EPCAMR has recently sponsored an Americorps VISTA Volunteer, Kyle Argenziano for the next year through July 2021, with a partnership between Americorps VISTA and the Stewards Individual Placement Program (SIPP). Kyle is graduating on August 8th from Bloomsburg University, who had been interned with EPCAMR from the start of the Summer for an 8-week funded program through the PA Career Link’s State & Local Improvement Program (SLIP). SIPP is a program sponsored by Conservation Legacy, a non-profit dedicated to funding environmental stewardship throughout America. Stewards (SIPP) was awarded AmeriCorps VISTA resources through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). EPCAMR applied to become a local sponsor in Northern Appalachia for a federally funded Stewards AmeriCorps VISTA employee. EPCAMR was selected and awarded the sponsor award and made the offer and Kyle who started today, July 20th, 2020.
Kyle Argenziano, former EPCAMR Summer Watershed Intern has been sponsored as an Americorps Conservation Legacy/Corporation for National and Community Service Steward VISTA Volunteer for the next year.
Stewards Individual Placement Program mission statement:
“Providing individual opportunities through service that build career-based experience, strengthen communities, and preserve our natural resources.”
AmeriCorps VISTA mission statement:
“To strengthen and supplement efforts to eliminate and alleviate poverty and poverty-related problems in the United States by encouraging and enabling persons from all walks of life, all geographical areas, and all age groups, including low-income individuals, elderly and retired Americans, to perform meaningful and constructive volunteer service in agencies, institutions, and situations where the application of human talent and dedication may assist in the solution of poverty, and secure and increase opportunities for self-advancement by persons affected by such problems.”
VISTAs are tasked with indirect service. He will be developing and overseeing projects that he will be tasked to generate community capacity for assisting with the projects. Grant writing and fund development are a large portion of his work as he is expected to assist in fundraising efforts, identify sources of funding, and create capital for EPCAMR. Kyle and EPCAMR have developed a 1-year Volunteer Activity Description (VAD) Work Plan to guide the volunteer work and capacity building within the EPCAMR Region. Kyle will submit at least 4 grant proposals throughout the service term. He’ll be performing a lot of GIS work, GIS Mapping, and developing the necessary statistics and infographics to help EPCAMR go after grants and help to tell our story about the importance of reclaiming our abandoned mine lands and restoring our waterways polluted from abandoned mine drainage (AMD).
“Volunteer engagement will be a large part of the work as well. Kyle will be expected to identify sources of volunteering, their capacity, and create an environment that retains and appreciates volunteers. Community engagement will be vital. Partnerships with local firms, agencies, service groups, and businesses will be developed. The goal of our work is to promote sustainable solutions through community empowerment. These partnerships will create a strong web of communication, resource sharing, funding, and power to create the sustainability we are after at EPCAMR. There is strength in numbers, and we believe this Stewards VISTA position will be a key to developing those assets”, stated Bobby Hughes-EPCAMR Executive Director.
Some projects within our foresight include partnerships with solar development companies, community gardens, volunteer monitoring of AMD, training volunteers on how to assess culverts for aquatic organism and fish passage, and conducting environmental education programs among local youth in underserved school districts.
“I’m looking forward to expanding EPCAMR’s partnerships even further into the communities that they serve as well as partnering with other regional non-profit and community organizations to build capacity within their neighborhoods and along their stream corridors to improve the quality of life that they are faced with living in the shadows of abandoned mine land features and polluted waterways. There is hope that will come with hard work and hands-on community efforts that I’ve already participated in during the 8-week internship that I believe will lead to the restoration of many of the local waterways, the reclamation of many of the abandoned mine lands, potential for job creation in alternative energy, and continued education of our area youth using new and innovative virtual opportunities such as drone technology and interactive videos and 360 film photography educational activities.” Kyle said with great enthusiasm and excitement.
EPCAMR’s solar project partnership will be looking to site areas for the potential development of renewable and clean energy to an area stricken by the past coal industry on formerly reclaimed abandoned mine lands.
Solar panel installation on an abandoned mine land.
Education is perhaps the most powerful tool that you can use to develop sustainability and we will continue to provide educational content for local schools whether it is through video, in-person presentations, or through our online resources like Trout in the Classroom (TIC).
EPCAMR proudly sponsors and gives away Growboxxes and works with community volunteers to help create gardens. “We believe that community gardens are an integral part of empowerment and poverty alleviation. Being able to grow healthy and affordable food not only fosters an appreciation for the environment and agricultural systems but offers a reliable source of nutrition. Coaltown patches were called patchtowns because of the self-reliance they had to feed their families right from their backyards where the food was fresh and easily accessible and free.” Bobby Hughes, proudly stated.
Hot pepper grown in a local community garden project supported by EPCAMR and Our Community Garden, where several Growboxxes were utilized and planted.
Grant funding to support the position was made possible through the Foundation for PA Watersheds (FPW), and is intended to enhance EPCAMR’s organizational capacity.
We will be working in the Susquehanna River Basin and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River within the EPCAMR Region to address problems that have been identified in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan for PA.
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