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MCHS AmeriCorps Members Receive Highest Honor for Service and Impact

February 29, 2024

National Service members who have accumulated more than 4,000 hours of service are eligible for our nation’s highest distinction for volunteerism, the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  This award honors outstanding volunteers and national service members, recognizing the impact they make. As part of the recognition, honorees receive a certificate, a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States, and either a pin, coin or medallion.

Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps was pleased to award six dedicated AmeriCorps members with the President’s Lifetime Achievement: 

Erika Brigham is serving her fourth AmeriCorps term as a Recovery Coach for the Recovery Corps program at Marshfield Clinic Health System. She serves at Oneida County Social Services in Rhinelander where she has played an intricate part in expanding recovery coaching services in Oneida County. Erika spent countless hours developing a resource guide for Northern Wisconsin to better assist those seeking recovery coaching services.

Breanna Showkeir has served three full-time AmeriCorps terms with the Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Recovery Corps program. As a recovery coach, Breanna has helped individuals in recovery develop a wellness plan and provide support through their recovery journey. Breanna served at Barron County Health and Human Services. In 2023, Breanna had the opportunity to share as a presenter at the DHS Opioid, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit.

Jatara Brown has served three full-time AmeriCorps terms with the Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Community Corps program. Her first two terms were with First Presbyterian Church Wausau Free Clinic in Wausau and in her third term. she is serving with ECDC Multicultural Community Center. At ECDC, she supports the direct delivery of refugee support services and conducts outreach efforts to develop partnerships in refugee assistance.

Miranda Golberg is in her third full-time term with Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Community Corps.  Miranda served her first tern with the Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes providing mentorship and support to girls to build tomorrow’s leaders. Her second and third terms have been with Marshfield Clinic Health System Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (HEDI) where she has focused on improving health outcomes of individuals with social needs by connecting them with available community resources (such as safe, affordable housing or access to healthy foods). In this role, Miranda has also been responsible for training and engaging college students to assist in providing resource referrals.

Ian Carroll is an army veteran that served two years as a combat medic. He is now serving a term with the Community Corps program, serving with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Office of Sustainability as a Circular Economy Program Assistant. His service includes everything from waste audits and analysis to engaging students in the campus garden program, all with the goal of minimizing waste and creating a healthier, regenerative UWM environment for students and employees.

Cheyenne Rhoten is a National Guard member who served active duty during the pandemic to respond to riots that occurred the summer and fall of 2020. Cheyenne is now serving three-quarter time with Badgerland After School Enrichment Program, a host site of the Marshfield Clinic Health System AmeriCorps Community Corps program. Cheyenne spends her service time engaging underserved children in STEM programming through interactive activities and games.

We are most grateful for the 24,000+ hours of service these committed members have contributed to improve lives and strengthen Wisconsin communities! 

To learn more about the eligibility process of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, please visit

https://presidentialserviceawards.gov/.

 
 

Community Corps Members Appointed to State Board

December 29, 2023

Two current Community Corps members, LuTia Colbert and Whitney Andrastek, were recently chosen to participate in the Wisconsin National and Community Service Board (WNCSB). This board aims to, 'promote, train, and allocate resources to programs that enrich lives and communities through service and volunteerism.' LuTia and Whitney will both be serving as Youth Service Participant Representatives, educating others about the importance the impact of AmeriCorps programs can have on Wisconsin communities. 

Both LuTia and Whitney have never participated in something quite like this before and felt that it would be an excellent way to further advocate for the importance of AmeriCorps:

"I applied to the position because it is something I have never done before, and it sounded like a great opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at AmeriCorps and learn about internal processes of AmeriCorps at the state level." ~Lutia Colbert

"I joined the board as a way to gain more experience and hopefully learn more about the impact that AmeriCorps has. AmeriCorps offers so many different opportunities and a chance to be part of a state board seems very special, especially at such a young age." ~Whitney Andrastek

Whitney will be participating in the Outreach and Public Policy Committee, and LuTia will be participating in both the Public Policy committee and the State Service Plan Committee.

 

 
LuTia Colbert serving with New Leaf Foods in Green Bay, WI   Whitney Andrastek serving with NAMI Manitowoc County in Manitowoc, WI

 
 

Recovery Corps Members Advocate for Others Around the Holidays

December 29, 2023

During the month of December, two MCHS Recovery Corps members spoke out about the difficulties those in the recovery community may face during the holiday season.

Jenn Podeweltz, serving at Marshfield Medical Center - Weston, was featured in an article by WSAW discussing alcohol consumption around Christmastime. Jenn shared that planning ahead for holiday gatherings and events can really help set someone in recovery up for success. “Know what would make them feel uncomfortable and really have those conversations before you have your get-togethers so everybody can go in there and feel like they can all have a good time, and everyone’s included and nobody feels pressured in any way.” Jenn even goes on to share more about how everyone can evaluate their drinking habits. Check out the full article here.

Christian Johnson, recovery coach at Marshfield Medical Center - Eau Claire, also had an opportunity to share his perspectives on the difficulties of navigating the New Year's holiday for those struggling with addiction. Christian shared, "It's very easy, especially for alcoholics, to see all the alcohol around, during the holiday and say, you know, it's Christmas, it's New Year's Eve, I'll just do it this one time, and then you do do it that one time, and then it rolls downhill in a very negative way, and traps you back into that lifestyle." He even went on to share some tips for staying sober and his contact information for anyone who may someone to support them through the holiday. Check out the full article here.

*Image by master1305 on Freepik

 
 

Members and Staff Gather for Fall Meet-Up Event

October 20, 2023

 

After successfully kicking off the new term of service virtually on September 11, 2023, MCHS AmeriCorps members and staff from across the state gathered in Stevens Point for the Fall Meet-Up. This one-day event intended to bring Community and Recovery Corps members together for some networking, motivation, and support to successfully carry out their service terms.

Motivational speaker Paul Wesselmann, also known as The Ripples Guy, opened the day with an active session on making a positive impact in the communities we serve, both for ourselves and for others. Members also participated in Question, Persuade, Refer Training with Christina Garcia, a session that taught attendees how to recognize someone in a mental health crisis and then get them the proper care they need. Lastly, all attendees, staff and members alike, had time to come together, converse, connect, and truly share in the AmeriCorps experience.

Attendees of the event walked away saying “It was SO nice to be able to meet everyone and get to know everyone on a more personal level!” and “It was awesome connecting in person pushing us out of our comfort zone.”  All in all, it was a successful day that left everyone excited for the next opportunity to get together in person. With nearly 100 members enrolled across Community Corps and Recovery Corps combined, this event was a great kickoff to an even better year of service.

 
 

Recovery Coaches Speak Out at Northwoods 'Light Up the Night' Recovery Event

September 28, 2023

September is National Recovery Month and two of our own Recovery Coaches honored the month at a local event. Shirlee Knox and Erika Brigham attended 'Light Up the Night' in Rhinelander, Wi with many local mental health, addiction, and recovery organizations, and even had the opportunity to be interviewed by local news. Check out the full story here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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