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MCHS Community Corps AmeriCorps members serving with Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes lead a group of scouts on an overseas adventure

September 2, 2024

When Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) - Community Corps AmeriCorps members Sigourney Vandeveer, Miranda Schomberg, and Lauren David started their service last year at the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, they had little idea it would lead them to an overseas adventure this summer to chaperone a group of girls to Italy, Austria, and Germany in addition to all of their planned service activities.

MCHS Community Corps AmeriCorps member Lauren David explained that “I knew it was an option to chaperone a trip when I interviewed for Girl Scouts last summer. What I didn’t know is that it would be an international trip.” Reflecting on the opportunity, Lauren described that “I had always wanted to go to Europe, but it wasn’t feasible to take a trip there myself…I was so excited to be a part of this trip and to take in the cultures as much as I could.”

Over the course of nine days, they helped lead the participating girls through their travel and helped open their eyes to the world during their exploration of Rome, Pisa, Florence, Innsbruck, Munich, and the Dachau concentration camp. “I loved getting to know the people in my chaperone group and in the overall tour group. Watching them open up to new experiences was amazing,” said Lauren. “It was definitely one of the highlights of my service term and I will always be grateful to AmeriCorps and Girl Scouts for allowing me the chance of a lifetime.”

This sentiment was echoed by her fellow AmeriCorps members, with Sigourney Vandeveer beginning her detailed reflection on each element of the trip by stating that “it is appropriate that I begin by thanking with every fiber of my being the following: Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, AmeriCorps, Community Corps, EF Tours, and all the friends, family, and community members who helped me prepare for my first journey across the Atlantic. It was nine days to remember, though it peeled past, or maybe through me like lightning.” The trip provided her with the opportunity to visit many of the sites she had previously studied as a humanities major. Thinking back on her overall journey following their visit to Dachau on the final day before returning home, Sigourney explained how she “silently thanked my teachers, professors, mentors, and all the others in my life who’d taught me well and given me an appetite for learning and seeing the world as its true, beautiful, ugly, heartbreaking self.”

For more about Sigourney's service this year before the trip, check out the episode of The S-Files podcast featuring her service: Finding Joy Providing Opportunities through the Girl Scouts while serving with MCHS Community Corps

 
 

MCHS Community Corps and Recovery Corps AmeriCorps members attend national conference 

September 6, 2024

Sixteen AmeriCorps members with Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) - Community Corps and Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) - Recovery Corps were awarded full scholarships to attend the NACCHO360 national conference in Detroit near the end of July. The NACCHO360 conference is organized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and is the largest convening of local health department leaders and public health professionals in the United States.

MCHS Community Corps AmeriCorps member Miranda Golberg described that “attending the NACCHO conference was a great opportunity for development. The program brought AmeriCorps members across the nation together for networking, and through sessions and other opportunities there was time to connect and network with other health officials.”

The MCHS Community Corps and MCHS Recovery Corps AmeriCorps members were joined by approximately 90 additional Public Health AmeriCorps members serving at sites nationwide, which offered the opportunity for the participants to learn, network, and share experiences and best practices with health-focused professionals from across the country.

 “This conference provided great insight on the array of opportunities and career paths inside of public health,” continued Golberg. “The sessions were informative and intriguing, going past the statement ‘here is the issue” and focusing on what the organization did successfully and how one can implement or take this with them. I definitely walked away feeling proud of the service I do and the impact it creates! It was fulfilling talking to thousands of other individuals who share the same fiery passion.”

 
 

AmeriCorps 30th Anniversary Celebration of Service

May 15, 2024

The AmeriCorps community gathered at the picturesque Green Lake Conference Center to celebrate three decades of national service. The "Celebration of Service" event brought together AmeriCorps members, staff, and supporters for a day of workshops, recreational activities, and the prestigious Governor's Service Awards ceremony. The workshops included valuable topics such as Resume building, Pathways to Self Care, Using your Education Award, Furthering your Public Service Career, and Telling your Story in the Job Interview. 

At the Governors Service Awards ceremony, MCHS AmeriCorps members Nikki Stearns, LuTia Colbert, Braedon Richlen, Jessica Heinzen and were recognized for their nomination of "Member of the Year" award, and were presented with a certificate from Governor Tony Evers, champion of national service. Congrats to our nominees! 

 
 

Marshfield Clinic Recovery Corps present on AmeriCorps service during National Public Health Week webinar

April 4, 2024

As part of the celebration of National Public Health Week during the first week of April, Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Recovery Corps helped lead a nationwide webinar organized by the American Public Health Association. MCHS Recovery Corps AmeriCorps member Jennifer Podeweltz and program director Meagan Barnett were featured speakers one the session entitled Innovative Workforce Solutions: Lessons Learned from Public Health AmeriCorps. 

They discussed how the program’s AmeriCorps members serve as recovery coaches assisting individuals with substance abuse disorders, often drawing upon their own personal experiences. Megan Barnett reflected on this, explaining that “having someone from the community who understands those unique features and barriers is really important. Lived experience is really valuable because you are helping other people go along that journey."

Jennifer and Meagan shared about their experience in the webinar, which focused on best practices in recruiting, training and nurturing early-career public health professionals from Public Health AmeriCorps. With public health facing a workforce crisis, the webinar discussed ways to help grow local talent and build pathways for community members to join the field of public health and become critical, trusted messengers for their community.

Jennifer explained that “when I came into my position, I didn't have any experience in public health. If you have a passion for helping people, they (Public Health AmeriCorps). can get you there.” She reflected on her overall experience, saying “on top of the experiences of working with peers, it's working with other coaches and learning from them. It's amazing to see the transformation in myself in the past two years.”

Webinar Recording: Innovative Workforce Solutions: Lessons learned from Public Health AmeriCorps.

 
 

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/.

 
 
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