Road trip!

Our first official road trip of the summer, Taylor and I drove to Akron this weekend! We woke up early Saturday morning, and after loading up on coffee, hit the road a little before 8am. We spent the next four hours driving across the state, and we passed a lot of familiar sites, including: Wilmington! (or at least the area around the Wilmington exit) Good ol' Southwest Ohio.

The primary reason for our visit this weekend was to support Taylor's mom Stacy as she graduated from University of Akron with her Master of Applied Politics degree. Taylor's family had lived in Akron for many years before moving to Cincinnati, so Taylor was especially looking forward to visiting his hometown. We had a little time to kill before the graduation ceremony, so we spent an hour touring parts of Akron. Taylor made a point of showing me his former middle school located in Opportunity Park, a low-income neighborhood that David Shipler specifically mentions in his book The Working Poor: Invisible in America. I wonder how many other people tour the projects on purpose.

It would seem that wherever I go, the Ohio Benefit Bank seems to follow. Our host for the weekend was Stacy's good friend Amy Swanson, who is an executive director for Voices for Ohio's Children (http://www.vfc-oh.org). She also happens to work very closely with OASHF and the OBB, so it was refreshing to talk to someone outside of the organization who actually knew what those acronyms stand for. Later Saturday evening, I met more of Stacy's friends, all of whom are key women leaders of Summit County. I was amazed at the breadth and depth of their experiences in the community. Hearing their stories reminded me of the things I am capable of, and the excitement of adventures to come. It was a privilege to sit in on their discussion.

Today it was my turn to spend a little time with a friend of my own--Joree! If you've been reading her blog, "Active Hope" (link to the right), then you know that Joree is also a community trainer for the Ohio Benefit Bank. I met her a few weeks ago at our orientation in Columbus, and when she identified herself as a VISTA at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, I made a mental note to get in touch during our brief stay in Akron. Lucky for Taylor and me, she was available today for lunch, and we spent a couple of hours chatting on a bench overlooking the Cuyahoga River. Here we are:


Even on our day off, we spent all of our time talking about poverty, the economy, social stigma, and public benefits--you know, typical VISTA stuff. I guess when you live your work, you don't really have an "off" switch. Poor Taylor!

As always, I am grateful for the built-in VISTA network of people all around the state who can share resources, ideas, enthusiasm, and support with one another. I am confident the experiences Joree and I share this year, even at opposite corners of the state, will bind us together well into the future. And that's a good part of what being a VISTA is all about.