Hello! My name is Ashley Steed and I am a Pittsburgh Health Corps AmeriCorps member serving at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Western Pennsylvania Chapter. My daily service involves connecting people MS to community resources and to ensure their health and financial stability. Through my contact with people with MS I’ve not only learned a lot about MS, insurance, SSI, SSDI, and the good and not so good aspects of our system but I’ve learned to appreciate more about my everyday life. I am much more thankful for my health, ability to work, and what money and resources I have.
As my year in AmeriCorps progresses, I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. I’ve learned so much more in seven months with AmeriCorps, than a year and half at my job last year. I’ve been encouraged to step outside my comfort zone, which has helped me grow personally and professionally. The lessons are continuously happening from my site, from working together with fellow AmeriCorps members, from volunteering at other places in the community, and from our monthly training days. There is a lot of opportunity to grow in the Pittsburgh Health Corps and to make positive impacts in the community and in your life.
I’d like to leave you with a quote from Brownie Wise that I feel sums up the AmeriCorps experience well. “When you help someone up a hill, you find yourself closer to the top.”
