August 3, 2006 — Three volunteers from the U.S. mainland have recently arrived on St. Croix to selflessly serve the Crucian community.
Caitlin Reed, Lauren Kemp-Hesterman and Melanie Ellery are members of Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) and have dedicated the next year of their lives to learning and developing amidst Crucian culture.
VISTA is a division of the AmeriCorps program, which requires that full-time members commit themselves for a year to providing support for low-income individuals and poverty-stricken communities.
Since 1965 more than 140,000 Americans have served through VISTA. Today nearly 6,000 VISTA members serve throughout the country – working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, increase housing opportunities and strengthen the capacity of community organizations.
Two of the volunteers will be working with the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, while the third will be at the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center.
Reed will work with the coalition's Children's Center and its summer program for at-risk kids. She will be the program coordinator of the camp and the after-school program that runs during the school year.
This year, under her guidance 25 students have gone on field trips to horseback ride, kayak, hike through the rain forest and challenge themselves on the outdoor education course at the Youth Rehabilitation Center.
Reed, 22, graduated from Humboldt State in Northern California with a degree in social work. She was accepted to join the VISTA crew on its way to St. Croix after spending some time in Thailand teaching English.
"I didn't want to stay within the continental U.S. and that is a reason why I picked St. Croix, but I have a lot of experience working with children who are victims of violent crimes," Reed said.
While Reed hasn't been made to feel welcome by all locals, she doesn't let that ruin her time here.
She and Kemp-Hesterman often go out to enjoy the scenery and architecture on St. Croix. "It helps you understand the way the culture is," she says.
Reed says that the center can always use volunteers for its after-school program, which resumes this August from 3 to 5 p.m.
Kemp-Hesterman, 22, began as assistant manager at the newly opened Closet to Closet thrift store, also operated by the coalition, when she arrived on island from California. So far she says she really enjoys "organizing things."
The University of California-Santa Barbara graduate earned a degree in environmental science and was pleased to hear she'd be working with the women's coalition.
As an environmentally conscious individual, she says, "I believe many factors, including the role of women, affect the environment, and I just like the whole idea surrounding the thrift store. It involves recycling old stuff."
Kemp-Hesterman said that while the idea of living on a tropical island nabbed her from the start, she also decided to join the VISTA program because "VISTA is about working in impoverished areas and it aims toward alleviating the poverty in these areas."
The three VISTA members have dedicated themselves to the island and to their jobs for a year in return for a small stipend. Kemp-Hesterman says she hopes to make the most of it.
While she says she hasn't yet worked out the "dynamics" of locals, Kemp-Hesterman enjoys the beaches and the rain forest. She often goes to the Dominoes Club and plans to get scuba certified before she leaves. She has also spent some time snorkeling with her housemate Reed.
Reed and Kemp-Hesterman often meet up with the last of the VISTA volunteers, Melanie Ellery, who works with the Animal Welfare Center. Ellery describes working with the animals and being on island as an "answer to an unfulfilled dream."
Originally from Kentucky, Ellery obtained her degree some years ago in sociology. She first applied to work with the PeaceCorps but was turned down because of a hearing impairment.
However, she says "things seemed to click" between her and the animal center VISTA recruiters, and she couldn't be happier with her placement.
"I love working with diverse populations and people of different cultures," Ellery says, noting that it was a deciding factor in choosing St. Croix.
Her responsibilities at the shelter include supervising the youth volunteers; bathing, cleaning and providing recreation for the animals; and assisting with classroom presentations in schools and during summer programs. These presentations teach kids about responsible pet care and kindness to animals.
Ellery says that the shelter provides her with a "close-knit family," and even though her stipend is small, she says, "It's not about the money, its about the love for the job."
On her own time she hangs out on Cramer's Park beach and Point Udal.
Ellery had to get used to some Crucian foods and practices because when she first arrived she says, "I had to learn about Crucian time. Everything is slowed down, down here, and now I know not to eat the entire seed of a genip."
Ellery says the experience is helping her learn a lot about herself and her capabilities.
The Women's Coalition is currently looking for a VISTA volunteer with knowledge in elementary child education.
For more information on this position call the coalition at 773-9272.
For more information on AmeriCorps and other programs offered in the U.S and locally, visit its Web site.
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