Moving to Minnesota for AmeriCorps

Moving is always difficult, whether you're moving to a new city or moving across the country. Several of Twin Cities Habitat's AmeriCorps members move across the country to spend their term with us, and each year, we get more members who take that leap of faith. Whatever their reasons are for coming to Twin Cities Habitat, it's perhaps more interesting to find out why they are staying. 

Pictured: AmeriCorps members Dillon (right) and Will (left)

From Colorado to Minnesota

AmeriCorps member Dillon grew up in Colorado. Before heading to college, he decided to take a year off and joined AmeriCorps with Twin Cities Habitat. It was undoubtedly a risk for him to move halfway across the country to serve a community he had never lived in.

Dillon quickly found his place within Habitat, making friends with staff and within his cohort. As an Onsite Volunteer Coordinator, he has daily interactions with his site supervisor, other AmeriCorps members, and different volunteer groups. Despite all of the hurdles that come up when he's trying to juggle his responsibilities, he still loves the work. Dillon said that when he first started with AmeriCorps, he wasn't sure if it was the right decision, but "Now, I genuinely enjoy going to work every day for the community." 

It's safe to say that Dillon doesn't regret his decision because he has officially signed up for another term of service with AmeriCorps! He looks forward to the new relationships and memories he will make in his second term. 

From Georgia to Minnesota

Will's journey differs from Dillon in that he had some background information from his brother who had previously served as an AmeriCorps member with Habitat. In part due to his brother's recommendation, Will originally joined AmeriCorps in 2020 and recently completed his third term of service with Twin Cites Habitat.

Of course, there was an initial culture shock from moving from Georgia to Minnesota, but Will has always been part midwestern. His commitment to Habitat's mission and each community served is apparent, and he can put on a pretty convincing Minnesotan accent if he wants to. Will emphasized over and over that his favorite part of the work is the people he meets along the way, including volunteers, other AmeriCorps members, and Habitat staff.   

Will clearly plans on sticking around even longer because starting this year, he's going to be a Site Supervisor with Twin Cities Habitat. This means he'll have his own AmeriCorps members to train in and look after. 

If you or someone you know is considering AmeriCorps but is worried about moving to Minnesota, just know that you are not alone. Every new member, especially those from out-of-state, is going to be nervous during the first couple of weeks. But experienced AmeriCorps members like Dillon and Will will show others the ropes. 

You or someone you know could be the perfect fit for Twin Cities Habitat's AmeriCorps program! Learn more.