Team AmeriCorps: Why I Serve by Erika Stover
National AmeriCorps Week is March 10-16, 2019. This week, Full Life Care features our serving members and their amazing contributions to the community. Full Life hosts AmeriCorps members each year, from September through July. Recruitment for the upcoming program year starts in May. For details, visit our AmeriCorps page or email us.
Erika Stover
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania
College: Temple University, Public Health
AmeriCorps Placement: Health and Wellness Outreach Specialist at Full Life Care
I serve on the Seattle Housing Authority coordination team, focusing on implementing health, wellness and social programs in various SHA senior buildings throughout Seattle. I coordinate classes and activities such as social coffee hours, Tai Chi Quan: Moving for Better Balance, and healthy cooking classes. The goal is to decrease isolation, and increase independence and wellbeing for older adults throughout Seattle.
I decided to join AmeriCorps serving older adults and adults with disabilities in the community because society tends to forget about individuals as they age. I wanted to remind this population that people still care and that they want to help enrich their lives.
I like being a part of the Full Life Care AmeriCorps team because the whole team comes from different backgrounds, with various skills and talents. However we all have this commonality that we want to serve others. It has made for a very enriching experience.
One of my favorite memories so far of engaging with clients is learning how to make lumpia with the residents at one of my sites. A resident at this site taught us how to make lumpia—a traditional Filipino spring roll—during our coffee hour. We had such a fun time laughing and talking over a great meal.
A favorite part of my service experience is getting to meet many different residents, who all have so many stories to tell and experiences to share. I never know what to expect to hear throughout my day. It can range from talking about current events to reminiscing about old cars and anything in between.
