Hello Everyone! My name is Stephen and I am a new face around here at HIP. I am an Americorps VISTA member serving at HIP in coordination with the United Way of King County. I am part of a cohort of 36 VISTA serving at local nonprofit and service providers throughout King County. VISTA members work with their organizations to build capacity, so that the services they provide can reach more people and have an increased impact. I will be here for the next year working on increasing HIP’s outreach and making new connections in the Lake City community.
Here’s a little about myself. Originally from New Jersey, I studied philosophy and international politics at American University in Washington, DC. While I was a student there, I interned with a non-profit that sought to increase access to healthy food for low-income individuals in the DC community. This was a wonderful experience for me and left me with a desire to continue to this kind of work after school. After I graduated I took some time to work on small farms in Virginia, New Jersey, and Maine, but now I feel reenergized and am really excited to be starting here at HIP.
Even though this is only my first week, I have already met so many amazing people both through HIP and in the broader Lake City community. It’s wonderful to see so many caring people who are passionate about service and improving their community! I am really looking forward to this upcoming year and hope to get to know everyone.