Today’s blog post was written by Luci Miller, an AmeriCorps National Direct member at Points of Light. Luci has served at Points of Light since October, 2011 and her last day of service is this Friday, August 31.
When I graduated from Georgia Southern University in May of 2011, I did not have a clue about what to do after graduation. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology, which left my job options wide open, making things a little difficult. I had dreams of landing an internship at a Psychology clinic, while taking some time off before graduate school. After spending a couple months job searching, my idea seemed more like a faraway dream, as I found myself moving back 
in with my parents in Atlanta, Georgia.
My best friend had started an AmeriCorps term of service at Points of Light, and she mentioned that I may find an opportunity there. I had never considered a career in the nonprofit sector, so I was a bit skeptical of this opportunity, initially. Despite my apprehensions, I applied to an AmeriCorps position at Points of Light where I would work with their Digital Strategy team.
After a grueling interview process, I landed the position! I spent my first week of service at week-long National Service retreat with the rest of the HandsOn Corps National Direct Team. I met so many amazing young people who were so willing to give themselves to their communities to make a difference, while developing professionally.
After returning from this retreat, I was ready to serve! Through my position, I became the manager of the HandsOn Network social media platforms and a writing contributor to the HandsOn blog content. Through the use of online tools, I was able to make volunteering easier. I had no experience with volunteer resources prior to my term of service. I am now extremely knowledgeable in the field of volunteer work, and I can tell you anything you need to know about starting a project. I gained experience with creative professional writing through writing daily volunteer resources on the blog.
At the end of my term, I was able to put my skills into action, while planning the Points of Light staff volunteer project at the Atlanta Tool Bank. I engaged over 25 volunteers successfully. It was amazing to see the skills I have been developing all year come to life!
From spending time in an office cave to hanging out with a blow up penguin, I can truly say that choosing to do AmeriCorps was a great decision. I feel more prepared to tackle the next path life throws at me, than I did at this time last year. I finally have goals that I am trying to obtain thanks to the skills and personal development I have gone through this year. I am excited about what the future holds for me and I know AmeriCorps has made a lot of contributions to my future success.
Amy Lytle is the Executive Director of HandsOn Northwest North Carolina.
Olga El Sa-hame-y of New York read about Make a Difference Day in USA Weekend magazine and decided then and there to act. She and her husband Muh-stafa El Sa-hame-y stayed up until 2 am cooking 50 servings of chicken with rice and packaged them with fruit, beverages, and dessert. They drove the meals into Manhattan and met their son Alex and four of his friends. For the next few hours, the seven of them distributed their food to the homeless, seeking them out in doorways, under trees and in subways.
By, Meg Moloney, Senior Director, Programs, 
As my colleagues and I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge, we talked to each other and to total strangers, trying to make sense of events. It was a hot day. When we got to the Brooklyn side of the bridge, a small group of New Yorkers handed cups of water from the back of a pick-up truck to people trying to get home. This simple gesture brought relief to many and even tears to some. As I approached the impromptu aid station I remembered how 10 years before there had been serious racial tensions and violence not far from that spot. A lot had changed since 1991 and it was heartening to see residents from every part of the neighborhood working together to distribute water to the diverse and ragtag river of people walking by. Everyone seemed to feel a sense of togetherness about the experience. It made a world of difference to those of us with long walks still ahead and helped us put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
Thousands of people came to us to volunteer—saying over and over that they wanted to find a way to do something positive in response to the tragedy. Many thousands of New Yorkers offered to help, as did people from California and Texas, and even Australia and Brazil.
“Point Thank You”—a place just north of Ground Zero where volunteers let weary relief workers coming off their shifts know how grateful we were for their extraordinary efforts. In fact, it seemed everyone involved kept thanking each other—volunteers thanked first responders—first responders thanked volunteers. In the midst of unfathomable sadness, countless acts of generosity gave us strength.
by Jeff Parness, Founder, 
way of paying homage to Hagay, but I wanted to make a bigger statement that New Yorkers will never forget what people from small towns, and big cities, all across America did for us in our time of need.
