyler works with the Coalition to collect and analyze data to determine levels of hunger/food insecurity, identify resources available to address, and how to expand, coordinate and connect these resources with families in the community. Tyler also works with CAPCO staff to identify funding and support to expand the snackpack program throughout elementary schools in Cortland County.
Educational Background: Bachelors in Dietetics at SUNY Oneonta
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Tyler’s goals are to pursue an internship to become a Registered Dietitian as well as pursuing personal training certification to help further educate individuals on nutrition and fitness.
Host Site: United Way of Broome County
Location: Vestal, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Volunteer Engagement Specialist
Focus of Service: As the Volunteer Engagement Specialist at United Way, Nicole helps community members interested in volunteering find a suitable site to compete their service. Her main objective is to boost the amount of volunteer work performed in Broome County, and to strengthen the awareness of opportunities to serve the community we live in. United Way of Broome County partners with numerous local organizations, many that would not be able to operate without the help of volunteers. Part of this objective is met by coordinating and organizing service events of all sizes with businesses and groups in the community. She also works with the student chapter of United Way at Binghamton University, helping to teach and inspire students to become more involved with the community they live in.
Educational Background: SUNY College at Brockport, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Minor in Sociology, Minor in Business Administration.
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After serving as an AmeriCorps member Nicole would like to continue her education by earning her Masters in Public Administration, and eventually go on to work for a non-profit.
Host Site: Broome County Promise Zone
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Broome County Promise Zone Volunteer Coordinator
Focus of Service: Joey Kaplan is responsible for coordinating the undergraduate and graduate interns for a County-Wide, University-Assisted Community School Network (Broome County Promise Zone). Joey recruits interns and volunteers and helps connect students to various school districts through out Broome County. Broome County Promise Zone focuses on improving the lives of Broome County residents by connecting them with various resources to overcome poverty.
Educational Background: Binghamton University: Bachelor of Science in Human Development; Minor in Urban Planning and Healther & Wellness Studies
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Pursuing a Master’s In Public Administration
Host Site: Lourdes Hope Dispensary
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Financial Counselor
Focus of Service: The Hope Dispensary works with individuals who are uninsured or in the coverage gap who need financial assistance with their medications. They intake patients and look through their information that they provide such as proof of income to see if they qualify for the program. Those who qualify can get their medication dispensed to them for free if it is a medication that the Hope Dispensary carries. For those who are over income to qualify for the Hope Dispensary or the medication is not available, applications through the drug companies can be done for such medications or they will be redirected to a pharmacy that offers them at the cheapest price to the patient.
Educational Background: SUNY Old Westbury- Bachelor in Public Health; SUNY Broome- Associate in Business Administration, Associate in Liberal Arts
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Sofia’s goals are to receive a masters degree in Public Health and become a Health Educator, working with teens and young adults with hopes of better educating them on health, sex education, etc.
Host Site: VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments)
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Gardening and Local Foods Associate
Focus of Service: The Gardening and Local Foods Associate position involves supporting all the VINES programs. This includes growing food at the Binghamton Urban Farm, distributing weekly CSA shares through Binghamton Farm Share, coordinating the monthly Green Thumb Workshop Series, supporting the VINES community gardens & their members, and helping supervise the summer youth program, Grow Binghamton, at the Binghamton Urban Farm. The work is as varied as collecting and inputting Binghamton Farm Share customer data, to harvesting, washing, and packing produce for the Binghamton Urban Farm’s CSA shares.
Educational Background: Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Daniel would like to continue to learn about farming
Host Site: ACHIEVE
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Greenhouse and Market Coordinator
Focus of Service: Jesse’s role at ACHIEVE is to oversee the production of produce and plants in the garden and greenhouse and to sell them at the Vestal farmers market every Wednesday. Jesse also works with the day-habilitation residents at ACHIEVE in the garden to develop skills such as seeding, transplanting, composting, pest and disease I.D, and harvesting.
Educational Background: Working towards an associates degree in sustainable crop production and a Bachelors in Plant Science at SUNY Cobleskill
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Finish school, find work in the Agriculture industry, and eventually have his own farm.
Host Site: United Way of Broome County
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Healthy Lifestyles Assistant
Focus of Service: The role of the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition is to combat obesity on the north side of Binghamton. The Healthy Lifestyles Assistant helps coordinate, program, and teach classes about food, nutrition, and cooking. The position also manages a school garden and provides portable dirtbag gardens to school kids so they can garden during the summer months. The program assists VINES with the Farmshare program, a pay as you go CSA share of vegetables program.
Educational Background: Texas Tech University, Marketing; St Louis Community College, Culinary Arts
Post AmeriCorps Plans: I want to continue to grow my catering business. I would like to find a position in the future continuing educating and making people more passionate about real food.
Host Site: Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Access Specialist
Focus of Service: Nellie helps rural communities connect to affordable health insurance and to various other health services. She promotes health literacy to those with limited access to health services through outreach within these areas. This outreach involves hosting educational sessions informing people of NYS Marketplaces, services provided by Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network, and stipulations of the Affordable Healthcare Act.
Educational Background: Metropolitan of NY: Human Services, SUNY Broome: Event Management
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Nellie plans to go back to my country to get involved in helping improve and create opportunity for rural communities.
Host Site: Broome County Promise Zone
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Family Engagment Coordinator
Focus of Service: It has been proven that children in school perform better when their families are involved in their academics. The Promise Zone strives to get parents more engaged with their children’s education. As a Family Engagement Coordinator, Julia’s main focus is to increase positive family-school partnerships, specifically within Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. Julia hosts Parent Cafés to better bridge the gap between parents and their school. By hosting these Parent Cafés, Julia hopes to implement a more positive family-school relationship at Roosevelt Elementary.
Educational Background: B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Graduate School, and then hopefully work in a hospital as a Child/Adolescent Psychologist
Host Site: Food & Health Network of South Central New York
Location: Whitney Point, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Food & Health Network AmeriCorps VISTA
Focus of Service: As the VISTA with the Food & Health Network, Maggie works to promote food security and healthy lifestyle choices. She encourages collaboration and partnerships between existing FaHN members while also recruiting new members and sponsors. Maggie works on a number of FaHN projects, including the Regional Food System Assessment, a Community Garden Inventory, and the Summer Food Service Program Assessment. All of these projects are part of FaHN’s greater vision to strengthen the regional food system.
Educational Background: B.A., Global Studies, Bridgewater College
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Graduate school to earn a Master’s in Public Health
Host Site: Cornell Cooperative Extension Chemung
Location: Elmira, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Poverty Reduction Coordinator
Focus of Service: As Poverty Reduction Coordinator, Joe’s job is to support the efforts of the Chemung County Poverty Reduction Coalition by tapping into community resources to help implement the Chemung County Poverty Reduction Plan. This includes meeting with the Coalition, updating information, sharing the knowledge, and assisting with activity implementation.
Joe will also deliver public education about poverty in the county, as well as continue efforts to enhance community engagement of low income individuals and work with the Coalition to create a sustainable plan to reduce poverty in Chemung County.
Educational Background: BA: University of South Florida-Tampa; Washington Center: Politics and Public Policy Center.
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Joe would like to continue working in nonprofits or in government service on community development and economic development issues. Eventually, he would like to return to school to earn a masters in Public Administration so he can enhance his skills in these areas.
Host Site: Broome County Council of Churches – CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: As an AmeriCorps service member, Olivia works in Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) by running the regular CHOWbus farmer market to food deserts, such as several public facilities (Broome County Public library, YMCA) and senior resident halls, to provide low cost/no cost fresh produces. She also conducts nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations in the new Community Wellness Center to help low-income families eat healthier in a budget. In addition, with her connection to other local nonprofit organizations, Olivia has participated in several community events to increase healthy lifestyle awareness within the community, such as Annual Hunger Walk and Poverty Simulation.
Educational Background: Bachelor of Science in Integrative Neuroscience (Binghamton University)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Attend a Nutrition master program and become a Registered Dietitian
Host Site: Tioga County Health Department
Location: Owego, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Public Health Associate
Focus of Service: As the Public Health Associate, Rachel assists with many of the programs offered at the Tioga County Health Department. She disseminates information about lead poisoning prevention, immunizations, and child passenger safety at various events. She also serves as a member of the county wellness committee and helps to plan and coordinate activities to promote workplace wellness in Tioga County. Rachel provides assistance to the early intervention program which connects children with developmental delays and disabilities to services to improve their development. Additionally Rachel helps connect school children in Tioga county to dental care through her work with the Tioga Mobile Dental Van.
Educational Background: B.A. in Biological Sciences Cornell University
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Attend George Washington University for her Masters in Public Health and then eventually attend medical school.
Host Site: CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: As a Program Assistant with CHOW, Emily is able to work towards ameliorating food insecurity in Broome County. She provides direct support by staffing CHOW’s mobile markets, which offer affordable produce to primarily low-income and elderly individuals. In addition to selling food, she also tends to the CHOW farm and garden, whose crops are distributed at zero cost to the community. Eventually, Emily hopes to facilitate workshops in the CHOW wellness center on subjects including food production, preparation, and preservation.
Educational Background: BA in Theatre from Ithaca College, with minors in Environmental Studies and Communication Management & Design
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Continued education, through both community action and the pursuit of a masters degree in Environmental Studies
Host Site: VINES
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Food Access Coordinator
Focus of Service: Giavanna will be serving her Americorps term by supporting VINES to help increase access to healthy fresh food and lifestyles for the residents of Binghamton. Giavanna’s goals for her service term are to combat food insecurity in a just and sustainable way. She will be working to educate the community by coordinating the 2017 Green Thumb workshops series. Green Thumb is a series devoted to educating the community of Binghamton on food production, preservation, and preparation. She will also be an educating the Grow Binghamton youth program on food production, proper nutrition, healthy cooking, and job readiness skills. She will also help to increase food production by working with the Binghamton Urban Farm, CHOW farm, and in Community gardens. Giavanna will strive to become a resourceful and involved educator for the residents of Binghamton.
Educational Background: Binghamton High School- Regents Diploma- Class of 2013
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Giavanna enthusiastically plans to continue working in the agricultural field.
Host Site: Delaware Opportunities
Location: Hamden, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Community Nutrition Coordinator
Focus of Service: As the Community Nutrition Coordinator, Amanda is responsible for the garden, food distributions, and food demonstrations. Amanda spends most of her day working and managing a large garden with a variety of vegetables. Once the vegetables are grown and ready to harvest, she then distributes those crops to local food pantries around Delaware County. Amanda is also responsible for educating the public through food demonstrations about healthy recipes made from items located in their local food pantry.
Educational Background: SUNY Delhi Liberal Arts and Science with a focus in Early Childhood Education
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After AmeriCorps Amanda plans to go back to college to finish her degree in Special Education.
Host Site: Healthy Lifestyles Coalition (United Way of Broome County)
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Healthy Lifestyles Assistant
Focus of Service: A goal of the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition is to reduce obesity on the North Side of Binghamton. The Healthy Lifestyles Assistant works to encourage healthy nutrition habits for the students of Roosevelt Elementary school, and for the people that come to the Lee Barta Community Center. This is accomplished through helping to maintain a garden at the elementary school, in addition to growing portable dirtbag gardens. The Healthy Lifestyles Assistant teaches healthy cooking classes once a week, in addition to occasionally assisting other local organizations with their programs.
Educational Background: BA in Communication and Social Interaction (SUNY Oswego)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: I hope to work at more Not-For-Profit organizations, in the health/human services field
Host Site: Rural Health Network / SUNY Upstate Clinical Campus
Location: Whitney Point, NY / Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Healthcare Access and Patient Assistance Program Assosciate
Focus of Service: The Healthcare Access Associate collects demographic and financial data from individuals seeking varying healthcare necessities. Once he determines their eligibility, he connects and refers the client to the organization that best suits his/her needs.
The Patient Assistance Program (PAP) Associate facilitates the admission of a patient into a qualifying PAP. Each program sponsors the distribution of a necessary medication to the insurance-lacking patient. The PAP Associate deals with pharmaceutical stock refills, expired medications, and database management.
Educational Background: BS in Biochemistry (State University of New York at Binghamton)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Medical School
Host Site: Rural Health Network of South Central New York
Location: Whitney Point, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Rural Poverty Educator
Focus of Service: Caroline’s position at the Rural Health Network works towards educating community members on the reality of living in rural poverty. She will manage the third year of the Rural Broome Counts (RBC) needs and assets assessment, conducting outreach to the community and promoting project sustainability. Caroline will also support RHN Resource Development efforts for programs that assist rural residents struggling with poverty through grant writing and communications.
Educational Background: B.S. Biology (SUNY Geneseo)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Graduate School to pursue a Master’s in Public Health
Host Site: CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: Kyley, as a CHOW Program Assistant, works alongside her fellow AmeriCorps members to improve food availability throughout Broome County. She assists with the CHOW bus and mobile markets that provide low to no cost produce to food deserts. Kyley hopes to help run the wellness center at CHOW that will provide fun programs to encourage a healthy lifestyle. She also looks forward to helping at the CHOW farm, which grows food that can be given away for free at the mobile markets.
Educational Background: -LAAS from Broome Community College
-B.S. in Biology (with a concentration in Ecology and Wildlife Biology) from SUNY Oneonta
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Kyley wants pursue a career in wildlife/conservation. She hopes to find a job where the outdoors is her office.
Host Site: United Way of Broome County
Location: Vestal, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Volunteer Engagement Specialist
Focus of Service: Ana helps people find fulfilling volunteering experiences with non-profits in Broome County. She also organizes days of service in the community. She assists with the coordination of events such as the National MLK Jr. Day of Service, National Volunteer Week Conference, and Day of Caring.
Educational Background: Elmira College: BA in Mathematics and Psychology with a Minor in Women’s Studies
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Ana is planning on attending graduate school for Data Analytics
Host Site: Food & Health Network of South Central New York
Location: Whitney Point, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Food & Health Network VISTA
Focus of Service: As a VISTA with the Food & Health Network, Tom works to strengthen regional food systems by promoting food security and healthy lifestyle choices in an eight county region in the Southern Tier of New York. One of his main jobs is to provide collaborative resource development efforts with partner organizations. Additionally Tom works on many other FaHN projects which include, the Summer Food Service Program, Farm to School, community gardens and many others.
Educational Background: BA in Political Science and Economics (Binghamton University)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Attend graduate school in Food Systems, Sustainability, or a similar field.
Host Site: Broome County Council of Churches – Faith in Action
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Faith in Action Program Associate
Focus of Service: The focus of a Faith in Action Program Associate is to reach out to seniors by coordinating social connections and events that empower them to become actively engaged and involved within their community. The main focus is to encourage seniors to remain independent by providing transportation services and connections to food. This position also serves as a bridge between another program, the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW), which is also offered by the Broome County Council of Churches. This collaboration provides the opportunity for the elder population to access healthier, fresher and low-cost produce that may be difficult to retrieve these necessities due to barriers concerning their mobility, well-being, financial situations and other similar obstacles.
Jenna serves as the Faith in Action Program Associate. She coordinates social events for Faith in Action that often includes healthy food resources, nutrition classes and transportation services to senior citizens. One of the many programs Jenna coordinates is “Grocery Day,” which gives seniors the opportunity to build social connections with new people while enjoying a cup of coffee and getting their regular grocery shopping done. This program provides seniors with a chance to get out of their house and complete their errands independently; however it also gives them a sense of self-worth by providing them with a ride and someone to connect with. In collaborating with CHOW, Jenna also participates in a weekly “Senior Sprint” that is an indoors farmer’s market, which provides senior living centers and apartment complexes with affordable fresh produce.
Educational Background: Bachelor of Science in Human Development (Binghamton University)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After serving as an AmeriCorps member, Jenna would like to continue her education by earning a Masters in Public Administration, and go on to work for a non-profit organization.
Host Site: Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Access Specialist
Focus of Service: As a Health Access Specialist, Kaley’s main goals are to improve healthcare and health literacy in rural areas by informing uninsured residents about the different types of insurance plans, helping them obtain insurance, and connecting them with other services that they may need. Kaley and the other members of the team plan outreach trips and attend community events in Otsego, Delaware, Tioga, Chemung, and Broome county where they table, give out information, and help people schedule appointments with the navigators at Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network.
Educational Background: Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (Allegheny College)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After her year of service, Kaley plans on attending medical school.
Host Site: Mobility Management of South Central New York
Location: Vestal, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Mobility Management Advocate
Focus of Service: Kayla servers as a liaison for people in the rural area needing transportation.
Educational Background:
Binghamton University 17′
BS in Political Science and Sociology
Rockalnd Community College 14′
Associates in Business Administration
Associates in Liberal Arts Sciences Humanities.
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Complete BS in Political Science & Sociology
Host Site: Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Access Specialist
Focus of Service: As a Health Access Specialist, Caitlin works with her fellow AmeriCorps Access Specialists to create plans to help uninsured residents in the surrounding rural area get health insurance. She goes out into several counties to work directly with the uninsured and their communities to give them information and schedule appointments with Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network Navigators. A large part of Caitlin’s work is creating better materials on health education and literacy and disturbing these to the public.
Educational Background: B.A. in Health and Society; Minor in Religious Studies (Beloit College)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Attend graduate school to earn a Masters in Public Health
Host Site: VINES
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Farm Share Program Assistant
Focus of Service: As a VINES Farm Share Program Assistant, Margaret’s job is to work with both volunteers and members of Farm Share in the area of nutritional education. She strives to promote health and wellness by providing samples, recipes, and guides for the seasonal items given out in the shares. Her position also includes member outreach and cultivating an accessible and friendly environment surrounding Farm Share activities.
Educational Background: BA in Molecular Biology (SUNY Binghamton)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After Margaret’s term ends, she plans on completing an M.S. degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Binghamton University before attending Medical School.
Host Site: CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Program Assistant
Focus of Service: As a CHOW Service Member, Tiana works with food insecure populations, and aids them in gaining access to healthy, fresh food. CHOW receives donations from local businesses and distributors. This helps to eliminate food waste, a significant problem in all communities across the nation. Tiana works to collect, transport and distribute donated food to those who need it. Tiana works to ensure that people who come to CHOW farmer markets feel more food secure, and to ensure a basic need is met for her community.
Educational Background:
SUNY Broome CC — Associate’s in Liberal Arts
University of Hawai’i at Hilo — Linguistics(one semester)
SUNY Binghamton — BA in Linguistics
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Tiana’s post AmeriCorps plans are graduate school or traveling. She would very much like to attend university in England or perhaps apply to the JET program in order to get more experience outside of the academic setting.
Host Site: Food Bank of the Southern Tier
Location: Elmira, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Hunger Education Coordinator VISTA
Focus of Service: As a VISTA with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Christine works within the community to increase awareness about the root causes of hunger and to educate and inspire communities to take action against hunger. She works to increase the reach of the Food Bank’s Hunger Education program throughout a six county region. Through her work, Christine implements educational materials and workshops, and works with Food Bank stakeholders interested in learning about hunger and poverty. She is also working to organize family volunteer events and to engage clients in new ways.
Educational Background: B.A. in International Studies and B.A. in Italian from Nazareth College ’15. Served in AmeriCorps NCCC Southwest Region Class 22 ending in July 2016.
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Complete another service year or pursue further education.
Host Site: CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: As a Chow Program Assistant Marsha’s job is to work with other AmeriCorps members to implement and instill different programs that provide fresh produce to areas that have no access. This includes serving on the CHOW bus, which creates small but efficient markets that sell produce at low to no cost to the individuals in need, such as the young and elderly. Marsha also works on the CHOW farm, which generates produce that can be given away for free. Marsha looks forward to creating other programs with her AmeriCorp members for the new CHOW wellness center that will encourage and change health behaviors.
Educational Background: BA in Psychology with minor in Public Health (SUNY Albany)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After Marsha’s term ends, she hopes to study environmental health science, focusing on behavioral health in graduate school. She would also like to travel to other countries.
Host Site: Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Health Access Specialist
Focus of Service: As a Health Access Specialist, Caleb is working on increasing health literacy in various rural New York counties as well as helping the individuals in these counties gain access to healthcare by connecting them to beneficial services.
Educational Background: BA in Music Industry (SUNY Oneonta)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: After his service, Caleb intends to attend graduate school.
Host Site: Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins – Healthy Food for All
Location: Ithaca, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Program Coordinator
Focus of Service: The mission of Healthy Food for All is to make local produce accessible to food insecure households in and around Tompkins County through subsidized CSA shares.
As Program Coordinator, Aleta is working with HFFA to end hunger, support local, family-owned farms and increase the region’s capacity to grow good food for the whole community.
Educational Background: B.S. Marketing Communications, May 2000, SUNY F.I.T.
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Following her commitment with AmeriCorps, Aleta hopes
to continue working with HFFA to further grow and expand the program in order to serve all families interested in participating.
Host Site: Broome County Office for Aging
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Program Assistant
Focus of Service: The Broome County Office for Aging carries out a number of services and programs to help seniors live at home as long as possible. The nutrition unit is just one sector of the Office, focusing on overall health and nutrition for those over 60. The Office for Aging runs the food programs at senior housing, senior centers, and Meals On Wheels. It offers nutrition programs in conjunction with The Food Bank of the Southern Tier. In January and February the Office will offer Healthy Beverages:Rethink your Drink. This program focuses on the amount of sugar in beverages and also on how to stay hydrated.
Educational Background: Bachelor of Science (SUNY Buffalo) ; MSEd (Elmira College)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Fully retire
Host Site: CHOW
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: CHOW Program Assistant
Focus of Service: CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) strives to relieve hunger in Broome County through a variety of initiatives designed to increase residents’ access to healthy foods. Among other things, CHOW distributes over 1 million pounds of food through collaborations with more than 60 agencies, increases access to fresh produce through 20 mobile markets, and grows vegetables which are distributed to households in need.
AmeriCorps service members run the mobile markets and farm, targeting neighborhoods which lack easy access to grocery stores and fresh fruits and vegetables. With a mixture of items for sale and for free, CHOW mobile markets allow people to spend what they can afford on produce, respecting their dignity as consumers.
Educational Background: B.A. Communications Arts, Xavier University
M.S. Sociology, Morehead State University
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Employment in the non-profit sector
Host Site: Chemung County Habitat for Humanity
Location: Elmira, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Family Services Coordinator
Focus of Service: Chemung County Habitat for Humanity seeks to provide low-income residents of Chemung County with a decent, affordable place to live through their Home Ownership and Home Repair Programs. The affiliate selects families for Home Ownership that are in need of affordable housing, can afford a mortgage, and are willing to volunteer on construction of their home. Eric’s position as Family Services Coordinator is to partner with the families selected for Home Ownership to prepare them for the rigors of home ownership by providing resources for financial literacy and home maintenance.
Eric also coordinates with clients in need of external repairs on their home and refers clients that don’t fit the parameters of the Home Repair Program to other local agencies. The projects are done with volunteer labor and assist elderly, home-bound, and low-income homeowners with repairs/projects that help them remain in their home or make their home more accessible.
Educational Background: Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Pennsylvania State University
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Eric plans to hike the Appalachian trail from end to end before attending medical school.
Host Site: Broome County Promise Zone
Location: Binghamton, NY
AmeriCorps Position: Family Engagement Specialist
Focus of Service: The Family Engagement Specialist works within a community school model, to assist Community School coordinators (who are in five different school districts) with their “parent cafes” and other community engagement events. These programs give parents a chance to engage with school districts, sharing their experiences and ideas for change
Educational Background: Recreation Management, BS (Ithaca College)
Post AmeriCorps Plans: Amber is deciding between a few different career paths
