Bonner Moves Online | Service at Home

Bonner Moves Online | Service at Home

April 28, 2020 Stories from ACE 0

After Siena transitioned to online courses due to COVID-19, there was a common feeling of uncertainty among Bonners. It seemed impossible to participate in direct service while we all remained safely in our homes. However, with the adaptability Community Miracles in Action, my site, has continuously shown, I was not worried about our ability to continue to serve and advocate for the teens of Cohoes.

My transition from serving directly with my team and the teens to serving through my laptop 3 hours away was gracefully guided by my supervisor, Crystal, and the VISTA at my site, Max. Since a lot of my service was direct, I needed new ways to engage with the teens during quarantine. Typically, at my site, I help Max run our STEM program, Sparksquad, assist with administrative work in the office, and occasionally run teen programs. Without being able to meet for Sparksquad programs, Crystal, Max, and I decided to prepare “To-Go Kits” to be left at pickup spots also used for our food pantry Backpack Program.

Currently, I am working on finding new projects the preteens and teens can complete on their own, preparing directions, and soon I will be making tutorial videos for these projects. At Community Miracles in Action, working together with our teens and team members is how we maintain the community aspect of the organization. During this time of crisis, that includes checking in on each other, making sure our teens are doing okay at home, and looking forward to returning and being together again.

Maura Lynch ’23
Bonner Service Leader