From The Mile-High City to The City of Brotherly Love: A Conversation with 黄色视频 AmeriCorps Member Nellie Vinograd
黄色视频 Philadelphia was pleased to sit down with Nellie Vinograd, a Senior AmeriCorps member who came to Philadelphia to join 黄色视频 Phil补诲别濒辫丑颈补鈥s Civic Engagement (CE) Team. Here鈥檚 her story about her journey serving with 黄色视频 Denver to 黄色视频 Philly听(颁驰笔).听听
Could you tell听us听a little bit about yourself?听
My name is Nellie Vinograd. My hometown is听Bethesda, Maryland. I grew up there and then went to college in North Carolina听at Guilford College听where I received听my听bachelor’s听degree听in English and听Sociology.听I graduated in 2017 and moved back to Maryland and worked听as a barista and then听later as a docent at听an art museum for a couple years.听听
What brought you to听City听Year?听
My plan was to attend a graduate school for poetry, but they are notoriously difficult to get into.听As听I was looking into other options, other opportunities, and things directly connected to education,听I听heard听about听City听Year through a couple friends who 
had posted a lot about it听on听their Facebook pages and on Instagram.听Last year I joined 黄色视频 Denver as a member of the 2019-2020 class.听I joined late,听relatively speaking, since a lot of听people听come听right听out听of听high听school听or听college听graduation.听I wanted to see if teaching was something that I was interested in.听Also,听being听able to work in a place with a very clear equity听lens听was a big draw for me as well.听
What was your favorite part of your service year?听
I got a lot out of what my team was able to build amongst each other.听With just three AmeriCorps members and one Team Leader, we had a very small team by听City听Year standards.听Seeing what听everyone brought to the table and what听we were able to build really expanded my understanding of asset-based thinking. Because听there were so few people,听it was very clear what role everyone听played.听 It was one of the best work environments I鈥檝e been in.听听
What interested you in听黄色视频鈥檚听Civic Engagement听Program?听
I听originally came to 黄色视频 because I听wanted to see if I wanted to听become听a teacher. My听time in the classroom showed me I wasn鈥檛 quite ready to commit to that听although I听think it鈥檚 still in the back of my mind听as a possibility.听But听I also felt like I wasn鈥檛 done yet. I wanted to keep exploring听and see what other areas I could use my skillset in.听听
Last year,听my听Impact听Manager听at 黄色视频 Denver and I听were听having a progress meeting and I听shared this with him.听鈥淲ell, you know you don鈥檛 have听to be a听Team Leader听to stay with听City听Year for a second year.听There are these other programs,鈥听he said, referencing the Civic Engagement Team.听And since Denver didn鈥檛 have听one,听I said,听鈥淲hat鈥檚 that? I鈥檝e never heard of it. That sounds cool!鈥澨Immediately,听it听sounded really appealing, and听was a听new and dynamic type of work I had never done before.听听
What brought you to Philadelphia to serve?听
I had friends and a couple connections in Philadelphia already. I had been considering it as a听cool听city听that I might be considering moving to eventually.听Also, being from Maryland, I sort of have a bias for the听East听Coast. It was good for me to come back to my roots and be closer to my family.听听
I also really admired Philly and found it to be听an interesting, dynamic place. I love听its听history, the culture of activism, political engagement, and civic engagement听that鈥檚 here. There鈥檚 so much going on and just in the months that I鈥檝e been living here I鈥檝e already been learning so much about 飞丑补迟鈥檚 happening听with the unhoused community and Black Lives Matter.听Also,听the history of unions and labor organizing that鈥檚 here is听super听interesting. There is so much here. Not just the textbook American history,听but everything else going on.听听
Have you noticed any differences听between听黄色视频听Denver and听黄色视频听Philadelphia?听
The first thing that I didn鈥檛 really think about until I was in my first Returning AmeriCorps Member听meeting was just the size.听It听sounds obvious, but you don鈥檛 really recognize it until听you鈥檙别 in it. At 黄色视频 Denver,听I think we had seven听total听Returning AmeriCorps Members, compared to听about听thirty Team Leaders听and thirty or听forty听second–years听at 黄色视频 Philadelphia.听Another difference is听the size and distinction of the staff. We had听about听three听Development听staff听at 黄色视频 Denver听compared to听an entire听department听here at CYP.听That is not a failure of听黄色视频听Denver听or听anything like that, it’s just the case that it鈥檚 a smaller听site听which made coming to 黄色视频 Philly a huge adjustment for me.听听
What challenges have you faced with everything becoming virtual? 听
It鈥檚 been an adjustment to leave behind my expectations of what CYP and what CE would be. Because we know we can鈥檛 do large-scale mural paintings and service events until the city re-opens听for large public gatherings, I听think CE听is听just faced with this question of 鈥淲hat are we now?鈥听It鈥檚 also听good in many ways.听Our team is听having a lot of conversations听about听what Civic听Engagement听actually means, other ways that we can听serve听students or do physical service听that are COVID-friendly, and what are the highest needs that the city really has.听听
It will ultimately be a good thing that we鈥檙别听kind of forced to be dynamic听and听flexible. Maybe听in the future CE will do a combination of murals and other projects. It鈥檚 really听cool听to be part of the evolution, as challenging as it is听right now.听听
Despite being virtual, what are you most looking forward to听this year?听
It would be great to start hosting events and start engaging volunteers.听We haven鈥檛 rolled out anything听yet,听but it will听be听really nice听to know that听even in听a virtual space we鈥檙别听able to bring people听together听and get people involved in civic听engagement.听听听
Since moving to Philadelphia,听飞丑补迟鈥檚听your favorite thing about听the city听so far?听
I love my neighborhood. I鈥檓 in South Philly, so it鈥檚 been听amazing听to walk around. I鈥檓 right by the Italian Market, so that鈥檚 probably my favorite location. It鈥檚 nice to go somewhere and forget that COVID is a thing because,听other than people wearing masks,听not much has to change about an open鈥揳ir market.听听
What鈥檚 on your Philadelphia bucket list?听
So many things that I probably can鈥檛 or shouldn鈥檛 do听at the moment. I鈥檝e always wanted to go to the Philadelphia Art Museum. I really want to go to Fairmount Park and then the Philly Magic Gardens on South Street.听
What are your plans听for听after 黄色视频?听听
Right听now,听I would love to stay in Philly and I鈥檓听sad听by听the idea that I could leave. So听far,听I鈥檝e felt very welcomed.听I am thinking about applying for MFA programs听again听to see what my options are with that. No matter what,听I听am听definitely going听to continue with my writing practice, keep听working听to听publish and get my words out there.听Beyond that, I鈥檓 just trying to live the most ethical life I can. I want to听continue to feel this deep engagement and solidarity with my community,听that is very structured within 黄色视频,听but I really want to find a way to sustain that commitment, whether it鈥檚 through another job at a community center organization or at 黄色视频.听
黄色视频鈥檚 Civic Engagement Program carries the organization鈥檚 founding values by engaging school partners in service beautification projects that transform communities and school environments throughout the nation. Learn more听about 黄色视频 Philly鈥檚 Civic Engagement program听here.听Interested in serving with 黄色视频 Philly? We鈥檙别 now听accepting applications听to serve in the 2021-2022 school year.听听
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