I was a college drop out – and then I found Americorps. Between two service positions I spent 14 months in the forests of Massachusetts and western Virginia, learning not only about ecology, trail maintenance and construction, and care of public lands, but also the value of hard work, communication, collaboration, and providing for my community and country. Networking from those roles brought me to Greenagers where I used those skills as the Trails Coordinator, helping to grow the already thriving Trails program.
Last year I was ecstatic to learn that Greenagers would have their own Americorps crew. Having a deep personal knowledge of what both Greenagers and Americorps can offer a young person, I knew this was the perfect match. A couple months ago I was able to meet the crew and discuss my own career path, going from college drop out to Master’s degree holder, and hear about all the good work these young folks had already provided to the community and plans for future endeavors. These folks chose to spend a year of their young lives to take a role that pays little with the promise of education, rewarding work, and community care. The loss of Americorps hurts not only these individuals, not just the Berkshires, but all places in the United States that utilize the resiliency and tenacity of young Americans to get things done, and future young people looking for skills, adventure, and the opportunity to directly impact the lives of those in their community in a positive way. Funding for Americorps must be restored so we, as a country, can continue to foster and develop civically minded community leaders, for the betterment of today and tomorrow.
-Eli Fry, Former Greenagers Trail Manager & Americorps Alum
