Our 2023-24 VISTA Cohort Members are finishing up their service at the end of this month, and our new cohort members will join shortly after! This year’s members have had an incredible year of learning, community building, and capacity building at their various host sites. We will see 5 of our current members returning to us for the next cohort, beginning at the end of August, and will see 4 new members join our team, for a total of 9 VISTA Members this coming program year!
Check out the current members’ highlights from July here!
Austin: My July highlight was wrapping up our Narrative Change LTE (Letters to the Editor) writing cohort. It was really fulfilling to see the culmination of my VISTA project and support housing champions in being able to better tell their housing stories and advocate for housing solutions in their communities. One of the participants was even contacted by their local newspaper for an interview after submitting their letter to the editor!
Isa: The undoing Racism Workshop I got to be a part of was inspirational and so filling. Being in a room with so much experience and knowledge really got me going, made me want to do and be more. To push myself to learn and grow and share all this information. I feel so grateful to have had these opportunities.
Ramia: In July, I had the privilege of participating in the South Central Minneapolis Anti-Racism Collective (SMAC) training, which focused on exploring our ancestors’ history. This enlightening workshop provided me with valuable insights into my own identity and sparked meaningful conversations with my family and friends. The transformative journey I experienced has deepened my understanding of the ongoing impact of history across generations. I am immensely grateful to the trainers and community organizers for their dedication to creating such an educational experience, which has equipped me with wisdom to share in our ongoing efforts toward anti-racism and community building.
Hannah: My July highlights were attending tenant coalition meetings and and a staff retreat planning out the years ahead for PWNO (Phillips West Neighborhood Organization)
Colton: In July I had the opportunity to present my work to the Housing Justice Center Board of Directors. I presented my work on creating a manufactured housing map for Minnesota, and also work I had done in manufactured home communities. The Board was very impressed with what I had accomplished and gave helpful feedback on the mapping project to make it better.
Lucid: My highlight was starting our Community Hours with the Renter Engagement Committee!
A big THANK YOU to our 2023-24 VISTAS!
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