Americorps Offshoot Cultivates Leaders

A flier she picked up as she was leaving the Tuscany Cafe in the South Side two years ago gave Lindsay Stewart the opportunity of a lifetime.

The 19-year-old Fox Chapel Area High School graduate already planned to spend a year between high school and college doing volunteer work, but the flier led her to a unique 10-month apprenticeship designed to develop leaders for nonprofit organizations.

In AmeriCorps' Public Allies program she worked at the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, coordinating volunteers, getting the word out about the pantry's services and running food drives. She performed a community project with others in the program and took leadership development classes.

"It's a lot and lot of work. Public Allies became my life," said Stewart, who now attends Chatham University and is pursuing a duel bachelor's and master's degree in arts management. "It's all completely worth it."

Stewart still works part time at the pantry, doing everything she did during her apprenticeship and more.

"After Public Allies, college and a job should be easy," she said with a laugh.

Public Allies, which started in 1992 and is now in 17 cities, came to Pittsburgh three years ago and has already become a success.

Director Cynthia James said Public Allies Pittsburgh has been recognized as the best practices in recruitment site in the country and was awarded 26 apprenticeships this year, one more than usual. It receives about 100 applications a year and gets positions that aren't used elsewhere, James said.

Applicants must be 18-30 years old with a high school diploma. Allies earn a monthly stipend of $1,400 a month.

Communities in Schools, which connects schools with community resources to keep students from dropping out while helping them prepare for life, has worked with Public Allies for two years, said Jean Olvis, the nonprofit's program director.

Its "ally" coordinates a program that encourages girls living in the city to take up rowing, a sport that can help them earn a college scholarship. Communities in Schools and the Three Rivers Rowing Association created the program, but a key to its success was finding a coordinator to motivate the girls and make sure they attend study sessions and do homework.

"It takes a young, energetic person, but with good organizational skills," Olvis said.

For the Allies, the appeal is job experience and gaining career connections.

Kamau Dunmore, 25, of Wilkinsburg hopes to start his own mentors program. Through Public Allies, he works as a mentor for A Second Chance Inc. in East Hills.

He was hunting for a washer and dryer on the online classified listing service craigslist.org when he came across an ad for Public Allies. He talked to one of the program's recruiters, who compared the apprenticeship to attending "a nonprofit university."

"It's actually better than school because I'm gaining experience," Dunmore said.

Although he wants to take classes in nonprofit management, he's learning skills he'll need to start and operate his mentor program. At the same time, he's helping kids in need.

"That's something to take home besides a paycheck. It feels good," Dunmore said.

Kara Snitger, 22, of Friendship was an intern at the Union Project, an East Liberty community nonprofit, when she heard about Public Allies. In her senior year at the University of Pittsburgh, she wanted to do something different before attending grad school.

"I wanted to work in the nonprofit world because of it being mission-driven, rather than money-driven," she said.

With a double major in urban studies and the history of art and architecture, she thought she would end up in an art-related community development apprenticeship. Instead, Public Allies steered her to a government liaison position with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

She soon decided it was a good fit.

"I feel more at home here than I did in the arts and architecture world," she said. "It's really changed my view of myself and what I'll do with myself."

Stewart, the Fox Chapel graduate, agreed the program changed the direction of her life.

"It's one of the best choices I've made," she said.

Reprinted with permission from the Tribune Review. Written by Brian Bowling.