Throwback Thursday: Meet NFHC Alum, Sarah Clinton

Meet Sarah Clinton!  She served as a Care Coordinator at the Medical Home for Homeless Children's Project during the 2007-2008 service term.

My host site was the Medical Home for Homeless Children's Project.  As a Care Coordinator for MHHCP, I was responsible for assisting homeless families in gaining access to pediatric care through the Kids N' Care clinic.  I had a caseload of families I visited at the homeless shelters in which they were residing and would speak with them about good health practices, share medical information, and assist them in making and attending well-child medical visits.  During my time at MHHCP, I created and implemented a comprehensive safer sex curriculum that I presented to adults at several of the local homeless shelters.  In addition to the safer sex classes, I also taught a personal hygiene and parenting classes. 

After Americorps, my site mentor was able to work out a temporary position at my host site, so I could continue my work through the rest of that summer.  I then took a position at Sutton Place Behavioral Health in Yulee, FL as a Project SUCCESS Counselor stationed at West Nassau High School in Callahan, FL.  As a Project Success Counselor, I taught substance use classes and met with students at risk of substance abuse individually as well as in group settings. In my three school years at WNHS, I was also very involved with the Nassau Alcohol Crime and Drug Abatement Committee.
 

In 2011, I took a position at Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network (JASMYN), a Jacksonville non profit serving LGBTQ youth ages 13-23.  My first position at JASMYN was the Street Smart Coordinator, an evidence-based, skills-building program rooted in the social learning theory designed to help groups of youth reduce their risk related to sex and substance use. In 2012, I became the Prevention Coordinator and Case Manager and worked with youth experiencing and/or at risk of abuse, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, STIs, domestic violence, discrimination and more.  I also was responsible for leading and implementing a Youth Prevention and Leadership Program at JASMYN focused on providing leadership opportunities to youth through peer education, outreach and community panels. In my current position as the Assistant Director of Programs, I supervise a team of four program staff and am responsible for the oversight, implementation, and evaluation of JASMYN's youth development programs, youth panels and youth outreach programs, as well as testing and counseling services for HIV.   

What skills did you gain from your year of service?AmeriCorps forwarded me many professional skills, as well personal skills, such as networking, time management, community engagement, community event planning. I was chosen to represent NFHC at the National Health Corps Leadership Network in Philadelphia to lead the Health Promotion Initiative in Jacksonville. Through the variety of projects offered to us and the community meetings I attended for my site, I was able to

"I could not have been as prepared for that journey if I had not embraced all that my service commitment to NFHC provided"

establish many contacts with workers throughout the community. Those relationships have helped open up different professional opportunities, collaborations and an extensive knowledge of community resources which has served me well in each of my positions since my service with NFHC.

As I think about starting my MSW program this coming fall, I know that I could not have been as prepared for that journey if I had not embraced all that my service commitment to NFHC provided. I feel well-prepared for continuing my education because of the professional experience that I have, and I owe the success in my field and the beginning of my career to my start with AmeriCorps.

My favorite part of NFHC was being involved in the variety of service projects and opportunities. I was able to have really meaningful experiences with my corps members such as community awareness efforts like health and safety education canvassing, working on houses with Habitat for Humanity, attending numerous health fairs, community restoration projects, and volunteering to assist with fun family friendly events around Jacksonville. One of the most memorable experiences was a volunteer trip we set up at Give Kids The World, a non profit story book resort in Central Florida that provides cost-free vacations to children with life threatening illnesses and their families. I loved serving with our team.  I formed very close bonds with my AmeriCorps Members through service and because of our time together, I have some of the best friends anyone could ask for. Love them. Shout out to NFHC 2007-2008!

Jacksonville really grew on me- my first year was filled with a lot of exciting events and new experiences, but moving from New Hampshire to Jacksonville and living in the south for the first time ever also presented a huge culture shock.  With my other members, we embraced the transition and tried a lot of new things.  We took the time to explore all that Jacksonville has to offer, a lot of the time, due to budgeting on our simple stipend, that included free events like Art Walk, exploring the different neighborhoods and enjoying the beach. I love Riverside, where I currently work and live.  Now, my favorite things to do are to enjoy the natural beauty of the area, parks, taking adventures with my boyfriend and dog, and making time for friends while enjoying the city’s growing number of events like music fests, RAM, Community First Saturdays, and art exhibits at CoRK.

Try out as many service roles as possible- the great thing about being a full-time volunteer is that there are so many opportunities open to you.  Check out different organizations, meet professional people in the community, try out different skills that you may not even know you have. Be comfortable being uncomfortable- get to know yourself better while engaging with others and take the opportunity to learn from your corps members, professional network, and population you serve. I am thankful for my time and commitment to NFHC.  I truly believe that it helped to make me a more well-rounded person because of the variety of experiences I allowed myself to have.