Winter Wonderland Trail Enhancements Honors Dr. MLK, Jr.

Lansing, MI - Ingham County Parks is hosting a service project in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the spirit of service and "getting things done" Power of We Consortium AmeriCorps VISTA and State members will remove invasive species and build trails at Lake Lansing Park North on January 17th. Consortium national service members will be working together on projects such as removing Autumn Olive -- an invasive shrub which crowds the tree and shrub lines, harming the aesthetics and ecosystem of the park. Approximately 25 volunteers have committed to serve during either of the two shifts: 11:30am to 1:30pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

This event is one of many volunteer opportunities in local parks. One of 15 Consortium members dedicated to improving health through increased access to greeways, non-motorized transportation and health food, Nicholas Sanchez, coordinates a trail and greenway improvement program aimed at removing invasive speices and engaging community members. Nicholas leads individuals and group volunteers in learning about and caring for our community's natural areas and trails. To learn about how you can join the national service movement or help with trail enhancement, please contact AmeriCorps State Project Coordinator, Katie Ellero at kellero@ingham.org. For more information on Volunteers in Service to America and poverty alleviation, please contact Mary ZumBrunnen at mzumbrunnen@ingham.org

January 17, 2011 is the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. A part of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative, the MLK Day of Service calls for Americans to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of a "Beloved Community".

A Day in the Life

My name is Sergio Ruiz and I'm the AmeriCorps VISTA for the Power of We Consortium. As Communications Coordinator, I will be serving to help create and expand their communication and social media tools. I'm from Steubenville, OH and I graduated from the Ohio State University with a major in Security & Intelligence and minors in Arabic and Middle East Studies. I moved to Lansing, MI from Columbus, OH in mid-November and started at the Consortium on the 19th. Here are a couple of tips that I have to share based on my first day:

Make sure you have a plan of attack if you ride your bike to work on your first day. You just may board the wrong bus, intending to use the bike-and-ride feature, and leave your bike rigged up to the bus after you exit in hurried frustration. It's not easy to chase after a bus in dress shoes.

Bring a packed lunch and ingest copious amounts of caffiene. After your PSO, you will be extremely exhausted. The packed lunch will only make things easier and the caffiene will keep you awake. Nothing is worse than trying to suppress a yawn during a meeting. You look weird and disinterested, which are both bad impressions for a new person.

Always try to be attentive during meeting, no matter how tired you are. Or at least be more attentive than the most visibly bored person. Also, take the time to introduce yourself. Even though they may not interset you, give everyone your full attention.

It's most likely safe not to ride your bike to work at all. You will be hit by a car. I was... and you will be too. You'll probably be halfway across the crosswalk when the driver will decide to turn right. You'll try to make your bike run parallel to the car but your momentum will be too great to suddenly turn. Tron is a video game for a reason and I learned that reason all too well that day. The driver will most likely keep driving after you're lying in the street, tangled in your bike frame. If you can see through the blood and tears, try to remember the license plate number.

Stay in touch with your new friends from PSO and your old friends as well. Maybe plan something for the weekend.

Most of all, don't let it get to you. You may have an entirely different day that I had but that doesn't mean that you won't feel negative or wary about your experience at some point. When you do, remember that things will get better. Don't lose hope. Inspirational quota reached.