Hello United Way blog readers! My name is Jamie and I’m an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving at United Way of King County as a volunteer coordinator for the North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA) . Quite a mouthful, right? Basically, my job is to assess the volunteer needs of agencies, connect volunteers with local non-profits, and recruit volunteers to serve in north King County. It’s a tall order, but I’m glad to be serving with Trey, another VISTA member, as we wade our way through the year.

Since I am new to Washington, it is very important to me to get involved in King County and really know the community I live in. I firmly believe that local communities are the driving force behind solving major societal problems. I decided to join AmeriCorps because I want to explore different sectors of the non-profit industry and to gain a new perspective on non-profit work. Previously, my experience had been mostly in fundraising and events, but I really wanted to get a taste of volunteer and program management. Luckily, that’s just what NUHSA offered me.

My first week on the job is going to have me travelling all over King County. It will be a whirlwind, but I can’t wait to see what each area has to offer. I’ll keep you updated on my findings and life as a VISTA.